moment, have an extraordinary faculty for refusing to consider the
We are not at all sure, however, that this policy is in itself a possibility of the ownership of Constantinople having to bo wise one, either for Greece to practise or for England to in- provided for. They will go over the several objections to each culcate. It is plain that a strong Power which had resolved proposed solution in forgetfulness of the fact that if a solution upon remaining neutral in the war between Russia and Turkey has to be found, the only thing to be done is to take the best could not decently prompt a weak Power to take part in that of those that present themselves. But we cannot believe that war. But it would not have been inconsistent with neutrality a dozen responsible Ministers can have agreed to pursue the to have left the Greek Government free to form their own ostrich-like policy of supposing that to refuse to look at the judgment upon this point. When the English Government future can prevent its becoming the present. had made up their minds that, so far as they were concerned, The future of Turkey in Europe, if it is not to become Turkey should be allowed to fall, they ought to have con- incorporated with Russia—a consummation which we may sidered by what instruments it was expedient that the assume that the Government are no more anxious to see overthrow of Turkey should be effected. There were two realised than we are—lies, and must continue to lie, between characters which it seemed conceivable that the attack two races, the Greek and the Slay. Each must have their say upon Turkey might assume. Either it might become, upon the question, but the mutual proportions of the parts as it has become, a thoroughly Russian, or at all which they will severally play will depend in a great measure events a thoroughly Slav, attack, or it might take upon the action of England. It is plain that Russia has no the form of a general uprising of the subject races of motive for bringing forward the Greek race. If she is Turkey, aided, no doubt, by Russia, but representing, never- ambitious, she may hope to play her game securely through theless, feelings and aspirations with which Russia has little the Slav ; if she is disinterested, she is naturally more dis- or nothing to do. As things have turned out, it is exclusively posed to help the Slays, who are near akin to her in the former character that the attack has borne. Russia has blood, than the Greeks, who have nothing in common with her been not only the central, but almost the sole, figure in it.. except religion. England, on the contrary, has many motives This solitary and exceptional dignity has been thrust upon to wish well to the Greeks. They are a maritime nation, and Russia from first to last, and it has been thrust upon her in she has consequently common interests with them, and a special a great degree by England. So far was it from being the ability to bring pressure to bear upon them. They are more affair of this country to keep the provinces of Turkey quiet, familiar to her than the Slays, and if familiarity has not been of first-rate representatives of all types of thought and that our true interest would have lain much more in the oppo- feeling composed of the Mr. Henleys of all walks of English site direction. We could not foment insurrections in Turkey, life. Nature gives us few typical individuals, and of the or prompt a neighbouring government to foment them, but typical individuals whom she does give us, comparatively few it was not incumbent on us to play the Quixotic part of have the tongue to utter themselves so characteristically as actively discouraging them. The English Government had Mr. Henley, and fewer still the opportunity of putting them- come to the conclusion that Turkey was no longer to be helped. selves forward in life. But at least it cannot be said that when It is to be presumed therefore that they had, in their own Parliament does get such men, it does not value them. The opinion, good ground for holding that any obligations which men of pith and fibre,—the men who not only give the House this country might have incurred towards the Turks were no new glimpses of what a great many are feeling and thinking, longer subsisting. If they were justified in thinking this, they but who can on occasion even lead the way, and encourage the had a clear light to go a step further, and to hold that they timid who trust them to venture on new experiments for the were free to consider what new arrangements could be devised benefit of all,—are always prized above everything in the to take the place of that complicated mass of arrangements House of Commons. And amongst such men, not one had so which has so long passed under the name of " the independence much weight as the Right Hon. J. W. Henley. and integrity of the Ottoman Empire." The more resolved the English Government were that this or that point of Turkish territory should not pass into the hands ENGLAND AND GREECE. of Russia, the more necessary it was to consider to LORD DERBY has in the state of feeling at Athens a good whom the points in question should be made over. It may excuse for not producing the correspondence between be objected that the Government did not look forward to any England and Greece. It is quite possible that one effect such sweeping changes as those which have been indicated. of making it public might be to encourage the war party, To say this, however, would be to credit them with a shortness and as Lord Derby has desired all along to keep Greece of vision which is incompatible with even moderate statesman- quiet, it is not to be expected that he should do any- ship. Even when two well-matched combatants begin a war, thing to defeat his policy at a peculiarly critical moment. it is only common prudence in an interested bystander to look In the absence of the papers, it is of course impossible forward to what will happen in the event of one or the other to form any definite opinion as to what the Foreign winning. And when, instead of being well matched, they were to Office has been about. It is certain that it has offered remon- all appearance so unequal as Russia and Turkey, it is not to be strances whenever it thought that Greece was likely to attack supposed that the consequences of the fall of Turkey were Turkey, but whether these remonstrances have gone beyond not discussed in every European Cabinet. Besides this, the limit which may conceivably have been dictated by a die- we have in Lord Derby's despatch about British interests interested wish to keep Greece out of a scrape is another positive proof that they were discussed in the English question. The general belief hitherto has been that Cabinet. Why was it necessary to make stipulations about a good deal more than purely Greek interests have been Constantinople, if the idea that Constantinople might at the bottom of this anxiety. Lord Derby himself says change hands had never occurred to them 1 It was possible that the English Government have used no menace, have from the first that the power of Turkey would be so shaken as put on no pressure, have not gone beyond giving that friendly to make even the evacuation of the capital not an incon- advice, in their own interest and for their own benefit, which is ceivable result of the war. If so, it could not, even at the the right and duty of a protecting Power like England to give, outset of the war, be too early to consider, as a matter of There is no doubt, of course, that Lord Derby thoroughly speculation, what steps would have to be taken in the event of believes this to be an accurate description of what he has such a contingency coming to pass. The more resolved the done, but there is nothing more difficult than to give disin- English Government were not to allow Russia to hold Con- terested advice when what are supposed to be our own stantinople, the more incumbent on them it was to pursue interests come into play. There is no doubt that Lord this train of thought. They knew that if Russia were not Derby dwelt with the utmost insistance on the dangers allowed to hold it herself, she would not suffer any other great to Greece that would result from a war undertaken Power to hold it. They knew that in the event of the Turks against a maritime Power of greatly superior strength. being completely beaten, it might prove impossible for them to Turkey is mistress of the sea, and Greece is terribly exposed hold it any longer, even if Russia took no active steps to eject to attack from any Power that holds that position. She has a them. It was conceivable, at all events, that they might not, great extent of sea-board, a considerable commerce, and a under certain circumstances, retain the means of keeping order maritime population upon which the Turkish ships could have in the city, without having recourse to methods which the great inflicted very great injury. In Lord Derby's despatches Powers would not be able to tolerate in a city of so much we may be sure that these arguments lost none of their commercial importance as Constantinople. None of these con- force, and the result, whether of the arguments themselves tingencies might be realised, but they were all on the cards, or of Lord Derby's manner of stating them, has been seen in and being there, they ought to have been within the vision of the policy which Greece has followed down to the present the English Government. There are many Englishmen who altogether without its proverbial effect, it is still true that the Greeks are more civilised and progressive than the Slays, and that some at least of their national faults would disappear with increase of territory and importance. It may be a long time before the opportunity of putting forward Greece as a candi- date for any great promotion offers itself, but in the mean time it is certainly desirable that she should* be preparing herself to bear it respectably, if it comes. To a large part of the Turkish territory she stands in the relation that Pied- mont stood to Italy throughout the early years of Victor Emanuel, and when it is decidedly to the advantage of England and Europe that she should be encouraged, or at all events allowed, to play a similar part, we fail to see the use or the policy of treating Greek ambition as simply a sentiment to be repressed. That it has been so treated by the Foreign Office is highly probable, and we do not see that the mistake is at all excused by the plea that it was prompted by regard for the Greeks' own good. A young country must risk itself a little sometimes, and if Greece had had a Cavour, it is difficult not to believe that, either by fighting or by negotiation, Thessaly and Epirus would now be on the eve of annexation to Greece, instead of being put off with the ap- pointment of Christian governors. Lord Derby may have inter- fered less pointedly than he is suspected of doing, or he may have held out hopes in return for Greek quiescence which he proposes to make good in Conference. But except on one or the other hypothesis, he will find it difficult to come out of the negotiation with any increased reputation for foresight.
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