PRINCE GORTSCHAKOFF'S CIRCULAR. (From the Sun.)

Daily Southern Cross, Volume XVII, Issue 1352, 23 November 1860, Page 4

PRINCE GORTSCHAKOFF'S CIRCULAR. (From the Sun.)

The following is Prince Gortschakoffb chcular to the Russian diplomatic agents abroad on the subject of Turkey :—: — " St. Petersburg, April 23, 1860. " The situation of the Christian provinces subject to the domination of the Porte could not have escaped the notice of the great European powers. The Imperial (jabinet has considered it necessary to devote the more attention to it that the reports which reach it from those provinces, and particularly from Bosnia, tho Herzegovine, and Bulgaria, draw an afflicting picture of the situation of those countries. " We considered it our duty to prevent as much as possible the eventualities which such a state of things might produce in the general situation of the East. We called the attention of the Turkish Ministers to all the facts which came to our knowledge, and pointed out the necessity of applying a remedy to them. We received from them promises and assurances which, up to the present time, have been without result. We have at the same time constantly recommended the Christians not to expose themselves to the danger of aggravating their position by any violent resolutions, but to wait patiently for the possible improvement of their condition. " The»s measures have perhaps contributed to delay the explosion whioh everything seemed to prognosticate. Nevertheless they could not be effectual, except something were done to alleviate the sufferings of those people, or at least to give them some hopes of relief and thus prevent them being driven to desperation. " Such has not been the Case ; all the accounts which reach us state that excesses of all kinds constantly tend to keep up agitation in th6se countries, and that the evil had attained its utmost limit. "Under those ciicumstances the Imperial Cabinet fears that representations addressed isolatedly to the Turkish Government would remain without effect, and that the exhortations addressed to the Christians to be resigned would not be sufficient to pievent a conflict. " We can fully appreciate the difficulties against which the Porte has to struggle, and we have no doubt of its good intentions. But if, after the promises made to Europe in 1856, things have now come to this point, it is evident that they must be attributed either to the weakness and to a culpable indulgence on the pait of the Ottoman Government, or to the inconveniencies inherent to the situation created for the Christian provinces under Turkish rule. " However this may be, we are convinced that such a state of things cannot continue without shortly leading to a crisis dangerous for the repose of the East, the existence of the Ottoman Government, and consequently for the general interests of Europe. "Persuaded that the other great Powers cannot, more than ourselves, remain indifferent to those serious eventualities, we think that an intervention exercised collectively at Constantinople, by all the Cabinets interested in the tranquillity of "1 urkey, is alone calculated to ward off the threaded events. " For this purpose, and wishing to establish as complete an understanding as possible, I by oider of the Emperor assembled round me the representatives of England, Austria, France, and Prussia. I pointed out to them the danger of a crisis, the urgency of preventing it, and the means which we thought the best calculated to effect this object. I requested them to make the necessary communications to their Governments, and to unite in the steps we proposed to take, " Wishing to fi\ on some deteiminate bases for these proceedings, the representatives, under the reserve of the sanction of their respective Courts, agreed with mo on the following points :—: — "1. An immediate declaration on the part of the five great Powers that they could no longer tolerate the | present state of things in the Christian provinces of the Ottoman empire. "2. A demand for an organisation, having for object to give to the Christian provinces of the Porte effectual guarantees calculated to satisfy the legitimate complaints of tho people, and at the same time to tranquillise Europe with regard to the possibility of complications which affected her general interests as well as those of Turkey. "The Court at which you are accredited will be informed direct by its representative at St. Petersburg of the conference which has taken place on this subject. You aro authorised to declare by order of our august master, to the Minister of Foreign Affaire, that, as far as we are concerned, we hold completely to the abovementioned bases, and that, consequently, we aie leady to send the necessary instructions to our representative at Constantinople. "Be kind enough, however, to add that, without wishing to encroach on the resolutions of the Cabinet of , we feel the fullest conviction that this measure offers the only hope of preventing, if it be even possible, complications which might seriously threaten the peace of the East and the seourity of Europe, and that the only means of checking the explosion is to act collectively, promptly, and energetically, for the moment fast approaches when any hesitation and any scruples may lead to the most disastrous consequences. " GORTSCHAKOFF."