Page:Wallachia and Moldavia - Correspondence of D. Bratiano whit Lord Dudley C. Stuart, M.P. on the Danubian Principalities.djvu/6

 henceforth, so long as she shall continue to exist, which will not be long, she is condemned to move fatally in the orbit of Russia. Admitting even all these inadmissible things, and consequently that the Ottoman Empire will be condemned, executed, cut up, and divided, the Danubian Principalities ought not to make part of her spoils; for they are a country apart, having its own nationality, its own constitution, its own sovereignly, recognized on more than one occasion by Russia itself, in virtue of which the Danubian Principalities have treated with Turkey, stipulating to pay her tribute, and that in exchange, Turkey shall protect them by the force of arms, against the aggressions of the neighbouring powers. Turkey then disappearing, the Principalities will remain what they are. Their condition will be in no way changed, unless it be that they will find themselves, in fact and in right, freed from their actual obligation to pay tribute, and that very probably by putting themselves under the united protection of the great powers, they will thereby replace with a protection much more efficacious, the Turkish protection which they lose.

This is the only true manner in which politicians can regard the question of the Principalities, under the hypothesis of the grave eventualities which many people expect. Let not the strength, the dangerous vicinity of Russia to the Danubian Principalities be objected ; for if an European public law be no longer recognized, if strength alone is for the future to regulate international relations, how many States in Europe could for ten days preserve their independence ? At that rate, it may doubtless be said that the Danubian Principalities will lose their independence, that they will necessarily disappear with the Ottoman Empire, and even before the fall of that empire; reasoning upon such maxims of strength and dangerous vicinities, may it not be said that English India may before long become Russian; that England herself may be invaded by Louis Napoleon ; and that France in her turn may be invaded by the Northern powers? And will there not be found inexorable logicians, who will say, if it has not been already said, that the