734 



TURKEY. 



diers, who were immediately joined by large 

 numbers of natives. A violent combat ensued, 

 in the course of which the Russians were driven 

 out of Sukhum Kaleh. The Circassians, who 

 had submitted to the Russian rule after a long 

 and severe struggle only, and after a large num- 

 ber had emigrated, rose immediately upon the 

 arrival of the Turks, and the whole of Circassia 

 was soon in revolt. The Turkish squadron, un- 

 der Hassan Pasha, supplied them with arms and 

 ammunition. The activity displayed by the 

 fleet along the eastern shores of the Black Sea 

 produced a panic along the entire coast, partic- 

 ularly at Odessa, so that at one time large num- 

 bers of inhabitants left the town. The block- 

 ade of the Black Sea declared by the Turks was 

 not very effective, for, after Russian steamers 

 with torpedo boats had made an unsuccessful 

 attack on the Turkish iron-clads at the Sulina 

 mouth of the Danube, in the third week of 

 June, the steamers Constantino and Vladimir 

 went on a cruise, the former from Sebastopol, 

 and the latter from Odessa. The Constantino 

 sank four Turkish merchantmen, while the 

 Vladimir succeeded in capturing a Turkish mer- 

 chant brig. 



The Montenegrins, after the expiration of the 

 armistice, resumed hostilities, and met with 

 continued reverses ; yet, instead of being 

 crushed between the two corps of AH Saib and 

 Suleiman Pasha, first defeated AH Saib at 

 Sagaratch and forced him to retire to Spuz, 

 and on June 24th also defeated Suleiman Pasha 

 and drove him into Albania. On June 26th, 

 the Turks took up a position between Spuz and 

 Podgoritza, while the Montenegrins were sta- 

 tioned at Kumani. The losses of the Turks were 

 estimated as high as 10,000 men. At the end 

 of June Montenegro was again freed from Turk- 

 ish troops ; but as these forces were seriously 

 needed against the Russians, and as Austria 

 was said to be decidedly opposed to a Turkish 

 occupation of Cettigne, the greater part of 

 them, under Suleiman Pasha, were embarked 

 at Scutari for Roumelia, while Mehemet AH was 

 sent to Bulgaria, where he was soon after in- 

 trusted with the supreme command. 



The Russian declaration of war produced a 

 profound sensation throughout Europe, partic- 

 ularly in England, where it led to stormy scenes 

 in Parliament. (See GEEAT BRITAIN.) In the 

 early part of May, Earl Derby sent an answer 

 to the Russian circular, which was well calcu- 

 lated to make a British intervention appear 

 probable. The plainness of speech of the an- 

 swer, contrary to all diplomatic custom, while 

 attracting considerable attention from the other 

 Powers, produced great ill-feeling in Russia, and 

 raised great hopes in Turkey. One official dis- 

 patch from St. Petersburg stated that an answer 

 to the British note was considered superfluous, 

 as the only proper reply could be a declaration 

 of war. The Sultan sent his adjutant to Mr. 

 Layard to express his thanks, and also ordered 

 his ministry to convey his official thanks to the 

 British Government. 



In his dispatch Lord Derby said : 



The Protocol to which her Majesty's Government, 

 at the instance of that of Russia, recently became 

 parties, retired from the Sultan no fresh guarantees 

 for the reform of his administration. With a view 

 of enabling Russia the better to abstain from isolated 

 action, it affirmed the interest taken in common by 

 the Powers in the condition of the Christian popu- 

 lations of Turkey. It went on to declare that the 

 Powers would watch carefully the manner in which 

 the promises of the Ottoman Government were car- 

 ried into effect ; and that, should their hopes once 

 more be disappointed, they reserved to themselves 

 the right to consider in common the means which 

 they might deem best fitted to secure the well-being 

 of the Christian populations and the interests of the 

 general peace. 



To these declarations of the intentions of the 

 Powers the consent of the Porte was not asked or 

 required. The Porte, no doubt, has thought fit un- 

 fortunately, in the opinion of her Majesty's Govern- 

 ment to protest against the expressions in question 

 as implying an encroachment on the Sultan's sov- 

 ereignty and independence. But while so doing, 

 and while declaring that they cannot consider the 

 Protocol as having any binding character on Turkey, 

 the Turkish Government have again affirmed their 

 intention of carrying into execution the reforms al- 

 ready promised. 



Her Majesty's Government cannot therefore ad- 

 mit, as is contended, that the answer of the Porte 

 removed all hope of deference on its part to the 

 wishes and advice of Europe, and all security for the 

 application of the suggested reforms. Nor are they 

 of opinion that the terms of the note necessarily 

 precluded the possibility of the conclusion of peace 

 with Montenegro, or of the arrangement of mutual 

 disarmament. Her Majesty's Government still be- 

 lieve that, with patience and moderation on both 

 sides, these objects might not improbably have been 

 attained. . . . 



But the course on which the Russian Government 

 has entered involves graver and more serious con- 

 siderations. It is in contravention of the stipulation 

 of the Treaty of Paris of March 80, 1856, by which 

 Russia and the other signatory Powers engaged, 

 each on its own part, to respect the independence 

 and the territorial intesrrity of the Ottoman Empire. 

 In the conferences of London of 1871, at the close 

 of which the above stipulation, with others, was 

 again confirmed, the Russian plenipotentiary, in com- 

 mon with those of the other Powers, signed a dec- 

 laration, affirming it to be an essential principle of 

 the law of nations that no power can liberal* itself 

 from the engagements of a treaty, nor modify the 

 stipulations thereof, unless with the consent of the 

 contracting parties by means of an amicable arrange- 

 ment. In taking action against Turkey on his own 

 part, and having recourse to arms without further 

 consultation with his allies, the Emperor of Russia 

 has separated himself from the European concert 

 hitherto maintained, and has at the same time de- 

 parted from the rule to which he himself had solemn- 

 ly recorded his consent. 



The neutral position of the Suez Canal, and 

 consequently that of Egypt, had occasioned 

 great uneasiness in England, as it is the road 

 to India. On this subject Earl Derby addressed 

 a note, dated May 6th, to the Russian embas- 

 sador, in which he said : 



Should the war now in progress unfortunately 

 spread, interests may be imperiled which they 

 (her Majesty's Government) are equally bound and 

 determined "to defend, and it is desirable that they 

 should make it clear, as far as at the outset of 

 the war can be done, what the most prominent 

 of those interests are. Foremost among them is 



