Almost the only events that have to be recorded abroad
are such as tell upon the relative position of the different states, particularly in regard to Russia and Turkey. Prussia has been sending special envoys to the Courts of Paris and London, in order, it is under- stood, to explain the reasons which actuate Prussia in somewhat abstaining from so positive a cooperation with the Western Powers as Aust#a has promised and advised. On fair authority, the cool- ness which Prussia has quite recently shown is ascribed to some alonsy of Austria, and is understood to shape itself in a technical Objcetimi to some of the ulterior details in the proposed cooperation. Russia has continued to distinguish herself by a copious issue of documents through the official gazette in St. Petersburg—the channel by which the statement was 'nit forth, that the views of the Russian Government had been laid before that of England in 1844, and again in 1853, when Lord John Russell was acting as Foreign Secretary. The explanation made by the Times on Satur- day, that Lord. john Russell had declined to enter into the View of Russia, is now the common property of the public. But on this subject, after a somewhat heated conversation in the Rouse of Lords and a cooler conversation in the Lower House, Ministers have promised a further correspondence, perhaps in- cluding the memoranda of all that passed on the subject when the Emperor Nicholas was in this country, as well as When the Rus- man Minister revived the questions with Lord John Russell. It does not appear that either the Russian innuendo of something like bad faith on the part of the English Government, or the separate mission from Prussia, has had any effect in disturbing the alliance between France and England. Prussia's coolness, however, does appear to have had some effect in rendering Austria more cautions ; but there is no evidence that it has practically altered the position of that power towards the allies.
The insurrection in Greece has not been actually suppressed, and there are reasons to suppose that the Government at Athens is either too weak to keep its own subjects in order, or not quite sincere in its endeavours to restrain them. Lord Shaftesbury brought forward a strong array of evidence in the House of Lords last week, to prove that the position of the Greek Christians is one of more practical freedom under the Turkish Government than the Russian, or than it is under the Or- thodox Patriarch, whom the Czar patronizes and supports. As Lord Shaftesbury shows, the Turkish Government has actually interfered to protect Christians against the cruel per- secutions of the Patriarch. It has been shown to the English public, therefore, that the professed movements, Greek or Russian, on behalf of the Christians in Turkey, are insincere ; and that if they were successful, they would have the effect of handing over the Christians to a dominion far more oppressive to them as indi- viduals and as Christians than that of the Porte itself. The Sultan has taken steps to call the Greek Government to account, and to pro- tect its frontier against insurgents or invading sympathizers. Upon the whole, considering how the Turkish arms will be re- inforced, no serious complication seems to be apprehended from the untimely Greek rising. In another respect, the latest move in Copenhagen is not unim- portant. By the refusal of the Diet to cooperate in the attempt of the Ministry at tampering with the constitution, the Govern- ment of Oersted has been obliged to retire, the Liberal majority in the Diet taking its stand on the old ways. This proceeding ap- pears to indicate a national indisposition to fall in with the Rus- sianizing tendencies of the Court ; and it suggests an expectation that the Danes may be as much inclined to keep their Government up to the mark in sustaining the national independence against the encroachment of the Northern Power, as the people of Prussia, whose Ministers have been subjected to interpellations in the Chambers, or as the people of Sweden. Upon the whole the news of the week is favourable to the growing influence of the Eu- ropean alliance ; while it shows that Russia and her friends are losing no pains to collect recruits on their side.
