THE PRES S.
ABANDONMENT OF OUR "OLD ALLIES" THE TURKS.
MORNING doze-Le:ea—We take for granted, even against our own belief, that Turkey is to he left to her fate. Such, we are informed, is the determination of the Duke of Wellin,gton. We suspect the authenticity of the statement ; but for the sake of debate let its assume it to be true. The first question that will be asked is— why has England altered her old policy, and deserted a faithful ally, whom we had deeply, though unintentionally, injured, at the hour of her peril—the crisis of her fate? This, to some minds, will be a staggering question. The small politician will stare wildly at its very announcement. The happy annuitant who dreams of glory, eats the taxes, and flatters his poor heart that England is the envy of surrounding nations, will be quite at a loss to understand why she should appear so craven now—why so chop-fallen—why so pluckless—why so found of peace and rest, when her honour is assailed and her interests at hazard ? hippy, little, purse, sleepy; old man! The cause of this shyness is your annuity. The mortal hatred of war, so new in England, is produced by the to Ts. The pious abhorrence of hostilities, and the effusion of blood, is caused by poverty. We are meek and forbearing because we are out at the elbows—because we are aelained to reflect upon our former spirit, our past exertions, or our late pros- purity. The people of England are now the most forgiving and disinterested mor- tals in the world. We are now the only nation of Christians on the face of the earth, for, when we are smitten upon the one cheek, we turn the other, and bless the setter for his merev. tiro are valiant only at home—a military people only in our police improvements—and quite unrivalled in putting swords into the hands of Irish porters and suepected thieves, in order that they may be drawn occa-
sionally against ourselves. Our conquests are °ay made at home. Our power is exclusively felt in the interior of the starving weaver's hut. The ex-
charge of presenting a round robin from the petty officers of the Genoa to the cisemen is now the arbiter of our destinies, and the tax-gatherer fights over again admiral when at Navarino, Sir Edward gave the following testimony. the battle of Waterloo in the court of requests. This, despite battler, is the real "Captain Dickinson, after presenting me with some official papers in the Asia's cabin, state of Great Britain at this moment under the Administration of the Duke of I uid t t • ffil h I t ti t f dtd b h i i Wellington. Whatever secret stipulations his grace may have entered into with
the Prince Polignac we know be is unable to fulfil them, particularly if they be of a warlike nature. He must end his career—a man of peace from dire neces- sity. The present Ministry must content themselves with being merely the spec- tators of passing events in the east of Europe. Their policy has made us beggars —the debt is a millstone that must, unless shaken off, for ever keep our heads under water. The Russians are marching upon Constantinople—perhaps they are in that city at this instant ; and yet the Duke of Wellington is in so helpless a state that he dare not offer the slightest resistance to their territorial conquests without shaking to its base the whole of our funded system. Here, therefore, we must remain waving the olive branch of peace over our ruined commerce, our declining trade, our pauper artisans, and ten millions of discontented and mur- muring fellow-subjects. Here we must remain digesting hobnails, and perhaps other pieces of iron, till Providence shall he pleased to bring us relief. We feel deeply for the situation of Turkey. We mourn over the injury committed to-
wards her by the fleets of England. We feel intensely the degraded state to which we are reduced. But charity begins at hone; and we confess we feel much more for ourselves. We have now no influence abroad. We have no Chatham, who would not allow a cannon to be fired in Europe without his per- mission. We are a nation of starving shopkeepers and manufacturers, with a dictator sufficiently courageous to trample upon constitutional rights, and in- troduce military laws ; but who, like the shadowless man, dare not hazard his re- flection in any capital of Europe. 'Tyranny at home is always the harbinger of imbecility abroad. Vindictive prosecutions, on the part of a supposed powerful Government, bespeak weakness ; and this weakness is lamentably demonstrated by the admitted incompetency of the Ministry to relieve the country from its pre- sent dreadful state of impending insolvency and universal distress. Motixtse CHRONICLE—Notwithstanding the confident assertions of the French journals, and the no less confident assurances here, we do not believe that England will act so foolish a part, as to kindle a general war in Europe for the ab- surd purpose of propping a power which cannot be supported. By this time we have no doubt Russia occupies Constantinople. and garrisons the approaches to it. A hostile demonstration on the part of the Three Powers would not in all probability intimidate Russia, or even induce that power to grant more favourable terms to the Turks than she would grant of her own accord. We do not believe that Russia has at present an intention to occupy permanently Thrace, and her con- quests in Asia Minor. Nay, we do not believe that her resources arc equal to the permanent occupation of such extensive regions. Her policy has always been to advance step by step to her object. She will probably insist on retaining the country to the Balkan and the passes, and will keep and fortify the entrance into the Bosphorus, with a view to commanding a secure passage into the Mediterra- nean; but the garrisoning permanently Constantinople, Adrianople, and the towns on the Asiatic side, would be enormously expensive. By occupying the countries between Turkey and Russia, she would so strengthen herself on the side of Austria, that, on a future occasion, that power would be unable to interfere svith her operations. We trust England will not commit herself for any such foolish business as a war for the Turks. Good God ! only think how the re- sources of this beautiful country—how the industry of the most ingenious and civilised people the world ever yet beheld are crippled by the burdens imposed on us by a succession of prodigal Ministers—the creatures of the most profligate
Aristocracy in the world! Shall the industry of this civilized nation be further mort,gaged for tom-fool crusades—to honour Prince Metternich, and enable hint to conceal the feebleness with which Austrian policy has given to him thirty
? If we must fight, let us fight only as hen it is necessary for British. objects ! If necessary, the people of England, taxed as they are, would consent to sacrifices sufficient to enable Ministers to make the Czar tremble in his own capital; but let us not waste the resources which ought to be reserved for great and national occasions.
GLOBE—That the Powers of the West of Europe will not go to war with Russia concerning Turkey, we believe to be settled ; and we think it probable, front what we hear, that the pretensions will not, after her successes, be so exorbitant as to afford a ground for interference. But if it be a necessary part or the policy of Europe to sustain Turkey as an independent and strong state, there will be considerable difficulty in carrying this policy into effect. The weakness of Tur- key—the manner in which she can be best attacked—is now discovered ; and the second attack is sure to lie still less difficult than the first, even if the Russians gain no new territory. But new territory they will gain, and that territory will
facilitate their operations in another war. The other Posters of Europe may guarantee the integrity of the Turkish dominions against any future attack, but Turkey can be no longer considered as able to sustain herself; and tile rapid advance of Russia will render the disparity between the two states more remark- able than at present. No doubt the other nations of Europe may, by a compact or understanding among themselves, support the Turkish empire as they do the
free towns of Germany and many other small states, which, but for some such understanding, would tall a prey to their stronger neighbours. This way be done
—and we think it not pnlikely that it will be done. Even then the existence of Turkey will he dependent solely on the continuance of peace in the West of Europe. Can a power, subsisting on these terms, be of any essential importance to the balance of power?
STANDARD—Why should we waste our resources in a quarrel which can be- come interesting to us but by sonic remote contingencies, which no man can cal-
culate with accuracy ? We may depend upon it we never will suffer by remaining at peace, for that is our true insular policy, unless a quarrel be forced upon us.
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