Russia has not yet retracted; Turkey does not quail ;
and mat- ters have gone too far for our own Government to draw back, if it were so inclined; of which there is no symptom. At the head- quarters of each party all looks like preparation for extremities, and Russia has now committed herself so far all round, that she could scarcely reeoft to that retractation on her own part which appears to be the sole issue from the embarrassment.
It was at one time supposed that the Emperor of Russia would disavow Prince Mensohikoff; but the Prince appears never to have swerved from his orders, and the Emperor explicitly adopts his manifesto. Just before he left Turkey, Prince Mensehikoff sent a note to reject the offered declaration of the Porte guarantee- ing perfect religious immunity for the Christians : this offer was expressly rejected, on the ground that it was limited to the pro- mise of religious immunity; and, with great discourtesy of man- ner, Prince Menschikoff declared that this friendly overture would be treated as an act of "hostility." After that, the Emperor sends a special message to Constantinople, allowing the Turkish Government eight more days to declare its acceptance of Prince Menschikoff's last " convention"; and movements of Russian troops imply that the rejection of this demand and by the Emperor in person will be followed up by armed hostilities. It is still not certain that Russia will, for the present at least, be able to make good her threats ; since her muster of troops is said not to be sufficient for a march on Constantinople ; and the proposed occupation of the Danubian Principalities is not reckoned
easy at this season of the year, when floods occupy the lowlands, to leave behind them a formidable .garrison in the shape of pesti- lential miasmata. On the other hand, it is said that the Emperor can neither retract nor stand still, since the lust of conquest has seized upon the Russian nobles; and the power of factions around his own autocratic court is so great as to forbid his disavowing Prince Menschikoff, or abandoning the policy of that important person's mission. Whether by compulsion or self-will, it is evi- dent that Russia is advancing, and not likely to retract.
On that showing, the Turkish Government is making extensive preparations for defence : a respectable army is mustered ; and it is said that the genuine Mussulmans of Asia have offered large contingents of troops. The Moniteur announces that the English and French fleets in the Mediterranean were under orders, issued on the 4th instant, to proceed to the Dardanelles ; and the general belief is that Constantinople is safe against attack.
The visit of Count Dimitri de Nesselrode, which had a favour- able effect on our money-market towards the end of last week, does not appear to have merited the confidence reposed in it. If the Count comes for any other purpose beyond the bringing of instruc- tions to the Russian Minister here, it is rumoured to be the pre- sentment of a complaint against Lord Stratford de Redcliffe for rudeness to Prince Menschikoff. There are no signs of a pacific accommodation, therefore, in London or Paris, any more than at St. Petersburg or Constantinople.
