Page:The invasion of the Crimea vol. 1.djvu/153

 VII. BETWEEN THE CZAR AND THE SULTAN. Ill ' either of England or of France anything what- chap '• ever as to what he demanded or proposed ; that ' it was his wish that it should be treated with ' the greatest secrecy, otherwise he would not ' enter upon the subject.' * The Grand Vizier declared that the Turkish Government had at once refused to withhold from the Western Powers a knowledge of the impending negotiation, but it seems likely that some alarmed member of the Turkish Government may have been led to give the required promise of secrecy, for before the end of March Prince Mentschikoff vouchsafed to disclose the offers and the demands of his Sovereign. He verbally expressed the Emperor's wish to enter into a secret treaty with Turkey, putting a fleet and 400,000 men at her disposal if she ever needed aid against any Western Power. As ' the equivalent for this ' proffered aid,' said the Grand Vizier, ' Russia ' further secretly demanded an addition to the ' treaty of Kainardji, whereby the Greek Church ' should be placed entirely under Russian protec- ' tion without reference to Turkey. Prince Ment- ' schikoff had stated that the greatest secrecy ' must be maintained relative to this proposition ; ' and that, should Turkey allow it to be made ' known to England, he and his mission would ' instantly quit Constantinople.' This kind of pressure upon the Turkish Gov- ernment was perhaps well fitted for the days of alarm which immediately followed Prince Ment- 1 Eastern Papers,' part i. p. 111. + Ibid. p. 112.
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