22 THE ELEVENTH WAR : CRIMEAN WAR. 



sidered it was as bad as Prince Menschikoff's former proposals, and 

 proposed certain modifications, which, having been submitted to the 

 respective Governments, were finally agreed to, and returned to Con- 

 stantinople for acceptance ; but the Turkish Council, inspired by the 

 fanaticism and desperation of the old Mahommedan party, fearful that 

 peace would be established, and that they would lose the great oppor- 

 tunity of dragging England and France into a war with their ancient 

 -enemy Russia, came to the extraordinary resolution to reject these 

 reasonable terms of peace and decided in favour of war ; and the 

 result was, the Russians crossed the Pruth, and entered the Prmci- 

 palities, and the English and French fleet anchored in Besika Bay. 



These acts of war did not suspend the negotiations for peace j 

 but it soon became evident that Turkey, seeing that she had com- 

 mitted England and France in the quarrel, determined to rush into 

 war, in spite of the utmost eiforts of the European Powers. 



" The Turkish Council," says Lord Stratford de Redcliflfe, " has 

 given its decision for war, and the efforts of the four Powers to 

 obtain a pacific solution, are fruitless." 



Now just observe the facts : 



England offers her mediation between Turkey and Russia, and as 

 the friend of Turkey, the British fleet is brought up to the Darda- 

 nelles to support her resistance. 



England advises Turkey in the most emphatic manner, in consort 

 with France, Austria, and Prussia, not to declare war, but Turkey 

 declared war in the very teeth of her advice. 



England appeals to Turkey to suspend hostilities whilst further 

 negotiations are pending, and she promises, and breaks that promise, 

 and rushes into war. 



England warns Turkey, not only that a war will entail great 

 calamities, but that it will eventually lead to the dissolution of her 

 tottering Empire; but she insists on going to war, in face of the warn- 

 ings of England ; and when Turkey does all this, scorns all the 

 declarations of England, England suffered herself to be dragged help- 

 lessly at the tail of the fanatical Turk into the abyss of war. 



Unfortunately, the public mind in England was a victim to a 

 fanaticism as fierce as the fanaticism of the Turks, in consequence of a 

 frantic hatred of Russia and its Sovereign, which was fanned by the 

 Press, the Platform, and alas ! the Pulpit ! 



We see, therefore, that the original blunder was committed when 

 the Turks were advised by England to resist, and the second blunder 

 when the Turks were supported in their rejection of the Vienna Note, 



