BETWEEN THE CZAR AND THE SULTAN. 33 The Power most exposed to harm from Eussiaii chap. encroachments upon European Turkey was Aus- tria ; for it was plain that, if her great neighbour Europe ni nf the North were to extend his empire in the tothe nce direction of Moldavia, Wallachia, and Servia, and Empire, so come winding round her South-Eastern fron- tier, she would be brought into grievous danger; Policy of ' ° ° ° Austria. and her motives for watchfulness in this quarter were quickened by a knowledge of the disturbing elements which existed in the border provinces, where the people were drawn towards Russia by the ties of religion and race, and even of language. If the prospect of the Czar's carrying his dominion to the shores of the Bosphorus was galling and offensive to the other Powers of Europe, the evil which such a change was calculated to bring upon Austria seemed hardly short of ruin. Moreover Austria, in her character as a representative of German interests, was charged to see that the Lower Danube, ordained by Nature to be the main "outlet for the products of Central Europe, should not hopelessly fall under the control of the Northern Power. Thus upon Austria, before all other Powers, there attached the care of guard- ing against encroachments on the European pro- vinces of the Sultan ; and the cogency of this duty towards herself, towards Germany, and towards Europe, Austria had always acknowledged. When Turkey was invaded in 1828, Prince Metternich was the one statesman in Europe who strove to form a league for the defence of the Sultan ; * and
- See Note No. I. in the Appendix.
VOL. I, G
