The Cabinet dined with the Duke.

October 8.

Cabinet at 3.  A great deal of conversation of which the result was that a remonstrance should be made to Russia on the subject of the terms of the peace.  This remonstrance will temperately but strongly, more by statement of facts than by observations, show that the peace is not such as the Emperor had given us reason to expect he would require, and that it in reality threatens the existence of the Turkish Empire; that the destruction of that Empire would seriously affect the peace of Europe by changing the relative position of the several States.

Aberdeen wants a guarantee of the territorial possessions of Turkey, not of its Government. [Footnote:  It is observable that this guarantee seems to have said nothing of the internal system of government, and so far to have been unconditional.  It would therefore have gone considerably beyond the Anglo-Turkish Convention of 1878.  It would also have applied to Europe as well as Asia.  It is a commentary on the statement of Mr. Gladstone, in later days a colleague of Lord Aberdeen, that no statesman whom he had known in former times would ever have listened to the idea of such an engagement.] I think no one seems much inclined to agree with him.  Such a guarantee would impose obligations without conferring rights upon us.  It would be a guarantee which would give rise to infinite complications, and which would embarrass us very much.

Without a guarantee we may succeed in bringing the great States to an understanding that the distribution of the Turkish territories, in the event of the falling to pieces of that State, must be a subject for the decision of a Congress.

Austria has expressed herself very frankly.  She is ready to do anything.  She sees the danger and desires to know our view of it.  The real view of France does not seem to be very different; but there is no dependence to be placed upon a Government trembling for its life.  Prussia will be satisfied with the peace.  Her sovereign is very weak, and the Prussians think their interest is served by the progress of Russia in a direction contrary to them, and in which she menaces Austria.

The smuggling case is said to tell against Lord Stuart.  He writes unintelligibly, and the French will not trust him—­so I shall not be sorry if we can get rid of him.

With Lord Heytesbury we are all dissatisfied, and have been from the beginning.  There is a Council on Monday, and we have a Cabinet on Sunday at 3, when we are to hear Aberdeen’s letter, and may probably have the Treaty.

There seems a determination to effect an armistice by force if the Conference will not order it in Greece.

We have nine good ships there.  The Russians seven bad ones, and the French two.

Before the Conference can proceed the 10th Article of the Treaty of Peace must be declared non avenu—­that which obliges the Porte to accept the Protocol of March 22—­all negotiation upon that Protocol having been committed by Russia to the French and English Ambassadors, and it having been expressly reserved to the Porte by us, that her objections should be fairly weighed.