ENGLAND, FRANCE, AND EGYPT. 95 



authority of the Sultan was restored throughout his dominions, and 

 thereby the threatened outbreak of a great European War in the 

 East, was happily averted. 



The military operations having now been brought to a conclusion, 

 Mehemet Ali having practically surrendered, the British Admiral, 

 Stopford, in conjunction with Napier, entered into a Convention with 

 him, that, provided in three days he evacuated Syria, and delivered 

 up to the Sultan the Turkish Fleet, he should be maintained in the 

 Government of Egypt, and these terms, being endorsed by the 

 Ottoman Porte, were accepted by him without hesitation, and the 

 policy of Lord Palmerston triumphed. 



The Treaty of Peace which followed the conclusion of the 

 War, and which was signed 13th July, 1841, was undoubtedly 

 one of the most important International compacts between the 

 Great Powers affecting their relations with the Ottoman Empire in 

 Europe. 



In the first place, it secured the reconciliation of France with 

 England, and the other co-signatory Powers to the Treaty ; in the 

 second place, it secured the renunciation by Russia of any exclusive 

 ascendancy over Turkey; and lastly, it asserted that the integrity 

 and independence of the Ottoman Empire were of essential 

 importance to the tranquillity of Europe. 



The spirit and scope of this Treaty were, in effect, the surrender 

 by Russia of the provisions of the celebrated Treaty of Unkiar- 

 Skelessi, concluded between Russia and Turkey in 1831, which gave 

 to Russia the right of interference in the affairs of the Ottoman 

 Empire, made the Sultan a vassal of the Czar, and closed the 

 Dardanelles to every other European Power. The Treaty, therefore, 

 of 1841, which surperseded the Treaties of Adrianople, of 1829, and of 

 Unkiar-Skelessi, of 1831, it must be admitted, was a great diplomatic 

 achievement, secured by British statesmen, and for this reason ; that 

 it set bounds to the aggressions of Russia in the East, and by placing 

 the Ottoman Empire under the protection of all Europe, it prac- 

 tically declared, that any attempt by Russia on the independence and 

 sovereignty of the Ottoman Porte, in the future, would be a violation 

 by Russia of an honourable engagement, which pledged her to non- 

 interference, under any pretext whatsoever, and chat any infraction by 

 her of the provisions of that Treaty, imposed, ipso facto, on the Four 

 Great Powers, co-signatories with her in the Treaty, a responsibility 

 nay, a right and duty by them, to oppose her by every means in 

 their power. 



