NEWS OF THE WEEK.
RUSSIA. and Turkey—the Wolf and the Lamb—these few words almost suffice to describe the spectacle which is before the world this week ; for the mere pretext or occasion signifies little. Rus- sia is threatening Turkey, and Austria is helping the Muscovite. The pretext is furnished by the refuge which the vanquished Hungarian leaders and their Polish brothers in arms sought in the Turkish territory.
At the first receipt of the news it was disbelieved, the demand was represented as being so insolently made. Prince Radzivil, the special envoy from St. Petersburg to Constantinople, was said to have demanded the surrender of the fugitives, avowing that they should be put to death, and threatening the Porte with the consequences of refusal. Although the demeanour of Russia to Turkey had traditionally been overbearing, anything so flagrantly indecorous seemed to be incompatible equally with the usages of the present day and the notorious tact of Russian diplomatists.
Circumstances, however, soon lent corroboration to the report in its substantials. Our own Government is evidently moved by some urgent claim on its attention. The Ministerial Globe and quasi-Ministerial Times treat the intelligence as grave, and prepare the public mind for some "spirited" procedure ; the Leading Journal, however, having a special eye also to splicing its new Anti-Absolute policy on to its recent apologies for Austria and Russia. A Cabinet Council was. suddenly summoned by Lord Palmerston. In short, something was seriously the matter, and Turkey the object of solicitude. The later reports wear every appearance of probability, and state the affair in a manner quite comprehensible. It seems that Russia had demanded the surrender of certain persons her own subjects, namely, natives of Poland ; and Austria had made a similar demand as to her subjects, Hungarians. Russia relied on the treaty of Kainarji of 1774, by which Russia and Turkey re- ciprocally bound themselves to surrender or expel each other's fugitive subjects ; Austria, on the treaty of Passarowicz, by which she and Turkey were reciprocally bound to withhold a refuge from rebels and malecontents. The Sultan and his Government were unanimous in refusing ; and the Foreign Minister addressed S string of questions to the French and English Ambassadors, in effect asking, whether they considered the Porte bound by the treaties to deliver the fugitives, and whether, if war should be -the consequence of refusal, France and England would support the Turkish Sovereign with armed succours'? The reply of the French and English Ambassadors, Sir Stratford Canning and General Aupick, was substantially, that the treaties did not warrant Austria and Russia in making the demand, and did Sot bind Turkey to comply ; that armed succours could not be promised without special instructions to that effect from Paris and London ; but that the English and French Governments would offer their mediation.
How far the English Cabinet has resolved to support this posi- tion, is not yet known; but it is reported that the English fleet has been ordered to sail from Malta for the Dardanelles.
Mr. Cobden's Peace meeting, to protest against the contribu- tion of English money towards the Austrian loan, is fixed for Monday next; and it is expected that the attendance will be large. But though no subscriptions for the loan should be opened in London, which is said to be the intention, how can anybody Prevent English capital from finding its way to Messrs. Hope at Amsterdamt One of the Rothschild family is aiding Sardinia to pay its war indemnity to Austria; a species of aid that no party can condemn—not even those advocates for peace who are making such serious inroads on free trade : but the money lent to Sar- dinia will go to Austria, and will probably be spent in' the Turk- ish war, if that should happen. Capital, like water and wind, Will find its way to any vacuum in the open market; and it is strange to Gee Pre...traders hazarding the opposite doctrine.
