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Demands were made which, in the opinion
of the Sultan, extended to the substitution
of the Emperor of Russia's authority for his
own, over a large portion of his subjects;
and those demands were enforced by a threat:
and when Her Majesty learnt that, on an-
nouncing the termination of his Mission,
Prince Menchikoff declared that the refusal of
his demands would impose upon the Imperial
Government the necessity of seeking a guar-
antee by its own power, Her Majesty thought
proper that Her Fleet should leave Malta,
and, in co-operation with that of His Majesty
the Emperor of the French, take up its
station in the neighbourhood of the Darda-
nelles.

So long as the negotiation bore an ami-
cable character Her Majesty refrained from
any demonstration of force. But when, in
addition to the assemblage of large military
forces on the frontier of Turkey, the Am-
bassador of Russia intimated that serious
consequences would ensue from the refusal
of the Sultan to comply with unwarrantable
demands, Her Majesty deemed it right, in
conjunction with the Emperor of the French,
to give an unquestionable proof of Her de-
termination to support the Sovereign rights
of the Sultan.

The Russian Government has maintained
that the determination of the Emperor to
occupy the Principalities was taken in conse-
quence of the advance of the Fleets of
England and France. But the menace of
invasion of the Turkish territory was con-
veyed in Count Nesselrode's Note to Rechid
Pacha, of the 19/31 May, and restated in his
Despatch to Baron Brunnow, of the 20/1 June,
which announced the determination of the
Emperor of Russia to order his troops to
occupy the Principalities if the Porte did not
within a week comply with the demands of
Russia.

The Despatch to Her Majesty's Am-
bassador, at Constantinople, authorizing him
in certain specified contingencies to send for
the British Fleet, was dated the 31st May,
and the order sent direct from England to
Her Majesty's Admiral to proceed to the
neighbourhood of the Dardanelles, was dated
the 2nd of June.

The determination to occupy the Prin-
cipalities was therefore taken before the
orders for the advance of the combined
squadrons were given.

The Sultan's Minister was informed that
unless he signed within a week, and without
the change of a word, the Note proposed to
the Porte by Prince Menchikoff, on the eve
of his departure from Constantinople, the
Principalities of Moldavia and Wallachia
would be occupied by Russian Troops. The
Sultan could not accede to so insulting a
demand; but when the actual occupation of
the Principalities took place, the Sultan did
not, as he might have done in the exercise of
his undoubted right, declare war, but ad-
dressed a Protest to his Allies.

Her Majesty, in conjunction with the
Sovereigns of Austria, France, and Prussia,
has made various attempts to meet any just
demands of the Emperor of Russia without
affecting the dignity and independence of the
Sultan: and had it been the sole object of
Russia to obtain security for the enjoyment
by the Christian subjects of the Porte of
their privileges and immunities, she would
have found it in the offers that have been
made by the Sultan. But as that security
was not offered in the shape of a special and
separate stipulation with Russia, it was re-
jected. Twice has this offer been made by
the Sultan, and recommended by the Four
Powers, once by a note originally prepared
at Vienna, and subsequently modified by the
Porte, once by the proposal of basis of nego-
tiation agreed upon at Constantinople on the
31st of December, and approved at Vienna
on the 13th of January, as offering to the
two parties the means of arriving at an under-
standing in a becoming and honourable
manner.

It is thus manifest that a right for Russia
to interfere in the ordinary relations of
Turkish subjects to their Sovereign, and not
the happiness of Christian communities in
Turkey, was the object sought for by the
Russian Government; to such a demand the
Sultan would not submit, and His Highness,
in self-defence, declared war upon Russia,
but Her Majesty, nevertheless, in conjunc-
tion with Her Allies, has not ceased her en-
deavours to restore peace between the con-
tending parties.

The time has however now arrived when
the advice and remonstrances of the Four
Powers having proved wholly ineffectual,
and the military preparations of Russia be-
ing daily more extended, it is but too
obvious that the Emperor of Russia has en-
tered upon a course of policy which, if un-
checked, must lead to the destruction of the
Ottoman Empire.

In this conjuncture, Her Majesty feels
called upon by regard for an Ally, the in-
tegrity and independence of whose empire
have been recognised as essential to the peace
of Europe, by the sympathies of Her people
with right against wrong, by a desire to avert
from Her dominions most injurious conse-
quences, and to save Europe from the pre-
ponderance of a Power which has violated
the faith of Treaties and defies the opinion of
the civilized world, to take up arms in con-
junction with the Emperor of the French,
for the defence of the Sultan.

Her Majesty is persuaded that in so acting
she will have the cordial support of Her
people; and that the pretext of zeal for the
Christian religion will be used in vain to
cover an aggression undertaken in disregard
of its holy precepts, and of its pure and
beneficent spirit.

Her Majesty humbly trusts that Her
efforts may be successful, and that by the
blessing of Providence, peace may be re-
established on safe and solid foundations.

Westminster, March 28, 1854.