TaERE is a very general opinion among students of the situation in China, that the recent agreement Detween Lord Salisbury and Count. Hatzfeldt is, as far as regards Russia and Germany, a pious opinion, and that if Greaé Britain secks to refer to it at some future time, and claim that it isa binding covenant, it will be quietly explained away, and she will be gently told—
"For this is a kind of agreement, you see, "That is binding on you and not binding on me."
The pessimists are convinced that whatever agreements and communiques to the Press may assert, there is a private agreement between Germany and Russia that when the settlement really comes, Germany is to have Chihli and Shantung, and Russia Manchuria. Peking is consecrated to Germany by the blood of Baron von Ketteler; Manchuria is consecrated to Russia by the aspirations of the old Muravieff, and the extraordinary and "insolent absurd dity" of the Chinese attack on Blagovestchensk. This attack was such an "insolent absurdity," that it is difficult to comprehend how the Chinese ever came to attempt it unprovoked; and it will be remembered, no doubt, that in his report to the throne the Tartar-General explained that it was the Russians who were the aggressors.
However this may be, it is certain thatthe Russiansare now in temporary occupation of Manchuria, and we note that in some of the home papers the {qualifying word temporary is printed in inverted commas. ere is no hint at anything but a permanent occupation in the regulations issued by General Gribsky, which we quoted yesterday. In sending those regulations to his paper, the correspondent at St. Petersburg of the "Daily Telegraph" also mentioned a proclamation. by General Gribsky to the people of Manchuria. The St. Petersburg correspondent of the "Times" gives the following translation of that proclamation:—
"Until lately the Russians and Manchus lived well and peaceably together, and that was of grit use and benefit, espe for you; but a month ago you committed the' insolent absurdity of attacking Blagorestchensk and the Russian inhabitants, forgetting how terribly strong is the great Russian Czar in land, people, and guns. For this you have been severely punished, The town of Aigun and the villages along the banks of the Amur, the inhabitants of which dared to fall upon the Russians, have been buent. Your troops are destroyed, and the water of the Amur is polluted by masces of dead bodies of Manchus. None of the Manchu inhabitants will ever inhabitants of the towns and did not turn against us, fear not and give heed. The Russian will soon enter all your towns and villages, and this is my solemn word, Do not fire upon us or cause harm to our troops or to peaceful work.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.