Show from the london times how tax f ar england and prance france are committed to an alliance affiance against russia A formal declaration of war by turkey tarky against russia may in a too probably drably precipitate europe into I 1 the per perils g of the struggle so BO long foreseen but so anxiously evaded it is much to be lamented that the rulers of the ottoman nation did not suspend their deo decision ision on so momentous a point until they could obtain the voluntary concurrence of those powers on whose a aid id they must eventually rely but excepting on this point of omission there can be no complaint made of the step now announced it was admitted on all sides and distinctly alleged in 1 the ministerial note of the british govern ment that a casus belli was actually constituted by the passage of the pruth and the armed occupation of the pr principalities i m nor can the right of the sultan to meet this aggression by a declaration of war be possibly impeached the sovereignty of the ottoman government is one of the pili points ants 1 which has been most moat strenuously maintained 1 in the pending dispute and this sovereignty I 1 it is evident would be absolutely destroyer destroyed if the right of making peace or war were denied to its representatives the sultan in short by declaring war does nothing but what he be would have been justified in ia doino doing three months ago and though we may regret that such a resolution should have been independently I 1 adopted by a dependent gov I 1 ern eminent ment it cannot be held to have forfeited inq claims to support it is impossible moreover to deny that the position of affairs was sufficient to provoke the turks to A summary decision and it is indeed a matter of surprise that they should have corborn so long the emperor of russia first by the demands of prince Mens chikoff and afterwards by the unscrupulous exposition of court exacted concessions from the turkish government 1 incompatible with its administrative independence cei alad aad as aa a guarantee for the surrender required seized upon and occupied the t provinces ro vinces of Wal lachia and moldavia B by t these ese pr proceedings bedin s russia possessed herself a f of a material e equivalent ui valent and could therefore a afford 0 without loss or anxiety to leave the original ori original question in in suspense this suspense however however was in the highest degree injurious to the turks wha were thus driven to the alternative of either satisfying sati 81 dying an unjust demand or acquiescing in in a loss loss of territory the french and british governments Government si which have committed themselves unhesitatingly ita tingly to the cause of the sultan will of course not withdraw their support when he takes a step which c they have already acknowledged he would be justified in taking we may still hope perhaps that concession on one side aide or forbearance on the other may preclude the extremities of actual war nor is the change indeed the position of affairs quite so serious as it may appear considering the dispositions and preparations of the two governments the situations of their forces and the prospects placed before them the mere declaration of war can add but little to the realities of the contest the european governments whatever may be the accidents affee affecting ting their their respective 1 positions are all fully convinced or of the necessity acty of meeting russian encroachments encroach ments by a vigorous resistance this obligation however costly or unwelcome 9 is one which cannot be repudiated the czar has already ex experienced owed the uloet and forbearance front from the representatives of the other powers his acts of open war weri were for some time suffered to escape the notice they merited his pretensions were all considerately sidera tely received and every right to which he could show the smallest claim was admitted and confirmed As tar far as regarded the christiana whose security he made the pretext of his proceedings the fullest assurances were offered on the part of the sultan that i their privileges and immunities should be I 1 respected all that was refused was such a right of intervention in matters spiritual as would invest the emperor of russia with effective authority in toe ottoman domin ions I 1 count Nessel despatch claims in bisti distinct terms for the russian sovereign agn all those rights over of the sultans suba subjects acts which may bo be elria enjoyed oyed by certain 0 other potentates over subjects of their own resident in turkish territory this it is perfectly plain could not be conceded wit without out giving the emperor of russia abundant facilities for becoming emperor of turkey also the eur european powers power are not desirous chak this consummation should take place they are anxious to avert it if possible by peaceful negotiations and at less cost than that of a general war but if matters matte are am actually brought to extremities and the czar atau refuses to recede he must be prepared to te encounter the full fall force of the hostility he hs bat thus provoked |