Year: 1876

1t is felt in England that what has already
been done by British diplomacy in Con-
stantinople will justify the armed interven-
ton of Russia. and that therefore. if peace
cannot be hastily and satisfactorily made
and the whole dismal drama be forthwith
shuffled out of the way, SO that Russia can
have no temptation or pretext to interfere


then the whole sum and substance of Eng
lands relation to the conflict will be the de-
feat and destruction of Englands aspira-
tions. The countenance and moral support
that the presence of British feet gave to
the Moslems were the direct sources of that
outburst of indulgence in their barbarous
impulses which made deserts where in Bull
garia there had been populous villages, and
that carnival of savagery has produced so
great an effect that the world--even Eng
of Russia with satisfaction and pleasure; for
the attempt Of the Ministerial organs in
England to excite the jealousy of Russia as
a sentiment that may countervail the Chris
tian sympathy for an oppressed people ap-
pears distinctly to fail. But if Russia takes
up the cause of Servia in arms England, it is
admitted, cannot render the Sultan any equiv
alent support against the enemy whose en-
trance upon the scene her earlier encourage
ment to the Turks will have directly pro-
voked and justified. This. therefore, is the
present peril to British diplomacy-that the
intervention of Russia will be fatal to
British hopes to secure the integrity of
Turkish territory that such intervention is
imminent, and that if it occurs it will be
justified before the world by acts which have
taken place because the Moslems believed
they were sure of British support in every
emergency. These are the reasons which
induce the London Times to cry out so ur-
gently as to the importance of the present
crisis, and which stimulate the British Min
istry to practically put before the Sultan the
ultimatum that he must consent now to q
peace such as will be satisfactory even to
Russia or expect to see England wash
her hands Of him altogether. This
troublesome dilemma naturally makes
stir in Constantinoplc, and from
changing Sultans, which has become
monotonous, they now talk of changing the
Ministry. Telegrsms from London plainly
declared several days ago to the Sultan that
the peace proposed by his Ministry was not
acceptable, and the programme was referred
to council, which has apparently assented
to the required notifications, and the Min
istry retires, or it may be, as the news is
vague, that the council has sustained the
Ministry and the Sultan wishes new ad-
visers. The latest conditions upon which
Turkey will make peace with Servia are
stated elsewhere. They are not such rs
either England or Germany can accept
after the position they have long occupied
or that Russia can tolerate. We can see no
prospect of peace on the basis of reoccupa-
ton of the Servian fortresses which Turkey
gave up in 1857, or the destruction of those
which Servia has since built. That would
be going backward, and Europe is now dis
posed to advance. 1t is evident that the
purpose to secure moderate terms is Bit
terly opposed by all the elements that have
faith in the suficiency of Islam, and it
remains to be seen whether these are still
powerful enough in Constantinople to thrust
the government onward to certain ruin.