Western sentinel. [volume] (Winston [i.e. Winston-Salem], N.C.) 1856-1886, 1885-04-02
THE WAR IN EUROPE.
England Anxious to Fight--Turksy
will Probably Help Russia.

THE WAR IN EUROPE.
England Anxious to Fight--Turkey
will Probably Help Russia.
From Correspondence to N. 7. Times.
The peace of Europe is no more as
sured to-day than it was during the
anious weeks of this same month 80
years ago, when Lord Aberdeen tim
idly fenced with the agents of the Czar
Nicholas and Europe wavered from
day to day between the fear of war
and the hope Of peace. The present
temporary respite seems to the un-
thinking mind the equivalent of per-
manent settlement, and the English
press correspondents at Paris, Berlin,
and Vienna, who are careful always
to reflect the current tone Of London
opinion instead of that of the capitals
at which they are stationed, now chat
ter as if the whole affair had blown
over. AS a matter of fact, however,
the situation could hardly be in q
more critical and menaeing stage than
it is in now. l find among politicians
that the better informed : man is the
more firmly he believes that the out
come must inevitably be war. The
only way out of it is an abject and
complete surrender on the part of
England, and that the country would
not tolerate the bare thought of.
There is q general feeling here in
London, and one which grows, | think,
with public pondering on these ques-
tions, that war just now with Russia
might be the very best thing that
could happen. The presence Of the
Russians at last in sight OF He1at
marks new era in the defense of the
Indian frontier. Hereafter even the
best peace could only be an armed
and vigilant watch involving vast ex-
| pense and sacrifice, while putting it in
the power Of Russia to turn the screws
on England whenever she liked. Such
a state Of affairs at this view Of the
case pictures to English forebodings
would be intelerable, and hence the
alternative of smashing the Russian
once for all grows in attractiveness.
The Ministry is believed not to be in
sensible to this feeling, and it may
serve to stifen their backs at the crit
ical moment which soon must come.
Now, as in March, 1858, Russia has
a special envoy at Constantinople, with
a mission of the gravest Importance,
but under strangely different condi-
tions. While Menzikoff's business
was to bully and browbeat the Porte,
the milder and wilier Nelidof now in
trigues for Turkish alliance The
sick man whom the Car Nicholas was
going to bury athird Of a century ago
is still well enough to be assiduously
courted by the Russian Empire of to-
day. The English have been taken
much by surprise at the Continental
rumors that in the advent of war Tur-
key would not only prevent the En-
glish from entering the Black Sea, but
would throw the weight of her favor
which counts heavily in Asia, ON the
side of late antagonist. But if the
story be true it would not be specially
/ wonderful. If the Turks have reason
to cordially hate anybody it is surely
Mr.. Glads ton, and in the English OPP
eratiens in Egypt and the cognate
Italian movements ON the Red Sea
there has been such utter and con
temptuous disregard for Turkish claims
and rights that the Porte quite natu-
rally feels bound to make friends
where it can, even with its historic
foe. This interesting question of Tur.
keys attitude is about the only new
feature of the weeks discussion, and
the position of the other powers are a:
problematical as ever save for the in
creased evidence of friendliness tt
England in the Hungarian press.