Written on September 8, 1854, and published unsigned in the New-York Daily Tribune, No. 4190, September 22, 1854, pp. 5-6; attributed to Karl Marx by MEGA² (I/13). Text from the original newspaper (Library of Congress, Chronicling America); words in square brackets supply letters lost in the damaged copy. Traducción al español.
The reply of the Czar was sent in duplicate to Austria and Prussia. Each of the points insisted on by the western powers is duly set forth, refused, and reasons given for the refusal. Further, the Czar says that he has withdrawn his troops from the Principalities in deference to the interests of the German powers; that he will recall his forces across the Pruth, and then await other hostile attacks, or pacific overtures, as may be.
It is stated that at a Cabinet Council held at Vienna on the 6th inst., the Emperor Francis Joseph presiding, it was decided that the rejection of the guarantees required by Austria and the western powers does not amount to a casus belli against Russia, but that Austria will persevere in supporting these conditions, and will maintain her neutral position while she awaits the result of the attack by the allied powers upon Sevastopol.
The following is published from Vienna. It, however, rests on no better authority than a newspaper letter:
“Since the receipt of the answer of the Emperor Nicholas to the western powers, Prussia appears anxious to reënter the European concert from which it had to a certain degree withdrawn. With that view she is said to have offered to sign a new protocol, in which the note of Vienna of the 8th of August should be embodied, as was the treaty of April in a former document, drawn up and signed by the Conference.”
The following is the text of the Prussian note to Russia:
“Berlin, Aug. 13.
“To the Baron Von Werthern in St. Petersburg
“In my dispatch of the 5th inst. I had the honor of forwarding you a copy of that one which I had addressed to his Majesty’s representatives in Paris and in London, instructing them to communicate to those Cabinets the impressions produced on us by the Russian answers of the 29th and 30th of June, and to express to them our hopes that they would, with us, recognize in them some germs of an understanding and elements of accommodation. Although no direct answer to those overtures has reached us either from Paris or London, we have, from confidential and oral communications made to us, and which have in part crossed the démarches we ourselves were making, not been able to conceal from ourselves, that the views taken by France and England with reference to the Russian explanations are essentially different from our own, and by no means of a nature to afford a common point de départ. It has been more particularly the prolonged stay of the Russian troops in the Principalities that, according to the views of the western powers, prevented them from attaching any practical value to the pacific professions of the Cabinet of St. Petersburg. Its accession to the principles laid down in the protocol of April 9 seemed to them, moreover, not carried out sufficiently far, inasmuch as it did not contain any mention of the guarantees which, according to the protocol alluded to, were to be sought out for the purpose of connecting the further existence of Turkey still closer with the general balance of power in Europe. The Cabinets of Paris and London have not left us in ignorance that, according to their views, these guarantees must necessarily include several cardinal points which, under reservation, of course, of any modifications called for by the progress of events, should serve as the indispensable basis of any negotiations for a peace or a suspension of hostilities. These points were subsequently defined in identical Notes, which the representatives of France and England delivered to the Cabinet of Vienna, and which the latter has in its answer adopted. The Austrian Cabinet, while advising us of this step, informs us that it looks on them as the natural consequences of the principles laid down in the protocol of April 9, and believes, therefore, that it cannot recommend them warmly enough to the unreserved acceptance of the Cabinet of St. Petersburg. I have it in command from the King to engage you, Baron, to second this step of the Austrian Cabinet by every possible endeavor. Our august master looks upon it as inspired by the sincere desire to pave the way for negotiations and a cessation of hostilities on both sides. His Majesty also considers it of a nature calculated to facilitate this result. After having made himself master of the ensemble of the four points contained in the above-mentioned Notes, and compared them with the spirit of the last explanations on the part of Russia, his Majesty finds himself unable to find anything not reconcilable with all that his august brother-in-law has already declared himself as ready to adopt as the point de départ for an amicable arrangement. The Emperor, also, will doubtless have already convinced himself of the necessity of preventing for the future the unpleasantnesses and dangers which for Russia, as well as the rest of Europe, were involved in institutions which composed the public law of the Principalities and Servia; and his Imperial Majesty’s enlightened solicitude for these countries will not fail to acknowledge the advantages which a collective guarantee of their privileges, on the part of the European powers would confer on them. The free navigation of the Danube could not fail of falling in with the interests of Russian commerce, and, although the impediments to it at the mouth of this river are not yet quite removed, the lofty sentiments of the Emperor and the repeated declarations of his Cabinet leave no room for doubting of his determined intention speedily to put an end to them. With reference to the privileges of the Christian subjects of the Sultan, not only has his Majesty the Emperor, in acceding to the protocol of April 9, declared his agreement with the principle of an identical and collective solicitude on the part of the powers for the condition of our co-religionists, but also the same thought was prominent in the declarations made on this subject some time back by the Cabinet of St. Petersburg to that of Berlin; and, as the independence and sovereignty of the Sultan have been so often and so openly proclaimed to be in conformity with the political views of the Emperor, his Majesty will not withhold from the joint endeavors of the powers the bringing of the improvement of the position of the Christian Rayahs into harmony with the interests of the Ottoman Government by securing to this latter the initiative which is a necessary condition of its independence and dignity. Finally, the treaty of July 13, 1841, was the result of such peculiar circumstances that its revision by all the contracting parties would probably, in principle, meet with no difficulty; and Russia, as a littoral power of the Black Sea, seems even especially called to take part in the examination of the important questions connected therewith. These are, Baron, the general considerations which impel the King, our august master, urgently to desire the acceptance on the part of the Court of St. Petersburg of the points above indicated as the basis of a further negotiation, as Austria has drawn them up, in conjunction with the Cabinets of London and Paris. Avail yourself, therefore, of the extreme bienveillance with which the Emperor deigned to honor you immediately on your arrival in St. Petersburg, and the confidence which Count Nesselrode has bestowed upon you, to convince the Imperial Cabinet of the immeasurable range of results that will probably spring from its resolutions on the present occasion; of the unbounded prospects of peace which they may open up to Europe; and of the victory which they would necessarily achieve over the calumniators of Russian policy, when they clearly prove to its bitterest backbiters on what side the really pacific sentiments are. I need not tell you, Baron, with what impatience we shall look forward to news from you of the reception and operation of the present dispatch, which you will, without loss of time, bring to the knowledge of Count Nesselrode.
“Receive the assurances, &c., Manteuffel.”
An additional article, of which the contents are as yet secret, is proposed to be added to the Austro-Prussian treaty of the 20th April. The proposed alterations and additions to the treaty will be made with the cognizance of the Germanic Diet. At all events, the first paragraph of the convention, mutually guaranteeing the territories of the contracting parties, will remain unchanged.
A surmise, formed on the above circumstance, has excited some attention. The Bund, it is supposed, will, on meeting after its short recess, proceed, at the invitation of Austria and Prussia, to pronounce the treaty of April 20 lapsed as regards its additional articles. Then, taking under consideration the engagement that Austria has made with the western powers, a new scheme will be drawn up on this basis for a peace, which it is believed that Russia will accept.
Active secret negotiations have been going on for some time between Nicholas and the Pope. It now transpires that the Czar holds a prospect of a change toward the Roman Catholics in Poland, and of concessions to the Latins at Jerusalem. He is thus intriguing against the French. According to the Corriere Italiano the Czar has the intention to declare his third son, Nicholas, King of Poland, and as he is a member of the Greek Church, it was considered necessary to give the Pope some tranquillizing assurances respecting the Polish Catholics.
All the Bomarsund forts have been destroyed and the troops reëmbarked. A few steam-frigates remain cruising among the islands. Gens. Baraguay d’Hilliers and Niel were at Dantzic on the 7th. There is nothing else in the shape of news.
Constantinople letters of August 30 mention that the British guards, and 28th, 42d, 44th, 79th and 93d regiments had embarked at Varna, and the light division and Lord Cardigan’s under orders. Lord Raglan was to embark on board the Cavadoc on September 2, at Varna. The expedition is to rendezvous at Baltshik, at which place, and at Bourgas, the French are to take ship. The strength for land service of the expedition is 25,000 English, 26,000 French, and 20,000 Turks. Gen. Sir John Burgoyne [has] arrived to take a command. Prince Napoleon [and] the Duke of Cambridge have gone to Varna to [join] their regiments. The troops are described as animated with much enthusiasm. Cholera has almost disappeared.
Accounts [from Ru]stchuk, September 3, state that all the [...] troops left Varna on the 2d for Baltshik. From the 1st instant provisions for the army are to be sent to the Crimea. Marshal St. Arnaud has issued an order stating that Sevastopol will be taken and held as a guarantee of peace. Supposing the seige begun by the middle of September, it is hoped the place will be taken by the end of November.
The Russian Embassy at Vienna has received notice that the greater part of the Russian army will have quitted Moldavia by the 20th of September, and the remainder by the beginning of October, unless hostile operations shall render a new concentration necessary. The Austrians entered the Principalities at four points, namely: Rothenthurm, Prediala, and Botza for Wallachia, and Bistritz for Moldavia. Omer Pasha continues to concentrate his main army along the bank of the River Kamasu, below Buseo, whence he menaced Brailow and Galatz.
On 31st August a strong force of English and French gunboats entered the Sulina channel of the Danube, and another is to enter by the Kilia mouth, with the view of keeping the navigation open.
The Russians are making preparations to burn the cities of Odessa, Reni, Brailow, Galatz and Ismail, should they be forced to abandon them. They have prepared combustibles, and have cut off the supply of water and burned the fire engines. Orders are issued that wherever the enemy appears in superior strength towns and villages are to be reduced to ashes. Unceasing preparations are being made in Sevastopol for defense. All criminal prisoners are liberated and enrolled in companies to work the port batteries. A gang of 200 of the worst convicts are still in irons, to be employed in carrying ammunition.
The Governor of Sevastopol, taking advantage of the inefficiency of the blockade, took the masts out of some steamers to render them less easily discovered, and has been sending them to and from Nicolaieff, at the mouth of the River Bug, whence they have brought considerable quantities of stores, ammunition, artillery and even troops. One of the new inner forts of Sevastopol is mounted with guns conveyed in this manner.
The bashi-bozouks, including those in the pay of the allies, have been disbanded by a general order from Omer Pasha, the rascals being quite incorrigible.
Two Paixhan guns, taken from the Tiger frigate, were tried at Odessa the other day in presence of Gov. Aunenkoff. At the fourth shot one of the guns burst, killing one artilleryman and wounding several others.
On Sept. 2 the British steamer Shearwater and the French steamer Promethée entered the port of Cattaro. The reason given by the commanders for their visit was a desire to obtain information respecting a projected razzia of the Montenegrins.
A Russian steamer from Sevastopol had captured a Wallachian vessel and taken her into that port. They had sent to Constantinople the Captains of the three Turkish merchantmen which they had recently burned at Heraclea.
Kurschid Pasha (Gen. Guyon) is at length appointed, on the representations of Lord Stratford de Redcliffe, to the chief command in Asia, in room of Mustapha Pasha. Guyon would long ere this have been appointed to command, but he refused, and still refuses, to apostatize from the Christian form of religion. Ismael Pasha, a Turkish officer who greatly distinguished himself in the defense of Kalefat, is also appointed to a high command in the army of Asia. The British Government has sent as Commissioners Col. Williams of the Royal Engineers, and France will accredit an officer in a similar capacity. Col. Williams spent three years under canvas in making a topographical survey of these provinces, as British Commissioner charged to run the boundary line between Turkey and Persia.
According to the Paris Presse, the Russian forces in Asia had fallen back as far as Erivan, after having sacked Bajazid.
Russian agents, disguised as Bedouins, have been arrested at Damascus.
From Athens we learn that King Otho positively refuses any indemnity to Turkey.