NEWS OF THE WEEK.
'THE most important Foreign news of the week relates to the affairs of the East. Despatches from the French Consul-General at Alexandria, inform his Government, that the Viceroy of Egypt received the pacificatory proposals of the French and English on the 9th of March, and that he decided at once upon rejecting them, as far short of what the success of his army entitled him to demand. He had great confidence in his resources, and was de- termined to advance at all hazards upon Constantinople. The Russian fleet remains in the Bosphorus' and Russian troops are moving from 'various 'quarters upon the Turkish frontiers. Not- withstanding which, it seems clear that Constantinople must fall into the bands of MEHEMET Au, should he persevere in his resolution to use the advantage which the proximity of his pow- erful and victorious army gives him. This army consists of 82,000 men, well disciplined, and offieered by Europeans. The • hatred of the Turks to the Russians is so intense, that these latter Would require a very large force to take possession of Constanti- nople; and although the personal feelings of the Sultan would induce him to prefer the domineering protection of Russia to sub- mission to a rebellious vassal, his subjects, on the other hand, would prefer the sway of one of their own faith, who would make Constantinople the seat of government, and protect them by his • talents and energyirom the encroachments of the Czar. - The French and English Governments are placed in a situa- tion of extreme embarrassment by this state of affairs. They have neither naval-41'6r Military force in the Mediterranean suffi- cient to enable them -in act with effect. The naval reinforcements which have been and are about to be despatched, may arrive just in time to see either the Russian or the Egyptian flag on the walls of Constaristinople. Their threats of displeasure, and merely pacific interference, are evidently .disregarded by the Pacha, as well as by the Russian Emperor. The fate of our "ancient ally" the Sultan appears to be inevitable, if not immediate; and the only question is as to which of his two enemies, the open or the treacherous one, shall deal the deathblow. We think that there can be no doubt as to the direction in which the interest of England points. Should the Egyptian Viceroy ob- tain Constantinople, and be acknowledged as Sovereign by the Turks,—as being on the whole to be preferred to a Russian Arch- duke,—we should then have gained the grand desideratum of a sagacious and energetic ally in the East against the power of Russia. We have still some hopes that such may be the result of the present crisis. A rapid march on Constantinople by the Egyptian army might settle the matter in the course of a few days. But in whatever way the affair may terminate, one thing is clear —active interference on our part is out of the question. We must confine ourselves to protocolling ; being bound in sureties to the amount of 800 millions not to go to war.
