Page:The invasion of the Crimea vol. 1.djvu/197

 BETWEEN THE CZAR AND THE SULTAN. 155 1 means of escaping from the embarrassments chap. 'ters;' and then, after more objurgation in the same strain, and after dealing in a peremptory way with the question of the Holy Places, the Note goes on to declare that 'in consequence of ' the hostile tendencies manifested for some years ' past in whatever related to Russia, she required 4 in behalf of the religious communities of the ' Orthodox Church an explanatory and positive the Ottoman Cabinet would ' be pleased in its ' wisdom to weigh the serious nature of the offence ' which it had committed, and compare it with ' the moderation of the demands made for repar- ' ation and guarantee, which a consideration of ' legitimate defence might have put forward at ' greater length and in more peremptory terms.' Finally the Note stated that 'the reply of the ' Minister for Foreign Affairs would indicate to the ' Ambassador the ulterior duties which he would ' have to discharge ; ' and intimated that those duties would be 'consistent with the dignity of ' the Government which he represented, and of ' the religion professed by his Sovereign.'* It might have been politic for Prince Mentschi- koff to send such a note as this in the midst of the panic which followed his landing in the early days of March, but it was vain to send it now. The Turks had returned to their old allegiance. They could take their rest, for they knew that
 * occasioned to it by the bad faith of its Minis-.
 * act of guarautee.' Then the Note requested that
 * 'Eastern Pnpers,' part i. p. 158.