Year: 1878

Rnssia's reply to England's note has not
been received, but it seems to be the settled
conviction Of the English press that the
latter's proposals will be rejected, and at the
same time a plain intimation given that
Turkey can obtain anarmistice By ap-
plying direct to the Cars government,
This result (for it appears to be treat
ed as such) the English Cabinet un-
doubtedlY foresaw and it may with good rea-
son be suspected that England undertook the
work more for the sake of projecting herself
into quarrel from participation in the set
counted out, than with any strong expecta-
tion of being accepted as mediator. Her
course throughout the war has not been such
as to commend her to Russia as an impartial
go-between. From the moment that the Czar
undertook to compel the Porte to introduce
those reforms which the powers, England
among them, said were imperatively demand
ed, she has acted as counsel for Turkey.
When the tide of battle favored the Moslcm
the members of her maiesty's government
took care to say that England would preserve
strict neutrality unless British interests were
assailed, and when the tide turned and the
Cars legions advanced few leagues In the
direction of Constantinople her majesty's
ministers again told the people that they
should preserve neutrality unless British in
terests were assailed, but they fdgeted and
held secret consultations and sounded the
other powers to see il there was not some
way in which this horrid war might be stopped,
indicating plainly that her whole sympa-
thy lay with the Turks. And when Plev-
ma fell and the Ottoman army was wreck
and the Porte was anxious to end the
war on the basis of the Censtantinople
conference, which but for British encourage
ment would have been accepted at the time it
was fixed upon by the powers, and thus war
averted entirely, England addressed Ger
many in favor of the Porte's proposal and
met with a rebuff which showed her how
little she could count on the support of the
continental powers in any scheme for the
settlement of the dispute she would be likely
to devise.


England was in trouble from the contempt-
uous treatment of her by Germany and was
at loss to know how to approach the powers
again and make her opinion on the Eastern
question heard when the Porte furnished a
way by asking her friendly offices with Russia.
The request was eagerly complied with.
Nothing has been accomplished in the direc.
ton of peace, but England has obtained
pretext for further movements. Doubt
less she will argue that Russia is deter
mined to settle the quarrel herself and
that British interests will be thus put in
jeopardy; and for the evidence of this she
will point to the rejection of her friendly
offers. Already the Pail Mall Gazette sounds
an alarm. "We suppose" it says, "a re-
settlement of the Eastern question by Russia
and Turkey is not thought desirable by any
Englishman who understands the tenure on
which our Empire is held; nor is it conceiy-
able that England can, with safety, allow the
acquisition of the Black Sea ports and the
rectifcation of the Asian frontiers to be made
while she remains mute." These sentiments
will be made the most of by the government
journals between now and the meeting of
Parliament. On to that body the ministry
will undoubtedly seek to throw the respon-
sibility of the next step.