UNIFORMS OF THE BRITISH ARMY IN 1837.
England, therefore, was compelled to acquiesce in Turkey’s refusal to sign the Note, at the same time urging her not to regard the occupation of Moldavia and Wallachia as an act of war. The state of affairs towards the end of September is concisely described in a note written by Prince Albert to Baron Stockmar: “Meyendorff is in the Vienna Cabinet; Louis Napoleon wishes for peace, enjoyment, and cheap corn; the King of Prussia is a reed shaken by the wind; we are paralysed through not knowing what our agent in Constantinople is or is not doing; the Divan has become fanatically warlike and headstrong, and reminds one of Prussia in 1806; the public here is furiously Turkish and anti-Russian.”
On October 5 the Porte issued a formal declaration of war. On the 14th the combined fleets of England and France, which were lying in Besika Bay, moved into the Dardanelles on the invitation of the Sultan. Mediation was at an end.
A Turkish squadron of twelve sail in the Black Sea were attacked on the 30th while lying at anchor at Sinope and completely destroyed, with the loss of 4,000 men, leaving only about 400 alive. |Destruction of the Turkish Fleet.| The news of this massacre, enacted almost under the very guns of the allied fleet, spread like wildfire through France and Great Britain, and ignited every warlike spirit that still slumbered. It was alleged that the Turkish admiral had hauled down his flag before the overwhelming force which attacked him, and that the Russians had paid no attention to this signal of surrender.
The Cabinet was much more divided in opinion than the nation. Lord Palmerston, the Home Secretary, startled the nation by resigning office on December 16, not, however, as was generally assumed, on account of difference about the Eastern Question. |Resignation of Lord Palmerston.| “No one,” wrote Prince Albert, “will believe the true cause of his retirement—his dislike of Lord John’s plan of Reform, and treachery is everywhere the cry. It is the Eastern Question that has turned him out, and Court intrigues!” Everybody, in fact, believed that Palmerston had left the Cabinet rather than assent to abandoning Turkey to the tender mercies of Russia. Prince Albert was vehemently accused by a portion of the Press of being favourable to the designs of Russia: how far this was from the truth people afterwards came to learn from his own letters written while these events were in progress. The cry went forth that Palmerston was the only man who could save the honour of England; in a few days he withdrew his resignation and confidence was restored.
A. Trooper, 17th Lancers. B. Trooper, 10th Hussars. C. Trooper, 2nd Life Guards.
R. Simkin.]
D. Private. Coldstream Guards. E. Trooper. 1st Royal Dragoons. F. Private, King’s Royal Rifles. G. Officer, Royal Artillery. H. Officer, Line. J. Officer, Black Watch. K. Gunner, Royal Horse Artillery. L. Private, Line.