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    | Utimg of the Observateur < PAt 7 i&nes , in the midst of a series of dip lomatic papers on the Eastern question , and was thence translated into the Sunday Times , to the considerable astonishment of the general public , who seemed to learn for the first time that an excellent sporting and theatrical Sunday paper was the official organ of our Foreign Office . The Observateur d'Athenes had reached other offices besides those of the Sunday Times , but , from a modesty or "discretion which may appear to many pooplo incomprehensible , all the other journals declined to give a despatch of the Foreign Minister in other words than jjis own . The singular tameness and absolute nullity of the despatch in question , may perhaps account in some degree for this journalistic continence . Our readers will soon be in a condition to discover how much they have lost by the delay . We print this almost posthumous despatch as a document in the history of the Eastern question ,

    certainly not that it possesses any merit of any description to atone for the ludicrous want of apropos in the time and manner of its appearance . We need not remind our readers , whom it has been our endeavour to keep punctually and faithfully in possession , of the latest successive phases of the Eastern question , how vastly the posture of affairs is changed since the date of Lord Clarendon's despatch ( July 16 ) in reply to the second Circular of M . de Nesselrode . We have not now to discuss the right of France and England to send their combined fleets to Besika Bay , or of Russia to occupy the Principalities . The sole question that now calls for decision , for instant decision , is , what is to be the attitude of the Four Powers , nowtnat the Czar refuses to assent to the modifications of the Note of the Vienna Conference , while Turkey persists in resistance to the naked demands of Russia , and considers these variations essential to its own assent to the

    Note , which was not submitted to its preliminary approval , as it was to Russia through the Russian ambassador at Vienna , who , it may be remembered , sent a rough draft of the Note to the Emperor , at the request by the Four Powers to sound his Imperial master as to the probability of his acceptance of the terms proposed . The Earl of Clarendon ' s despatch is as follows . We take the correct copy , supplied to tho morning journals of Monday last by the Foreign Office itself , when it had become necessary to authenticate the language of our Government . The whole _ story of this despatch is a sorry illustration of our secret diplomacy . It ia addressed to Sir G . H . Seymour , the English Minister at St . Petersburgh : —• " Foreign Office , July 16 , 1553 .

    " Sir , —Baron Brunnow has communicated to me the circular despatch dated the 20 th of June ( 2 nd of July ) , which Count Nesselrodo has addressed to the Russian Missions . "It io difficult to express the astonishment and regret with which Her-Majesty ' s Government have read in this despatch tho declaration that the Principalities have been invaded and occupied in consequence of England and France having disregarded the recommendations of the Itussian . Government , and having sent their fleets to tho waters of Turkey . " The passages of the despatch which , contain this exlraordinary statement are the following : —

    " 'En posant cct ultimatum a In Porte , nous avions plus pavtieulierement informo les grands Cabinets de nos intentions . Nous avions engage * noramdment la France ct la Grand Brotagne a no pas compliquor par leur attitude les difficultes do la situation , ii ne pas prendrc trop tot de mesuresi qui , d'un c 6 t 6 , auraioirt » pour effet d ' oncouragcr l ' opposition de la Porte ; de l ' autro , engageraient plus avanfc qii'ils no l'dtaient doj / l dans la question l'honneur ctla dignito do l'Empereur . " D ' nutro part , lea deux Puissances maritimes n ' ont pos cru devoir doTercr aux considerations quo nous avions rocommanddes t \ lour seriouso attention . Pronaht avant

    nous ^ 'initiative , elles ont jugd indispensable dc ddvnneor iinint-diatement par un mosuro effective ,, cellos quo nous no icur avions annoncdos quo comme puremont oVcnfcueUes , puisquo nous en subordonnkms la misc a ert ' et aux r 6 solulion . H finales do la Porto ; ct qu ' au moment memo oh j ' ecris 1 execution n ' on a pas encore commence " . Elles ont surl « -cliamp envoyu lours ( lottos dans lea pavnges do Constantinople . Klloa occupont tUija . los enux ot ports do la dominill : Ofctomanc A , porttio ties Dardanelles . Par cotto attitude ayanciSs les doux Puissances nous onb pined sous <> poul . s d ' uno demonstration eomminnfoiro , qui , com mo n le lour avions fuit pressontir , dovait ajoutor k la criso <•'* noiivellcs complications .

    , ' ''" prdsenco du rofus do In Porto , appnyd par la inai ulesUatioii do la Franco ot do l'Anglolorro , il nous eviont plus quo jamais irnpossiblo do modifier Ioh rcsolu"onyiuon avail ; fait depon < lro nCmporeur . I ' m fionsd quonco , Sa Mnjentd hnporinlo viont d ' envoyor < " corps do noa troupes stationnd on <; o moment on Bos ' suj riDio io ,. ( i ro dopuasor la frontiero pour oceuper k- » Frin-• ' pnutes . L fj . ( . }*'" Aspect to t . ho first ; passage , T havo to obsorvo ¦ j { ., u > IVI > t < Nossolrode ' ti despatch of . Turin 1 st , to Huron in > n | rn ' 1 U ) t ' <; " » ' » »» initocl to Her Majesty's ( Jovcrnbi . fli I a ° 8 IIl > un < 1 ' ' » ' « l ' r ' ™> tl >« o > ' < lor Honfc a week of m ? ! ltmni > l- >» ndan t , o proceed to tho neighbourhood lUll

    i \ 0 . V i " > " ' WllH Ilot ifWlU )( l in dinrogard , mi ( Jounfc II ,,. 'J , ro ( l , ° " circular nllirms , of considerations brought to tho I ° i " k ° " *'• " »« British Clovornment , Hut , ovon if il ,., l 1 )( ' ou otherwise , and no ordors had boon issued , «) ' oii ' il "VI >< Mlsibl 0 <¦ ' » ' llor . MajoHty ' H Government to supron . l !" i n lhroa ( i lo »« ° > M > . V ' - *«> . IV ' iiipipiilitiort would b « <| avs , " ! . l > y ''!«» Porto uceo ])( . iii { r | , ho torniH which a few "f r ' li , IT l ( l '' "" Ix ^ itatinglv rejected ; an < l on tlno Ht , h Doll ,. . th " ? < - » Jf « H- Maywiy ' t , Uovorninont ; wero « om' viJ , iM < 5 <) II "" » r ( l ' ° ooeupulion of tho Prineipalit , iTO iubar , " - ; '" Ul (! y < -onol . ulo Mini , tho Oabinot of St . Poloi-n-¦ NoHHoIr" ! , . l" ' l aro ( ' (<> n ' ' »«* t UmmioJo of Count ' ¦ ' «> « x « r ' "' Hol ' P'iMha contained an oinpt . y ( noimce , ' Hut in r 'I '" /' . ° f vvlli ( lh Wftf ) " « vor HflriouHly < H > at ( Mnplatod . »» icatiii , » Vi ' i' ° '' ¦ 1 > r «««« l « "l « ' » note of MuyUlHt , commu-Ul wo houUlo iutoutiona of Ruasia , would of itself

    have been sufficient to justify Her Majesty's Government in taking measures for tho protection of Turkey . "I shall now proceed to place on record at what time and for what reasons the British fleet was sent to the Turkish waters . " Prince Menschikoff , acting , it must be assumed , on the orders of his Government , stated in his note of the 5 th of May , of which a copy was received in London on the 18 th of May , that any further delay in answering his proposals respecting the Greek Church could only be considered by him a 3 ' un manque de proeddds envers son Gouvernement , ce qui lui imposerait le plus penibles obligations . '

    " Again , in his note of the 11 th of May , a copy of which was received in London on the 30 th of May , Prince Menschikolf says , that in case of an unsatisfactory decision on the part of the Porte—' si les principes qui en forment la base ( of the articles ho was negotiating ) sont rejetes , si par une opposition systematique la Sublime Porte persiste a , lui former jusqu'aux voies d ' une entente intime et directe , il devra eonsiderer sa mission comme terminde , interrompre les relations avec le Cabinet deSa Majestd lo Sultan , et rejetcr sur la responsabilitd de ses Ministres toutes les consequences qui pourraient en resulter . ' And lastly , in his note of the 16 th of May , received in London , Juno 1 , Prince Menschikoff concludes : — ' II appartient a , la sagaeite de votre Altesse de peser les suites incalculables et les grandes calamites qui pourraient en resulter , et qui retomberaient de tout leur poids sur la responsabilitd des Ministres de Sa Majeste le Sultan . ' ' ¦ . *

    " This succession of menaces , addressed to a Power whose independence Russia had declared her determination to _ uphold , and in support of claims so much at vari * ance with the assurances given to Her Majesty's Government , together With the vast military and naval armaments ^ which for months had been preparing on the very confines of Turkey , left no doubt on the mind of Her Majesty ' s Government of the imminent danger in which the Sultan was about to be placed . They deeply lamented that this danger should arise from acts of the Russian

    Government , which was a party to the treaty of 1841 ; but , as Her Majesty ' s Government adhere now , as . firmly as in 1841 , to the principles which that treaty records , and believe that the maintenance of European peace is involved in : the maintenance of the Ottoman Empire , they felt that the time had arrived when , in the interests of peace , they must be prepared to protect the Sultan ; and , upon learning the abrupt departure of Prince Menschikoff , it was determined that the British fleet , which up to that time had not quitted Malta , should be placed at the disposal of Her Majesty ' s Ambassador at Constantinople .

    " On the 1 st of June , a despatch was forwarded to Lord Stratford de RedcliiFe , authorizing him , in certain specified contingencies , to send for the fleet , which would then repair to such place as he might point out . On the 2 nd of June , instructions were sent to Admiral Dundas to proceed at once to the neighbourhood of the Dardanelles , and there to place himself in communication with Her Majesty ' s Ambassador . "On the previous day , wo received a copy of Princo Menschikoff's note of May 18 , announcing the termination of his mission , and that the refusal of the guarantee demanded , 'devra ddsormais imposer au Gouvernement Imperial la necessitd de la chercher dans sa propre

    puissance . " On tho 2 nd of Juno , I communicated to Baron Brunnow tho measure taken by Her Majesty's Government ; it could not have been made known by him at St . Petersburg before tho 7 th or 8 th , and , consequently , it could in no way influence the decision taken by the Russian Government ; for Count Nesselrode ' s noto to Rcdschid Pasha , announcing that , ' dans quclqucs semaines scs troupes recovront l'ordre do passer les frontieres de Pempirc , ' was dated tho 31 st of May ; and his despatch to Baron Brunnow , in whinh ho said , that if tho Porto did not sign Prince McnschikoiV ' s noto within a week after tho arrival of tho noto to Rodschid Pasha , tho Emperor ' ordonnera A . sea troupos d'oceuper loa Principautds , was dated the 1 st of June .

    " It ia thus clearly established that tho British Hoot was not sent to tho waters of Turkey in disregard of considerations submitted to her Mnjosty ' s Government by the Cabinet of St . Petersburg , and Mint on tho day before tho instructions to Lord Stratford do Rodeliflo W (; London tho decision to occupy tho Principalities was taken by tho Russian Government ; and I say Mint decision was taken , becaiiHo the Russian Government could never for onn moment floriounly havo expected tho nubmisnion of f , ho Porte

    to tho torrriM , sanx variant ? , that n regard for its own dignity and security had n fow dnya before compelled it to ( loclino . Yot Count JVossolrode , in his circular despatch of July 2 , nflirm . s that tho pre . Moneo of tho Knglinh and French fleot . H in tho Bay of Basika has mainly provoked and fully ju . itifio . s tho occupation of tho Principalities ; ho inni . sl . H that they nra in wight of tho capital , from which they aro nearly 200 milos distant , and that their maritiino occupation of the Turkish waters nrul portrt can only be balanced by n . military position on the part of Russia .

    " But her Majesty ' s Government tnuHt , in tho N < rongonh torins , protest ngaiiiHt thi . i nsHortion ; andtlioy deny that , nriy msemblnnee oxin ( fl between fcho position of tho combined ( loots in HcHika Bay and that of UU > Ru . ssinn arinie . S in tho Princ . ipnlituw . The ( leotM havo tho name right to anchor in Bewika Bay an in any port in the Mediterranean . Their pnwnco Micro violates no tveaty and no territory ; it . infringoH no hit or national law ; it i , s no rnonneo to Turkish indopon < t < M ) co , and it aHuurodly ought , to bo no eauRo of oIKmum ) to Riimia ; wlmroan by o ( v cuj ) ying tlio Prinei ]) alitien liuMsia ( loon violato tho territory of the Mull . an and tho npooial treaty wliich rognrdn that portion of bin dominion . It is nn infraction of tho law of nations , and an net of direct ; hostility ugninnfc tho Multiui , whioli ho would bo ju . il , i ( i (!( l in mooting by ix dochiration of war , and by a roqui-Hition to tlio nlliod nquadron . i to como uj > to Constantinoplo for bin ( lofonco ; an < f , lantly , it , in an net , so dangoroun an a l > recodonl > and ho violent on the part of a powerful Stuto

    towards one whose very weakness should be its protection , that throughout Europe it has created feelings of alarm and reprobation . To admit that any similarity exists , or that any comparison can with truth be established , between the position of the English and French fleets outside the Dardanelles and that of the Russian armies within tho Principalities , is manifestly impossible . " It is with deep regret that her Majesty ' s Government thus find themselves compelled to record their opinions upon the recent invasion of the Turkish territory ; but they consider that the withholding of those opinions would be an abandonment of duty on their part , and might render it difficult for them hereafter to interfere in defence and support of treaties which constitute the international law of Europe , and which are the only effectual guarantees of general peace and of the rights of nations .

    "The sufferings which the occupation of the Principalities must entail upon the inhabitants will , doubtless be much alleviated by the Russian Government taking upon itself the entire charge of that occupation . " As I have so often , and at such length , discussed tho demands of Russia upon the Porte , it is hardly necessary for me to remark upon the other portions of Count Nesselrode ' s circular despatch , which , in fact , adduces no new fact or argument in support of those demands . I must , however , express the conviction of Her Majesty ' s Government that the Cabinet of St . Petersburg is altogether mistaken

    when it affirms that the Porte is indisposed to satisfy the just claims of Russia , or desires to shrink from its existing engagements with Russia . If this were correct such influence a _ s her Majesty ' s Government may possess would be exercised to bring the Porte to a proper sense of its obligations ; but they are as unaware of such breach of engagement on the part of the Porte as they are of those numerous arbitrary acts of the Ottoman Government , which , it is said , ' recently infringed the rights of the Greek Church , and threatened utterly to annihilate the order of things sanctioned by ages , and so dear to the orthodox faith .

    " Russia claims for her ' coreligionnaires' in the East the ? trict status quo , and the maintenance of the privileges they have enjoyed under the protection of their Sovereign ; but Count Nesselrode entirely omits to show how thafc status quo has been disturbed , how those privileges havo been curtailed , what complaints have been made , what grievances remain without redress . Her Majesty ' s Go < vernment know only of one offence committed by the Turkish Government against Russia , which , by the admission of Prince Menschikoff , was satisfactorily atoned for ; while , on the other hand , the recent firman of the Sultan , confirming the privileges and immunities of the Greek Church , has been gratefully acknowledged by the Patriarch . of Constantinople . " Where , then , are the causes which Count Nesselrode , appealing to impartial Europe , assumes will justify th « position now taken by Russia ?

    " Count Nesselrode further say 3 that Russia , by her position and by her treaties , virtually enjoys the right of protecting the Greek Church in the East . If such be tho case , and iC that rialit , whatever its nature and extent may be , ia undisturbed , it ia Russia that throws doubt upon its existenco or validity by endeavouring to force tho Porto into fresh engagements . If ancient rights exist , and aro observed by Turkey , Russia has no cause of complaint against Turkey . But , if she seeks to extend those rights , then is Turkey justified in closely examining tho naturo of such fresh demands , and in refusing thoso from which her independence and dignity would suller .

    " Her Majesty ' s Government receivo with sincore satisfaction the renewed assurance that it is tho policy of his Imperial Majesty and tho interest of Russia to maintain the existing order of things in tho East ; and , as tho interests of Turkey impose upon her tho necessity of observing her engagements with Russia , her Majesty ' s Government triiHt that Russia will not , by seeking at tho presont tiino to exact what tho Porto ought not to yield , prolong a crisis that may render inevitablo consequences which Europo is so deeply concerned in averting . " You will read this despatch to Count Nosselrodo and furnish him Excellency with a copy of it . " I am , &c . Cr . A . URNnoN . " The telegraphic despatch , which represents the latest position of tho Russo-Turkish question was as follows : — A courier from St . Petersburg has arrived .

    Tho Czar rejects tho Turkish modifications , but abides by tlio Viomm noto ; and promises to evaounto tlio principalities if tho Porte aceeptw it , pure and aimplo . Private telegraphic despatches from Vienna ndd , thnt a new memorandum from Rufinin ; addressed , wo conclude , to tho Four Powers , is expected . Optimists , who will linve pt'iioo at any price , derivo onoouragomont , for their hopes from the approaching conference of Sovereigns at tho Camp of Olmutz . Tlio Czar is oxpoeted at Warsaw on I ho 20 th hint ., and at Olmutz on tho 23 rd . llo will bo accompanied by M . do NohhoIrodo , Chancellor of tlio Kmpiro , M . do Mcyondorir , bin Ambay . sador at Vienna , and probably , nays tho ( htzotta

    da Cologne , by one or two Princes of tho Irnporiul Family , " with a miito of two hundred noblest This mooting of Bovcroigns , for it is anid Mint tho King of PruHnia will join tho two Emperors at Ohniitz , may woll oixcito Ilio' jealousy of Mio . so who profor tho honour of JOuropo , nnd tho Nccnrity of Turkey , to poaco at any price . Tho Times , for all itn leuning-fi to Run . sia , and although it ha . s on allernalo 'lays recommended tlio do-Hortion of Turkoy , Mounds tho noto of alarm , and nppotikj to tho young Km ' poror of Austria to row ' sfc tho seductions of Nicholad , to romombor Mio traditions of his House , and to disohargo tho weight of obligation jo bin groat lumofuotor by Mint , " supremo ingratitude , " which . Princo Sehwarzonborg recommondod .

    \ Vo do not , liiut any guarantee for tho Peace Societ y in . tho roportmyiotorminutioM of tho Au . itrian ( Jovommont lo reduce its effective military forco in tho provincca released from tho niido of siogo . Thin reduction ia probably but tho rumour which invaviubly horoldu u loan

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    September 17 , 1853 . ] THE LEADER , 893

• Citation
  • Leader (1850-1860), Sept. 17, 1853, page 893, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse-os.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2004/page/5/