THE TABLET
A W eekly Newspaper and Review
D um V O B IS G R A T U L AM U R , AN IM O S ET IAM ADDIM U S U T IN IN CCEPTIS V E S TR IS CON STAN TER M A N E A T IS .
From the Brief of H is Holiness to T h e T a b l e t , June 4, 1870.
Vol. 49. No. 1942. L o n d o n , J u n e 30, 1877.
P rice 5d. By Post s&d
[R e g is t e r ed a t th e G en e r a l P o s t O f f ic e a s a N ewspaper
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C hronicle of th e Week
England and Russia.— Rumours ©f War.— Russian View o f the Despatches.— The Chancellor of the Exchequer at the Trinity House.— Colonel Wellesley at the Russian Head-quarters. — The Passage o f the Danube.— The W ar in Montenegro. — Forced Neutrality of Servia.— Reverses ©f the Russians in Asia.— The Attitude of Austro-Hungary— M. Tisza’s Speech. — The French Senate and the Dissolution.— The Sunday Closing Bill. — The Burials Question.— Fire at St. John’s, N .B .— The New Cardinals.— A Spanish Pilgrimage . . 801
CONTENTS .
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L e a d e r s :
The Crisis in France .. .. 805 Prince Gortchakoff and Lord
Derby .. •• •* •• 805 Catholics Under Russian occupa
tion ............................................... 806 The Centenary o f Nano N a g le .. 807
Round the Galleries . . •• 808 R e v ie w s :
The Letters o f Rev. James
Maher, D. D. . . •• •• 809 Ancient and Modern Atomic
Theories . . • * . . . • • v ^ro Monotheism the Primitive Reli
gion of the City o f Rome .. 811 A Hundred Years Ago . . . . 812
Short N otices :
Rationalism in its two phases of
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Idealism and Materialism . . 813 The Seven Words Spoken by
Christ on the Cross . . . .8 1 3 Notices o f the Historic Persons
Buried in the Chapel of St. Peter ad Vincula in the Tower o f London.. .. . . . . 813 C o r r e s p o n d e n c e :
St. Joseph’s Society for Foreign
Missions . . . ; . . . .8 1 3 The Young Men’s Catholic Asso
ciation .. .. .. .. 813 The Tower Hill Mission . . .. 813 Memorial to the Late Dowager
Marchioness of Lothian.. . . 814 The Council of Trent and An
glican Orders . . . . 814
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P a r l ia m en t a r y S ummary . . 814 R ome :— Letter from our own Cor
respondent . . . . . . 8 1 7 D io cesan N ews
Westminster......................... .. 820 Birmingham.. . . . . . . 821 I r elan d
Letter from our Dublin Corre
spondent . . . . ... 821 F oreign N ews
G e r m a n y ......................... . . 822 Canada . . . . . . . . 823 M em oranda :— •
Educational......................... 824 Gen er a l N ews ............................ 824
CHRONICLE OF THE WEEK.
T
HE frank explanations of policy of which Count Schouvaloff has been the bearer have been laid before Parliaraentandthe public. The substance of Lord Derby’s despatch is in harmony with his statement to M. de Lesseps. The Government do not not desire to enter again upon the question of the justice or necessity of the present war, as they have already given their opinion and further discussion would be unavailing. They have accepted all their obligations as neutrals, and have warned the Porte that the) must not look to them for help. This attitude they will maintain as long as Turkish interests are involved, but there are other interests which they are “ equally bound and determined ” to defend. Foremost among these is the keeping open, 41 uninjured and interrupted,” of the communication between Europe and the East by the Suez Canal. Here the declaration mentioned in the despatch to Lord Lyons is repeated in the same words. Next an attack on Egypt, or “ its occu“ pation, even temporary, for purposes of war,” “ could “ scarcely be regarded with unconcern by the neutral 41 Powers, certainly not by England.” “ The vast impor44 tance of Constantinople, whether in a military, a political, 44 or a commercial point of view, is too well understood,” writes Lord Derby, “ to require explanation. It is, there44 fore, scarcely necessary to point out that her Majesty’s 44 Government are not prepared to witness with indiffe44 rence the passing into other hands than those of its 4' present possessors of a capital holding so peculiar and 41 commanding a position.” Moreover, the existing regu lations respecting the navigation of the Bosphorus and Dardanelles appear to them “ wise and salutary,” and there would be, in their judgment, “ serious objections to their 41 alterations in any material particular.” Other interests might turn up which it would be their duty to protect, as, for instance, on the Persian Gulf, but they hope that they have sufficiently pointed out the limits within which they can maintain a policy of abstention and neutrality, and that the Emperor of Russia will appreciate their de sire to make their policy understood at the outset of the war. To this Count Schouvaloff brings back a reply signed by Prince Gortchakoff, stating that the Emperor has read Lord Derby’s despatch with deep interest, that he fully appreciates its frankness, and has instructed him to respond with complete reciprocity. First, the Imperial Cabinet will neither blockade, nor interrupt, nor in any way menace the navigation of the Suez Canal. They consider the Canal an international work, in which the commerce of the world is interested, and which should be kept free from any attack. Next, though Egypt is part of
N ewj. Se r i e s , V ol. X V I I . No. 451.
the Ottoman Empire, and sends contingents to the Turkish army, and though Russia might therefore consider herself at war with Egypt, “ the Imperial Cabinet does not overlook “ either the European interests engaged in the country or “ those of England in particular,” and “ will not bring Egypt “ within the radius of their military operations.” “ As to 44what concerns Constantinople, without being able to pre“ judge the course or issue of the war, the Imperial “ Cabinet repeats that an acquisition of this capital is 44excluded from the views of his Majesty the Em“ peror. He recognises that in every case the destiny “ of Constantinople is a question of common interest, “ which can only be settled by a general understanding,” and that if “ the possession of that city were to be put in “ question it could not be allowed to belong to any one of “ the Powers of Europe.” As to the Straits, although both the shores belong to the same sovereign, they form “ the only 44 outlet of two great seas in which all the world has interests. 44It is therefore important in the interests of peace and the “ general balanceof powerthat this question should be settled “ by a common agreement on equitable and efficiently gua“ ranteed bases.” Lastly, as to other British interests which might be affected by the eventual extension of the war, such as those in the Persian Gulf, the Imperial Cabinet declares that it will not extend the war further than is required for attaining its “ loudly and clearly declared object,” and that “ it will respect the Brirish interests mentioned by Lord “ Derby as long as England remains neutral.” Prince Gortchakoff then goes on to state what the object of the war is — namely, “ the absolute necessity of putting an end to the “ deplorable condition of the Christians under Turkish rule, “ and to the chronic state of disturbance provoked by it,” including the agitation excited in Russia, and the suspicions and charges to which, at each of these crises, her policy is subjected. In conclusion the Russian Cabinet hopes that these views will be appreciated “ in the same “ spirit of fairness that induced us to respect the interests “ of England,” and that the British Government “ will draw “ from them the same conclusions as ourselves— namely, “ that there is nothing in the views which have been ex“ changed with reciprocal frankness between the two Go“ vernments which cannot be reconciled so as to maintain “ their amicable relations and the peace of the East and of 44 Europe.” All this is satisfactory enough as far as it goes, and will be satisfactory in so far as the assurances are carried out. Everybody immediately observed that no pledge was given that Constantinople should not be temporarily occupied, but it ought to be borne in mind that Lord Derby had asked for no assurance on this point, and it would perhaps be unreasonable to expect that the Russians should help their adversary by telling him that they did not mean to occupy his capital, as they very nearly did in a former