"... I received the following from Prince Bismarck: 'The situation of the Prince is serious, although I am not convinced that Russia will proceed to war, if nobody endeavours to restrain her from doing so.
"'In the event of war, I do not think Prince Charles ought to resist the Russian proposals too seriously, nor throw himself into their arms. It would be best if he shielded himself behind his duty towards the Porte, and then yielded to force, which will probably be applied from the North long before Turkey assumes the offensive.
"'He must not allow himself to be led away by ambition, but must adhere to the treaties: his resources are not sufficient in the face of two such armies to secure him the respect of the victor, if he employs his forces. So long as he adheres to the treaties, he can always appeal to Europe. That will always be a claim, though not perhaps an indisputable one; still it will carry great weight should the Russian campaign prove unfortunate eventually. I offer my opinion here as if I were a Roumanian, and not a German Minister, solely on account of my personal interest for his Highness!'"
Six Russian Army Corps were mobilised and placed under the command of the Grand Duke Nicholas, as the Army of the South, on November 14, 1876. A circular note to the Powers assigned as the reason for this step the futility of all diplomatic efforts to protect the Christians of Turkey from the attacks of the Mohammedans. The Czar, though desirous of peace, had therefore mobilised a portion of his army, in order to obtain guarantees for the execution of the principles proposed by Europe.
M. de Nelidow arrived at Bucharest from Constantinople on November 28, to negotiate with the Roumanian Government about the passage of the Russian army, and the possible part which Roumania was to play in the war with Turkey. The presence of the Russian agent was naturally kept absolutely secret. Curiously enough, a Turkish agent, Ali Bey, arrived on the same day to arrange a combination with Roumania against Russia. Prince Charles declined to meet either of these messengers, and instructed his Ministers to adopt a reserved attitude, and to refer both to the Treaty of Paris.
Dem. Bratianu was sent to Constantinople in November to put the Roumanian demands before the Conference which had assembled there, and to endeavour to arrange a peaceful settlement. The Roumanian demands were: the recognition of their neutrality; the regulation of their attitude in the event of a war between Turkey and one of the Guaranteeing Powers; and the cession to Roumania of a part of the Delta of the Danube.
The efforts of the Conference to avoid the war came to a definite end on January 19, 1877, when the Turkish Government declined every proposal of the Conference as being opposed to the "integrity, independence, and dignity of the Empire."
To Prince Charles Anthony, January 20th, 1877.
"The hour of danger is approaching, and Roumania will shortly be the scene of great political and military events, which Europe will follow not without agitation. In any case our position will be difficult, as we shall be drawn into the complication whether we wish it or no. Politicians here are much more anxious about the result of a Russo-Turkish conflict and the future of Roumania than I am, as I have marked out my path from the beginning:[20] to conclude a military convention with Russia, and, if necessary, to fight with Russia against the Turks. It is true that opinion here is much divided on this subject, and that every effort is being made to separate us from Russia. There are Powers that demand that we should protest against the entry of the Russians, and that we should retire our army to Little Wallachia! You can imagine how I received such a suggestion! Andrassy, with whom I am on friendly terms, is acquainted with my views on this subject, and is not much edified by them. The conflict with the Porte which the Constitution has forced upon us was very welcome to me; Midhat is endeavouring to allay it by every means; but since we demand more to-day than he has the courage to give us, it is still an open question. The Turks are concentrating considerable forces in Bulgaria, and are arming the Danubian fortresses, which are in a miserable condition, with feverish haste; the heavy guns are being brought up from the arsenal at Constantinople and mounted in the forts, with much expenditure of trouble, labour and money. All sorts of rumours are spread abroad about the unsatisfactory condition of the Russian army, but my information shows that it is ready for action, and certainly equal to its opponent.... It is much to be regretted that Servia can take no part in the war; it is only with the greatest exertion that a corps of 15,000 men can be assembled, and they would assuredly show no enthusiasm."