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Show The Rusniau Qiieetion. i By Telegraph.! Tribune's special, London, 10. The following correspondence has passed relative to the position taken by Russia: Karl Granville to Sir A. Buchanan, Bu-chanan, Brit: h ambassador to St. Petersburg. Foreign" Office, Nov. 10, 1S70: Sir, Baron Brunow made to me yesterday, yester-day, a communication respecting the conversation between the Emperor of Russia and the Sultan, on the treaty limiting their naval forces in the Black Sea, signed at Paris on the oDihof March, ls-jti, to which you allude in your telegram of yesterday afternoon. Iu my di-patch of yesterday I give you an account of what passed between us; and I now propose to be more explicit upon Prince Gortschakoff s dispatches, of the yth and 20th ult., communicated communi-cated to me by the Russian ambassador. ambassa-dor. On that occasion Prince Gort-echakoff Gort-echakoff declared, on the part of his Imperial Majesty, that the treaty of 18.jt) had been infringed in various respects re-spects to the prejudice of Russia, and more especially in the ca c or tne principalities, against the explicit protest pro-test of his representative; aud that in consequence of these infractions, Russia is entitled to renounce those stipulations of the treaty which directly touch her interests. It is then announced an-nounced that she will no longer be bound by the treaties which restrict her rights of sovereignty in the Black Sea. We have here an allegation that certain facts have occurred which, in the judgment of Russia, are at variance vari-ance with certain stipulations of the treaty; and the assumption is made that Russia, upon the strength of her own judgmeut as to the character of those facts, is entitled to release herself from certain other stipulations of that instrument. This assumption is liui-ited liui-ited in its practical application to some of the provisions of the treaty, but the assumption of a right to renounce any one of its terms involves the assumption assump-tion of a right to renounce the whole. This statement is wholly independent of the reasonableness or unreasonableness, unreasonable-ness, on its own merits, of the desire of Russia to be released from the observance observ-ance of the stipulations of the treaty of 1856, respecting the Black Sea ; for the question is, in whose hands lies the power of releasing one or more of the parties from all or any of these stipulations? stipu-lations? It has always been held that the right belongs only to the governments who have been parties to the original instrument. The dispatches of Prince Gortschakoff appear to assume, that any one of the powers who have signed the engagement engage-ment may allege that occurrences have taken place which, in its opinion, are at variance with the provisions of the treaty ; and although this view is not shared nor admitted by the co-signatory powers, we may found upon that allegation not a request to those governments gov-ernments for the consideration of the case, but an announcement to them that it has emancipated itself, or holds itself emancipated from any stipulation of the treaty, which it thinks lit to disapprove. dis-approve. It is quite evident that the effect of such doctrine, and of any proceeding pro-ceeding which, with or without avowal, is founded upon it, is to bring the entire en-tire authority and efficiency of treaties under the discretionary control of each one of the powers who may hare signed them, the result of which would be the entire destruction of treaties in their essence; for whereas their whole object is to bind powers to one another, and for this purpose each one of the powers surrenders a portion of its free agency, by the doctrine and proceeding now in question, one of the parties in its separate sepa-rate and individual capacity brings back the entire subject into its own control, and remains bound only to itself. it-self. Accordingly Prince Gortschakoff has announced in these dispatches the intention of Russia to observe certain of the provisions of the treaty. However How-ever satisfactory this may be in itself, it is obviously an expression of the free will of that power, which it might any time alter or withdraw ; and in this it is open to the fame objections as the other portions of the communication, because it implies the right of Russia to annul the treaty on the ground of allegations of which she constitutes herself the only judge. The question therefore arises, not whether any do-sire do-sire expressed by Russia ought to be carefully examined in a friendly spirit by the co-signatory powers, but whether wheth-er they are to accept from her the announcement an-nouncement that by her own act, without with-out any consent from them, she has released herself from a solemn covenant. cove-nant. I need scarcely say that her Majesty's government has received this communication with deep regret, because it opens a discussion which might unsettle the cordial understanding understand-ing it has been their earnest endeavor to maintain with the Russian empire ; and for the above-mentioned reasons it is impossible for her Majesty's government gov-ernment to give any sanction on their part to the course announced by Prince Gortschakoff. If, instead of such a declaration, the Russian government had addressed her Majesty's govern ment and the other powers who are parties to the treaty of 1850, and had proposed lor a consideration with them whether anything has occurred which could be held to amount to an infraction of the treaty, or whether there is anything in the terms which, from altered circumstances, presses with undue severity upon Russia, or which in the course of events had become unnecessary, for the due protection of Turkey, her Majesty's Government would not have refused to examine the question, in concert with the cosignators to the treaty. I am, &0. Signed Granville. P. S. You will read this dispatch and give- a copy of it to Prince Gertschakoff. Paladines continues his strategic movements with the army of the Lone. The French are endeavoring to impede im-pede the march of Prince 1 rederick Charles. The junction of Prince Frederick Charles with Der Taun's forces is not expected before the li'jrd. Orders have been issued by the British Brit-ish admiralty to man, arm and prepare the entire naval force for war. The British government finds itself compelled by popular feeling to assume a firm attitude towards Russia. Austrian and Hungarian journals unanimously denounce Russia's proposed pro-posed violation of the treaty of Paris. Russia is manufacturing arms with great activity, and the fleet is being constantly exercised in the use of new cannon. The French departments are rapidly complying with the government decree de-cree requiring them to furnish batteries batter-ies of cannon. The whole of the Londou press denounce de-nounce Russia and call upon the governments gov-ernments to declare war if she persists in her demands. A Warsaw letter says Russia lor some time has been secretly calling out he reserves; and contracting for large supplies of provisions. Bismarck is alleged to have said he will not be a party to the abrogation of the treaty of Paris. Well informed circles doubt his sincerity. Gold fluctuates wildly and frequently frequent-ly now in New York, in consequence of the telegrams on the increasing complications in Europe. The French found a batch of Prussian Prus-sian dispatches at Orleans, which gave them important information concerning intended German movement?. The Turkish fleet is said to be more powerful than the Russian; . and the Turkish railroads are constructed with a view to strategic advantages. Napoleon thanks King William for having stationed his Marshals so near him, and quartered a part of the imperial im-perial guard in his vicinity. A Prussian army, 100,000 strong, is advancing in the direction of Lille in two columns, one column having reached La Fere, about fifty miles north-west of Laon. After numerous contradictory re-fjorts re-fjorts concerning the matter, President Grant has personally declared he has instructed Secretary Fish to recall Motley. The German forces at Paris are throwing up defensive works in their rear, and are said to be in danger of being themselves besieged by the advancing ad-vancing army of the Loire. A New York Herald correspondent depreciates the power of Russia, says her army is only 425,000 strong, on paper, and badly equipped, and that Russsia will not be ready for war in two years. The New York World's London correspondent cor-respondent says private letters affirm the position of the Germans at Paris is very crit-cal. King William would return to Berlin, but could not go without with-out an escort so large that it cannot be spared, for fear of the Fianc-tireurs. |