XII.

Religious

of the

threaten

In States religiously constituted, the preparation for CHAP. war is begun by preaching it; and now in Europe, in Asia, and in Africa, wherever there were Turkish character dominions, the Moslems were called to arms by a truculent course of sermons. In the churches of Russia ed war. there was a like appeal to the piety of the multitude. Of course the members of the two disputing Governments were much under the influence of temporal motives; but by the people of both Empires the war now believed to be impending was regarded as a war for Religion.

XIII.

Effect of the Czar's threat upon European Powers.

CHAPTER XIII.

CHAP. THE Czar had no sooner uttered his threat to occupy the Principalities, than he found himself met by the unanimous disapproval of the other great Powers of Europe. Nor was this a barren expression of opinion. From the time of the accomplishment of Count Leiningen's mission, Austria had never ceased to declare her adhesion to her accustomed policy; and the moment that she saw herself endangered by the Czar's determination to send troops into Wallachia and Its effect Moldavia, she became, as it was her interest and her

upon Austria.

duty to be, a resolute opponent of Russia. And her resistance was of more value than that of any other Power, because she was so placed in reference to the Principalities that, at any moment and without any very hard effort, she could make her will the law. Of course the Czar might resent the interference of Austria and declare war against her; but in such a case he would necessarily place the scene of hostilities upon another part of her frontier. It was not possible for him with common prudence to wind round the frontier of the Austrian Empire, and at

tempt to keep troops in Wallachia, if he were liable CHA P. to attack from Transylvania and the Banat.

Clearly, then, it rested with Austria to prevent or redress the threatened outrage. Her resolution was never doubtful. Before the end of May Count Buol represented at St Petersburg the danger of the proceedings adopted by Prince Mentschikoff; and on the 17th of June he declared that he considered himself as entirely united' with England in her policy towards the Turkish Empire, that he regarded 'the 'maintenance of its independence and integrity as of 'the most essential importance to the best interests of Austria,' and that he would employ all the 'means in his power to effect that object.' He promised that he would take no engagement with Russia not to oppose her with arms;' and he added that should he be called upon to carry out an 'armed intervention on the frontiers, it would be in support of the authority and independence of the Sultan.'t

XIII.

Prussia.

The opinion of Prussia was scarcely less decided. Upon On the 30th of May Lord Bloomfield was able to report that the impression made upon the Government of Berlin by the last reports from Turkey was 'most "unfavourable to the Russian Government;' and Baron Manteuffel declared that Prince Mentschikoff had gone far beyond everything that the Prussian Government had been given to expect, and he could hardly believe but that the Prince would be disavowed. Three days later the Prussian Government

*Eastern Papers,' part i. p. 224. +Ibid. p. 291. Ibid. p. 223.

XIII.

CHAP. conveyed this impression to the Court of St Petersburg; and on the 7th Lord Clarendon expressed his satisfaction at the views taken and the course of the policy indicated both by the Court of Berlin and the Court of Vienna.t

Effect pro

This was the effect produced by the threat conthe actual tained in Count Nesselrode's summons; but when the

duced by

invasion of

palities.

In Aus

tria.

the Princi- invasion of the Principalities took place, and came to be known in Europe, it quickly appeared that the uneasiness excited by the actual occurrence of the event was more than proportioned to that which sprang from the mere expectation of it. In Austria the uneasiness of the Government was so great that it dissolved the close relations of friendship lately subsisting between the Courts of Petersburg and Vienna; and within three days from the time when Russia crossed the Pruth, Count Buol, abandoning the notion of acting singly,' which had been entertained some days before, began to lay the foundations of a league well fitted to repress the Czar's encroachment without plunging Europe in

war.

The entry of the Russian troops into the Principalities,' wrote Lord Westmoreland to the English Secretary of State, is looked upon with the greatest possible regret and I am requested by Count Buol

to state this to your Lordship, as also to announce to you his intention immediately to convey this feeling to the Russian Cabinet, together with the expression of the disappointment he has felt at the *Eastern Papers,' part i. p. 227. + Ibid. p. 230. Ibid. p. 320.

sudden adoption of this measure while there still CHAP.

existed the hope of an arrangement at Constantinople. Count Buol expressed his entire satisfaction 'with the language your Lordship had held to Count 'Colloredo, agreeing as he does with the policy you ' recommend, and with the necessity which would arise, in case the invasion of the Principalities took

place, of concerting measures among the Powers 'parties to the treaties of 1841, with the view of 'obtaining from the Russian Cabinet the most dis'tinct declarations as to the objects of that move'ment, and the term which would be fixed for its duration.'*

XIII.

and Eng

land.

On the other hand, the Governments of France and In France England, with less cause for anxiety about countries so remote as the provinces of the Lower Danube, were angrily impatient of the Czar's intrusion.

Prussia, hitherto supposed to be hardly capable of In Prussia. differing with the Emperor Nicholas, did not fear to express her disapproval in decisive terms; and the Cabinet of Berlin instructed the King's Envoy at Constantinople to 'unite cordially' with the representatives of Austria, France, and England.t

of Europe

In short, the attitude of Europe towards the Russian Attitude Emperor was exactly that which a lover of peace and generally. of order might desire to witness; for the wrong-doer was left without an ally in the world, and was resisted by the four great Powers, with the assent of the other States of Europe. It was plain, moreover, that this resistance would not evaporate in mere Powers. + Ibid. P. 355.

Eastern Papers,' part i. p. 356.

Concord of

the four