THE BRITISH AMBASSADOR ON THE STATS OF TURKEY.

Globe, Volume XXI, Issue 1684, 14 July 1879, Page 4

THE BRITISH AMBASSADOR ON THE STATS OF TURKEY.

Taking advantage o£ the presence in London of Sir Austen Henry Liyard, the British Ambassador to the Porto, some members of the Patriotic Association waited on him and presented him with an addrcea thanking him for the conspicuous services ho has rendered to England. Sir Aueton Layard, in thanking the members of the Association for this expression of their sympathy, said they would, no felt sure, appreciate his feelings in wishing to avoid any public demonstration. Reference had been made to his former political connection, He would not say thathehad severed these connections; he was rather in the positionof the Welsh juryman who, when a verdict could not bo agreed upon, declared he had never met with eleven such obstinate men before. He could not admit that he had deserted those principles which had always been maintained by the Liberal party, and by the groat Liberal leaders of the country. Ho began his political life under the leadership of Lord Palmerston, and had that great statesman been now living the policy he would have advocated would probably not have been far different from that which it had been Sir Austen Layard’s duty to support. Expressing the satisfaction with which he had received this address from such an influential body of his countrymen, ho remarked, with regard to the attacks made upon him by persons who had reason to oppose the Government, that any one accustomed to public life knew how to bfar such exhibitions of feeling. He did think, however, that public opinion in this country had been diverted from its right course. Replying then to the accusation which had been brought against him that he was a|Turcophile, he declared himself a lover of his country -and of justice. Ha was no lover of miegovornmont, of oppression, or of bad rule, wherever this might exist, whether on the part of Christian or Mahomedan —but he was for justice to all, and he thought that some of his old Liberal friends had deserted those principles which ho had felt it his duty to support. There was no doubt that a great deal of misgovernment bad existed in Turkey, but as to the Turkish people he would say that a finer, more noble, more upright people did not exist. l_Hear, hear.] If loving the people—ho did not speak of the governing classes —was being a Turoophile, ho would admit the charge. His position had been a difficult one, and much misconception seemed to have arisen as to the course ho had pursued. His policy had been to maintain the interests of England and to prevent the unnecessary effusion of blood. It was his opinion that had parties in England been united in showing firmness and decision this war might have been avoided. As to the Treaty of Berlin, he entirely agreed with the deputation that our duty was now to have that treaty fulfilled to tho very uttermost, and to see that it was carried out in the letter and in tho spirit. [Hear, hear.] Tho Balkan line was one of tho great questions dealt with at Berlin by Lord BoaconsSeld and Lord Salisbury, and they not only, with great judgment, decided to make it an essential point iu tho negotiations, but by their firmness compelled tho Russians to accede to the drawing of that lino as a defence against further military aggression. Whether it wag a good military line was a question which must bo left for military men to decide, but at least it put a barrier against this quasiindependent Bulgaria. This barrier was a very important one in reference to the Greeks. The question was not, he thought, quite understood, and we were rather inclined to take a sentimental view instead of looking at the matter in the light of the true interests of this country. He had always supported tho Greeks, and ho was disposed to support them, for ho believed they furnished a groat civilising element in the East ; but if, by making a groat Bulgaria, tho Slay influence were extended to tho iEgean Sea, all chance of creating n great independent Greek civilising influence iu the East would disappear, for it would be crushed by the predominating Slav influence. He had no feeling against the Slavs or any race, but he did not think them capable of the high civilisation of the Greeks. It would, therefore, be a misfortune if the Slavs wore allowed to crush the Greeks, and that result ho feared if the Balkan line were not kept. Ho was entirely of the opinion of the deputation, that the line of the Balkans should be maintained as it was intended to be maintained by the Treaty of Berlin, and in holding this opinion he believed he in no way d flared from Lord Bta’onsfield aid Lord Salisbury. Iu the end ho hoped to see Turkey occupy with Turkish troops the lino of the Balkans. After making some remarks about the reports of Mr Baring and Mr Stoney on the Bulgarian massacres and with reference to the Rhodope Commission, Sir Austen Layard expressed his conviction that too much sentimental feeling existed in regard to nationality. Everything was to bo sacrificed to this exaggerated feeling of nationality, and such a spirit, if roused, might lead to great danger in tho East. However bad the Turkish Government might have been, it had prevented all these people of divers nationalities from cutting each other’s throats, while ho greatly feared that a Bulgarian nationality would bo far more oppressive than the Turkish. la conclusion, ho said ho was not philo-Turk, bnt philo-Engliah and philo-justice. [Hear, hear.]