Page:Wallachia and Moldavia - Correspondence of D. Bratiano whit Lord Dudley C. Stuart, M.P. on the Danubian Principalities.djvu/26

 Europe shall last, the Turkish empire will have as great a right to exist, and more elements of vitality than the other two empires, her neighbours. It has a wide and magnificent territory of riches and beauty; it has one of the best geographical positions; it has excellent national frontiers; it has a population intelligent, laborious, and full of youth; and a government which, contrary to those of Russia and Austria, appears only to ask for full liberty of action to enter seriously on the path of reform. As to the religious intolerance of the Mussulmans and the cruelties of the Turkish government, I will reply to those who are so much alarmed, that if the Mussulman clergy are less intriguing, they are in revenge much more tolerant than the Christian clergy of whatever sect or confession, and that the Turkish government, such as it is, can give many a lesson of humanity to most of the governments of our most Christian, most Catholic, and most orthodox Europe. Give to Turkey the liberty of action which she requires. Let her be placed in a position to look to herself, without provoking herself against Russia at every step, and then when she has her free will she will also have the weight of responsibility for her acts; then we may, and ought to require of her, that she shall faithfully fulfil all her engagements toward the nations tributary to her, and that she shall, without any distinction of religion or nationality, allow all her subjects to enjoy the benefits of a liberal and enlightened administration.

And now, my lord, permit me, for an instant, to speak with you on the subject of the Danubian Principalities, whose cause you have heretofore defended with so much ardour, and most probably will soon again have an opportunity of defending with no less vigour and sympathy. For, if the situation of Turkey is embarrassing, that of the Principalities is infinitely more so. Indeed, let Russia obtain what she desires of the Porte, let her declare war against her, or only let the relations between those two powers remain in suspense until negociations are resumed, in either of the three cases the Principalities are threatened with invasion by the Russian army, if they are not already invaded while I write these lines. I need not, therefore, add anything