EASTERN PAPERS, PART XV.: COMMUNICATIONS WITH THE AUSTRIAN GOVERNMENT.
The fifteenth part of the papers connected with the war comprises twenty-two letters passing between Lord Clarendon on one side and Lord John„7.,n1Wl'or Lord Westmorland on the other, respecting 'communi- cations direct with Count Buol in-Vienna, or with Count Colloredo, the Austrian Ambassador, in London. On the 3d of April, Lord Clarendon relates to Lord John Russell a communication from Count Buol, read by Count Colloredo, intimating that Austria, not at present engaged in hos- tilities, would have no sufficient motive to declare war against Rus- sia,- if the sole obstacle to peace were the refusal of that Power to consent to the direct limitation of her naval forces in the Black Sea. Count Buol thinks that a practical solution of the question must now be found in " the system of counterpoise," the fundamental principle of which would be in reciprocal engagements between Russia and Turkey not to maintain more than an equal number of ships in the Black Sea. Count Buol glanced at the contingency of Russia's main- taining in the Black Sea a larger fleet than could be required for defence, as a possible but future provocative for maintaining the equipoise by in- troducing into that sea the war-ships of Powers friendly to Turkey. "Such a state of things would, Count Buol thinks, be little agreeable to Russia ; and it is by strongly supporting this argument, that it may be possible to convince Russia that it is more for her own interest to prefer either a direct or indirect system of limitation." Lord Clarendon told Count Colloredo that he "had listened to Count Bud's despatch with equal sur- prise as concern, as it was nothing short of an announcement that Austria would not adhere to the Treaty of December 2, if the Western Powers per- sisted in carrying the third basis into effect, for Count Buol must be aware that his proposed system of counterpoise was both inadequate and impracti- cable."
In another despatch Lord Clarendon reminded Lord John Russell of the agreement come to at a meeting in London, on the 30th March, at- tended by M. Drouyn de Lhuys, the French Ambassador, Lord Pal- merston, Lord Lansdowne, and Lord Clarendon ; at which it was agreed to make an alternative demand upon Russia—first, for the neutralization of the Black Sea, by excluding all war-ships, and by certain other condi- tions; or, secondly, limitation—Russia and Turkey each to maintain four sail of the line, four frigates, and a proportionate number of light vessels for the police of those seas. The next despatch relates how the Plenipotentiaries of the Western Powers had their first interview with Count Buol OH the 9th April. He received them in a very formal man- ner; thought that Russia would not accept the neutralization, nor the limitation ; nor would Austria go to war on the third point, on account of the refusal of Russia to limit her naval force in the Black Sea. Fol- lowing up a remonstrance, for such it was, of M. Drouyn de Lhuys, Lord John Russell showed how a contest without the aid of Austria, though victorious, must be prolonged ; how the plan of counterpoise must be ineffectual, unless fleets were maintained which would keep Europe in the perpetual ferment of preparation for war ; and how Austria had allowed division after division to be taken from Bessa- rabia to the Crimea, without attempting any diversion in our favour. " This," observes Lord John, at the close of his despatch, "has been, in my opinion, an attempt on the part of Austria to in- duce the Western Powers to relinquish their proposals on the third point; as such it has entirely failed." Another conversation fol- lowed on the 14th; the Turkish Plenipotentiaries assisting. At this meeting, both M. Drouyn de Lhuya and Lord John Russell asked that the neutralization or limitation proposals should be made a cases belli. Count Buol positively declined ; but he declared that if Russia were to refuse to guarantee the integrity of Turkey it would be a cases belli for Austria. Lord John's language, on the 9th, was entirely ap- proved by his Government. "The opinions of her Majesty's Govern- ment," says Lord Clarendon, " could not have been more faithfully re- presented, or more ably expressed."
Austria, said Lord John, in a despatch on the 16th April, will not sup- port any demand for c °salon of territory ; and to smooth difficulties he suggested a modified form of the limitation plan. Lord Clarendon re- plies thus- " We think that the limitation of the Russian fleet should be absolute, and that it would be made too conditional by the plan you wish to propose.. We must avoid as much as possible the system of counterpoise, the objec- tions to which you have explained fully to the Austrian Government." In the relation of a meeting on the 17th, Lord John remarks-
" There had been an anxious feeling at the result of our former meeting. The position on both sides appeared to be uneasy, though much more on the side of Austria than on ours."
The present meeting was conciliatory, and Count Buol came out with a plan of general understanding: Austria to propose, first of all, the London limitation plan, then a limitation of Russian and Turkish forces to the scale of the Russian fleet before the war ; and, in the case of the failure of both those, a general engagement to respect the integrity of the Turkish empire, and a separate treaty with Austria that if Russia should increase her naval force in the Black Sea beyond the number maintained by her in 1853, it should be a casus belli for the contracting Powers. We take up the story in Lord John's own words-
" M. Drouyn de Lhuys called upon me in the evening, and we drew up together a rough outline of the proposals to be made. It will be seen that, supposing the second proposition to be rejected as well as the first, the value of the third depends on three things— "1. Guarantee by all the contracting Powers of the territory of Turkey.
" 2. A system of counterpoise in the Black Sea.
" 3. The limitation of the Russian force in the Black Sea to the number of ships maintained before the war, under pain of war with the Allies. "The value of this last article consists in the maintenance of the alliance directed against Russia. I confess it appears to me, that if this third sys- tem can be made an ultimatum by Austria, it ought to be accepted by the Western Powers. In saying this, I may appear to contradict my former opinions. But in fact I do not retract those opinions. The system of limit- ation I believe to be far better than that of counterpoise. But the question is between an imperfect security for Turkey and for Europe, and the con- tinuance of the war. Should the Government of her Majesty, in concert with that of France, be of opinion that such a peace can be accepted, they will instruct Lord Westmorland accordingly. If not, I hope to be allowed
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to be heard personally before a final decision is made."
In a letter to the Earl of Westmorland, on the 8th May, Lord Claren- don states the opinion of the English Government on the Austrian pro- posal, as explained in the notes of Lord John Russell and M. Drouyn de Lhuys and the despatches of Count Buol. The Government, he said, " desired peace, but they would prefer the continuation of the war to a peace that would not be honourable nor likely to last." And he showed that the Austrian plan would not effectually secure the objects demanded by the Western Powers. Lord Clarendon reminded Count Colloredo that Austria was "pledged to put an end to the preponderance of Russia in the Black Sea," and that she had agreed in declaring the naval power of Russia before the war to be "a standing menace to Europe.' He stated "that her Majesty's Government could not attach much practical value to the engagement of Austria, to make, at some future period, a casus belli of the increase of the Russian fleet beyond a given amount, for she had already declared that it was beneath her dignity to discuss num- bers." And he again, in the name of France and England, invited Aug. tria, in fulfilment of her engagements, to concert with them the measures for giving immediate effect to the treaty of December 2. The remaining despatches consist chiefly of arguments, expounded on both sides, without any further progress whatever. In the latest de- spatch, on the 13th June, we find Lord Clarendon noting Austria's pro- fessions to perform her duty on proper occasion, and her expression of wishes for the success of the Western Powers; while he continues to re- mark the forfeiture of Austrian pledges, and the risk which Austria runt in altering her position towards the Allies.
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