Year: 1870




RUSSIA REFUSES TO DISCUSS THE PRoPRIETY OF


HER FORMER HoTE-A CONFERENCE OF TIE


POWERS ACCEPTED.


"A portion Of the following dispatch published In our second 'du'n


ofyeonisy.l


IBY TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIDUNEl


LONDON, Friday, Dec 2. 1870.
The spccial correspondent of THE TRIBUNE at st.
Petersburg teleaphs the full text Of Prince Gorts-
ehakof's reply to Earl Granville being dispatch
to Daron Brunnow. dated Thorskoe Nov. 20, 1870:


MONSIEUR lie BARON: The Fmbassador Of En-
gland has read and left with mo O copy of Lord
Granyilles reply to our communication OF the lStn
of October. which j submitted to His Majesty
the Emperor. Our august master was pleased TO
point out that il contained in the first place an ex
preeson of the earnest desire Of the Cabinet OF Lon
don TO preserve the cordial relations between
England and Russia and, secondly, an assurance
that the English Cabinet would not have refused 10
enter into an examination of the results OF the
Treaty of 1856, SO far they had been modified by
circumstances.


As for tho question Of strict right stated by Lord
Granville, we have wish to enter into any dis
cusson 10 recall any precedent OF cite any example
Such controversy would in no way promote the
good understanding which we desire. Our



duty to his own country, without wishing to injure
in any way the Governments which we're signatories
of tho Treaty of 1856. On the contrary His I'm
peIal Majesty appeals TO their sense of justice and
to their regard for their own dignity.


We regret to see that Earl Granville addresses
himself principally to the form of our communi-
cation. The fOnn not our choice. We could
have asked nothing better, surely, than to attain
our end by agreement with the sgBatories Of the
Treaty of 1866 but the principal Secretaries Of State
of Her Britannia Majesty well know that the
attempts made at different times to assemble the
Powers in general Conference, with view to
remove the causes Of difficulty which disturb the
general peace, have invariably failed


The prolOngation Of the present crisis, and the alb
sence of a regular Government in France, postponed
still further the possibility of such an agreement
Meanwhile the position in which the Treaty left
Russia has become more and more intolerable. Earl
Granville will agree that the Europe of to-day is
very far from being the Europe which signed the
Treaty of 1866. 1t impossible that Russia should
agree TO remain the only Power bound In
definitely to an arrangement which, onerous as
it was at the tUre when it was concluded, became
daily weaker i'll it's guarantees. Our august master
has too deep seIse of what he owes to his country
TO force il TO submit any longer to an obligation
against which the national sentiment protests. We



oretlcal principle, not followed by its imme-
6iate application, and which visbly restores TO
Russia right of which no great Power could consent
TO be deprived, ought to be considered as menace
to peace nor that in avoiding point Of the Treaty
Of 1885, the abrogatOn of all is implied. The Imperial
Cabinet never had any such intention On the
contrary our communication of Oct, 19 de-
clared in the most explicit terms, that His
Majesty, the Emperor maintains his adhesion
to the general principles of the Treaty
of 1885, and that he is ready to come to agreement
with the signatory Powers of that treaty, either TO
confirm its general stipulati0ns or TO renew them,
OF to substitute for them any other equitable ar
rangement which may be thought suitable TO
secure the repOse Of the East and the equilibrium
of Europe.


There seems then, to be reason why the Cabi-
net of London should not if il please, enter into
an explanation with the sgnataries of the Treaty of
1856. For part ready to join in any dehb-
Grafton having for its object the settlement of guar
antees for the consolidation Of peace in the East.
We are persuaded that fresh guarantees would be
found in the removal of permanent cause of rrita-
ton existing between the two Powers which are the
most directly interested. Their mutual relations
would be more firmly established on the basis of
good and solid understanding.


You are desired NJ le Baron, to read this dispatch
TO the Minister of Foreign Affairs, and leave copy
of it with him. The principal Secretary of State of
Her Britannia Majesty has expressed to us the regret
that he would feel if this discussion should disturb
the harmony which the Government Of Her Majesty
the Queen has striven to maintain between the two
countries. BE good enough to express TO His Excel
lency how entirely this regret would be shared by
the Imperial Cabinet. We believe that friendship
between the two Governments is essentially useful
to the two countries well to the peace of the
Naafo onfaa hat ho.-.
seen this friendship during late years grow and
more close and cordial the grave circumstances in
which we find ourselves Mt this moment seem to us
to make it more desirable than


GoRTsCHAKoFF