92 ENGLAND, FRANCE, AND EGYPT. 



of Russia should be the array of Europe, and that as such they should 

 invade Turkey to prot^ect Constantinople, and on the restoration of 

 peace the Russian forces should retire. 



This was the proposition, in effect, of the Imperial Government of 

 Russia, as communicated by Baron Brunnow to Lord Palmerston ; 

 this was the magnanimous policy of the Emperor Nicholas, which 

 implied, that England should confine herself to the Mediterranean, 

 and that Russia should have a free hand in the Dardanelles, for the 

 extension of her power and influence in the East. 



To this disinterested policy of Russia, Lord Palmerston, whilst fully 

 reciprocating the friendly assurances of the Czar, declared that im- 

 mediately a Russian Army entered Turkish territory, or the Russian 

 Fleet entered the Dardanelles, ostensibly to defend the Sultan, a British 

 Fleet would appear before Constantinople, not to threaten Russia, 

 but to maintain the co-equal rights of Russia and England in 

 Turkish Waters, and in defence of the principle of neutrality, that 

 the Dardanelles should not be opened to one, and closed to another 

 European Power. 



This declaration of Lord Palmerston forced the Czar to yield, and 

 the firmness of the British Minister secured, not only for England, 

 but for. France and Russia, the right to protect Constantinople, and 

 the Sovereignty of the Sultan from a hostile attack, threatened by 

 Mehemet Ali. 



At this juncture of Eastern Affairs, Louis Philippe reigned in 

 France, and he was believed to be favourable to the English 

 Alliance, but his Ministers, especially his Prime Minister, opposed 

 this Alliance, and supported the policy of Mehemet Ali against the 

 Porte, actuated, it is believed, with the idea of the regeneration 

 of Turkey, through the instrumentality of Mehemet Ali, the Pasha of 

 Egypt. 



France, therefore, whilst agreeing with England in resistance to the 

 aggressions of Russia on Constantinople, under whatsoever plea, 

 differed with her as to the means to be adopted, and considered that 

 the only man capable of successfully resisting Russia, and thereby 

 averting the dissolution of the Turkish Empire, was Mehemet Ali, 

 and from this difference of opinion upon policy, many difficulties arose. 



Moreover, France still clung to her traditional Egyptian poUcy, 

 inaugurated by Napoleon L in the beginning of the century, and 

 she was jealous and suspicious of English intervention in Egypt, in 

 spite of the declarations by British Statesmen that England's policy 

 was a disinterested one. 



