[Alliance.] between Russia, on the one hand, and Turkey, France, and Great Britain, on the other, and at the same time to contribute to the restoration of general Peace. They more especially consider the Declarations lately made at Berlin by the Court of St. Petersburgh, to be an important element of pacification, the failure of the practical influence of which they would view with regret. According to these Declarations, Russia appears to regard the original motive for the Occupation of the Principalities as removed by the concessions now granted to the Christian subjects of the Porte,* which offer the prospect of realisation. They therefore hope that the replies awaited from the Cabinet of Russia to the Prussian propositions, transmitted on the 8th, will offer to them the necessary Guarantee for an early withdrawal of the Russian troops. In the event that this hope should be illusory, the Plenipotentiaries named, on the part of His Majesty the Emperor of Austria, Freiherr Baron von Hess and Count Thun, and on the part of His Majesty the King of Prussia, Baron Manteuffel, have drawn up the following more detailed Agreement with respect to the eventuality alluded to in the above-mentioned Article II of the Treaty of Alliance of this day: Aggression on Territories of one of the Contracting Parties to be repelled by Military Forces of the other. SINGLE ARTICLE.-The Imperial Austrian Government will also on their side address a communication to the Imperial Russian Court with the object of obtaining from the Emperor of Russia the necessary orders that an immediate stop should be put to the further advance of his Armies upon the Turkish Territory, as also to request of His Imperial Majesty sufficient Guarantees for the prompt Evacuation of the Danubian Principalities; and the Prussian Government will again in the most emphatic manner, support these communications with reference to their proposals already sent to St. Petersburgh. Should the answer of the Russian Court to these steps of the Cabinets of Vienna and Berlin-contrary to expectation-not be of a nature to give them entire satisfaction upon the two points afore-mentioned, the measures to be taken by one of the Contracting Parties for their attainment, according to the terms of Article II of the Offensive * A Turkish Firman upon this subject was issued in June, 1853. See also Firman of 18th February, 1856, and General Treaty of Peace of 30th March, 1856 (Art. IX). し [Alliance.] and Defensive Alliance signed on this day, will be on the understanding that every hostile attack on the Territory of one of the Contracting Parties is to be repelled with all the Military Forces at the disposal of the other. Cases in which Offensive Advance only shall be made. But a mutual Offensive Advance is stipulated for only in the event of the incorporation of the Principalities, or in the event of an attack on or passage of the Balkan by Russia. Ratifications. The present Convention shall be submitted for the Ratification of the High Sovereigns simultaneously with the abovementioned Treaty. Done at Berlin, the 20th April, 1854. (L.S.) HESS. (L.S.) THUN. (L.S.) MANTEUFFEL. [War against Russia. Great Britain, France, and Turkey.] No. 245.-RUSSIAN MANIFESTO relative to the War with Great Britain, France, and Turkey. St. Petersburgh, 11th April, 1854. 23rd (Translation.*) By the Grace of God, We, Nicolas I, Emperor and Autocrat of All the Russias, King of Poland, &c. To all our Faithful Subjects make known: From the very beginning of our Dispute with the Turkish Government, we solemnly announced to our Faithful Subjects that a feeling of justice had alone induced us to re-establish the injured Rights of Orthodox Christians, subjects of the Ottoman Porte. We have not sought, we do not seek, to make conquests, or to exercise in Turkey any supremacy whatever which was of such a nature as to exceed the influence belonging to Russia by virtue of existing Treaties. At the onset we met with mistrust, soon after with secret hostility on the part of the Governments of France and England, who strove to mislead the Porte, by misinterpreting our intentions. At last, England and France now throw off the mask, consider our differences with Turkey as but a secondary question, and no more dissemble that their common aim is to weaken Russia, to snatch from her a part of her Possessions, and to make our Country fall from the powerful position to which the hand of. the Almighty had elevated her. Is orthodox Russia to fear such threats? Ready to confound the audacity of the enemy, shall she deviate from the sacred aim assigned to her by Divine Providence? No! Russia has not forgotten God! It is not for worldly interests that she has taken up arms; she fights for the Christian Faith, for the defence of her co-religionists oppressed by implacable enemies. Let the whole Christian world know, then, that the opinion of the Sovereign of Russia is the opinion which animates and inspires the whole family of the Russian People-that orthodox For French version, see "State Papers," vol. xlvi, p. 382. [War against Russia. Great Britain, France, and Turkey.] Nation, faithful to GoD, and to His only Son Jesus Christ, Our It is for the Faith and Christianity that we fight. Given at St. Petersburgh, the 11th day of the month of April of the year of Grace, 1854, and of our reign the 29th, NICOLAS. [War with Russia.] No. 246.-CONVENTION between Great Britain and France, relative to Joint Captures. Signed at London, 10th May, 1854.* 2. Adjudication. Captures by Cruizer of one Country in sight of Cruizer of the other. 3. Adjudication of Captured Merchant Vessels. 4. Distribution of Prize Money. 5. Instructions as to Delivering up of Prizes. 6. Valuation of a Captured Vessel of War. 7. Treatment of Crews of Captured Vessels. 8. Ratifications. ANNEX.-Instructions to the Commanders of Ships of War belonging to Her Majesty the Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and to His Majesty the Emperor of the French. (English Version.†) HER Majesty the Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, and His Majesty the Emperor of the French, being desirous to determine the jurisdiction to which the adjudication of Joint Captures which may be made during the course of the present War by the Naval Forces of the two Nations, shall belong, or of Captures which may be made of Merchant Vessels belonging to subjects of either of the two Countries by the Cruizers of the other, and being desirous to regulate at the same time the mode of distribution of the proceeds of Joint Captures, have named as their Plenipotentiaries for that purpose, that is to say: Her Majesty the Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Right Honourable George William Frederick, Earl of Clarendon, Baron Hyde of Hindon, a Peer of the United Kingdom, a Member of Her Britannic Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council, Her Britannic Majesty's Principal Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, &c.; And His Majesty the Emperor of the French, the Sieur Alexander Colonna, Count Walewski, his Ambassador to Her Britannic Majesty, &c.; Who, after having exchanged their Full Powers, found in due form, have agreed upon the following Articles: * Aceeded to by Sardinia and Turkey on the 15th November, 1855. See also Declaration of 10th July, 1855. + For French version see "State Papers," vol. xliv, p. 11. |