The Turkish affair has taken a turn, which rather perplexes
public writers anxious to foreknow the judgment of courts. Russia Las explained herself, in a "circular note," which professes to be condescendingly frank, is equivocatingly dishonest, and cannot help being arrogantly insolent. According to this note, the whole dis- pute with Turkey still turns on the custody of the Holy Places in Syria. Turkey had professed to grant all the claims of Russia.; but the orders of the Sultan were not carried out by the subordi- nate officer in Syria, who " audaciously " professed to have no In- structions; and thus outraged, by the "duplicity and tergiversa- tion" of the Porte, Russia demands an express bond of good faith, as a guarantee for the feature and a reparation for the past, to soothe the wounded dignity and importance of the Emperor. Thus Russia admits that all is closed, save some compliment to be extorted for the Emperor's offended "importance "—his very word ; and to ob- tain that, if he cannot "untie the knot" [of his own proud hys- terical threat] he will "break it," and leave other Governments to take the consequences. And in this insolent mélange of professions refuted by acts, and threats veiled in disclaimers, the Autocrat makes a merit of haying only not renounced the "glorious inherit-
awe of his augustpredecessors "—bearing in mind the will of Peter the Great, which bequeaths Constantinople for a Russian capital. But the British Parliament is considering a tax on successions ; and we have yet to learn *Ad the Russian Emperor abates the pre- tensions implied in his wits„: This note is not sufficient proof, al- though news-writers axe anticipating a craven eagerness in foreign cabinets to accept it as a peaceful overture and a new concession. It is evident that Nicholas does not abate a jot of his arrogant pre- tensions, when the floods of the Danube are the only things that keep back his army in Bessarabia. Nor does our Cabinet recall the British fleet from Besika Bay, or send the Channel fleet on a new cruise, or disperse the camp at Chobham, as if it were con- vinced of a nascent millennium.
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