THE EUROPEAN SITUATION.

North Otago Times, Volume XXVI, Issue 1882, 8 May 1878, Page 5 (Supplement)

THE EUROPEAN SITUATION.

London correspondence of the "Argus." THi: BKSUI.TS OT THE WAR. The result of this war cannot bo otherwise than to exalt the natno of Russia, and to lower the namo of England — uot so rauoh in Europe, and in the civilised putts of the oarth, but in Asia, whero we hold bo large a dominion, and whore our rule is one ossontially of opinion. By the result yo perceivdTho folly of the attompt to dofine British interests. Russia has, in fact, injured British interest!) without having violated in any point the lotter of her en({Agomouta What was the value, however, of her promise not to occupy Constantinople 1 She lias not occupiod Constantinople, but blio has taken hot troops to the of ir, and let all the world peroeive that they might onter when they chose. In the oyesofthe eastern world what is tho difference botween tho presonce of tho Grand Duke Nioholtis and General Gourko's corps of 30,000 men' at San Stefano, and the occupation of Constantinople 1 t believe that, after the treaty has been ratified, a large portion of tho Bussian army will embark at the Bospborus for Odessa. Thus have the "juggling fiends" kept the word of promise to our ear, and broken it to our hope. THE PEACE CONGRESS. The chances of a paoifio solution of tho Eastern question through a congress are certainly fainter than they woro a week ago. Thore are a few now in England who believe that war will he averted. The demand of the British Government that the whole torms of peace concluded between Russia and Turkey at San Stefano shall be submitted to tho congress are likely to be supported by Austria and France; but there is very little prospect of their being agreed to by Russia. What course will bo pursued by Germany remains to he soon. Nothing can be made of Princo Bismarok's declarations whioh •re all tho woro mystorious by reason of their affectation of frankness. He has consented, with great reluctance, to preside at tho congress, but he may be visited, at tho last moment, by one of those tits of illnoss of which ho is in the habit of making use. In that caso, Prince Gortschakuoff wauld almost certainly be called upon to pveside, which would not make us better pleased with the prospect. There is a growing belief hero that the congress will be a failure, in which case war will be hardly avoided. Tho position of England from the logic.il side seems indisputable. Either Europe at large, or Kussia singly, must settle the Eastern question. If tho forinor, then it is absolutely necessary that tho powers should havo beforo them all the conditions of the separate peace mude between Russia and Turkey, with authority to confirm or to reject any of them. But in ordoi to exercise this function, there must be «o reservation or limitation of the power of the cougrcss. On the other hand, if Russia is to have tho privilege of deciding beforehand what, questions shall bo submitted to the congress, and of determining how far she -will obey any of its decisions, it is useless to havo a congress at all. Its only effect will be to givo a legal title to tho Russian acquisitions. THE RUSSIAN TERMS. Writing of the dooument which laid down the Russian torms of peace, and which was withheld from tho Powers, tho "Argus" London corrospondont, says t — tJltimatojy, tho motive prompting Russia's reserves becamo only too apparent. A few days ago the Constantinople corrospondentof the "Cologuo Gnzotto, " obtaining an exact summary of the hidden dooument from a person who cun hurdly bp any one else than tho German ambassador there, telegraphed the interesting nows to tho banks of the Rhino. So now the murder was out, and tho world knew what it had to expect — Montenegro, Sorvia, and Roumania aggrandised, raised to tho dignity of independent states, and virtually placed under Russian control Bulgaria made a Christian principality, garrisoned by Russians, and converted by Russian' officers, ofiioials, schoolmasters, and priests into a Czarish dependonoy. To complete the Slave nationality of tho new State, all Mohammedans have to sell their property, or in other words, will be compelled to leave in three years at tho latest. There will bo no connection between Bulgaria and tho Sultan except the payment of an annual tribute. There will be a princo elected by the Bulgarians, if uomo ono nan bo got mean enough to accopt tho ollico ; and there will bo a Russian governor over and above the princo for at least two years. As tho new principality is to extend to the Knvala, and some other excellout harbors close to the Dardanellesare practically annexed by Russia ; and the land frontier reaching to tho very gatoa of Adrianople, this city, and with it the wholo coast of the ißgean, is any day in the grasp of the conquerors. Russia takes the Dobrudscha, hands it to Boumania, and by dopriving the latter prino'pality of tho .strip of Bessarabian land ceded after the Crimean war, once more seizes tho northern mouth of tho Danube. Russia likewise annexes the greator part of Turkish Armenia, as far as the Soghanly Dagh, as a war indemnity. She soeras to insist — on this the summary is not quite olear~that the Dardanelles bo incontinently opened to her men-of-war, to the exolusion of all others, and — which is more certain — that tho Straits shall remain open to the merohantuion of all nationalities both in peace and war. So much for the present inniags. That there may be no lack of pretexts for future quarrols, Turkoy engages to confer reforms upon Bosnia, Herzegovina, Armenia, and Crete — a work as auro to bo prevented by Russian emissaries as was the oft-attempted improvement of the administration in Bulgaria and adjoining provinces. In a supplementary clause it is stipulated that Russia and Turkoy shall consider themselves bound by the provisions of this treaty, oven though they nuy not be approved by the Powers. When these impossible stipulations woro allowed to transpire, public opiuion pretty unanimously pronounced Turkey extinct in Europo, and a Rustian de-

pendency in Asia. It was distinctly perceived that the opportunities for the acquisition of power involved in tho possession of the Balkan Peninsula, and long noglectod by tho slothful Turk, lmd passod into tho hands of tho sly and ferocious Russ. Tho navigation of tho Danube was, to say the least, imperilled. Tho Dardanelles wero either directly handed over to tho Czar, or, if not, practically at his disposal as long as the Sultan was his dopo intent. Tho plan to keep the Straits open for morohantmen, oven in time of war, by rondoring it difficult to stop the export trade of Southern Russia, was intended to deprive England of one of the strongost weapons she has to wield against hor advoraary. The Bulgarisation of Kaval would give Russia a harbor in the yEgean. The annexation of Turkish Armenia would place tho Persian trade in Russian hands. The establishment of a Russian governor in Bulgaria, whethor called prince, hospodar, or what, would oxpose Constantinople to hourly danger, and Slavify the Balkan peninsula to an extent calculated to encourago the Slavonic oleinont in Austria, and accelerate tho decomposition of that empire ; in a word, would virtually replace Turkey, and wolgh down Austria till she had no alternative between entering into a sort of compul sory alliance with the Czar, or else engage in mortal combat with that mild and notoriously benevolent personage.