Another Russian encroachment also gives renewed uneasiness to our Government
; it is neither more nor less than the en- croachment of Russia upon the Danubian Principalities. This looks very like the news of 1853; yet the best-informed of the jmumals are elaborating grave discussions, as if some new event had happened—or something to renovate old events. That, we fear, is the truth. The form which this encroachment has assumed is a special-pleading derangement of " rectified " boundary. During the debates in the Paris Conference, Russia endeavoured to obtain some apparently slight modification of the terms to be defined by the 20th article of the treaty,— modifications which would have given her access at one point or other to the Danube: She wassuccessively driven from all these Claims, and was apparently compelled to aceepi a line of frontier for Bessarabia which would have removed her back from the river. She succeeded, however, in rendering the language of the treaty equivocal, and in basing the proposed line of frontier upon erroneous maps ; and now that the joint Commissioners of
the Powers are upon the ground, they find that they are called. upon to " rectify " the boundary in compliance with the dic- tation of the Western Powers, but according to plans contrived by Russia. The main purpose of the special Commission, there- fore, is defeated, and the question is thrown back upon the re- newed Conference to assemble in Paris. This question of course overrules that of the Danubian Principalities and their future government ; it also overrules some other minor questions, and all the general objects of the Allies when they consented to the pews. The result justifies the opinion of those who insisted that nothing would be gained from Russia unless she were subjected to a more complete castigation. It makes many ask—too late— whether it would not have been better to abstain from going to war at all ? On the new showing, we have not gained the objects for which the war was commenced : we have lost many men, vast sums of money, and some prestige ; and Russia has found that she is able to contrive where she cannot dictate—if, by the di- minished means and the indisposition of France, she has not even recovered her power of dictating.
