76 ORIGIN OF THE WAR OF 1653 CHAP, tan to withdraw his forces immediately from v * Montenegro. The Czar secretly but studiously represented that upon this and every other matter touching his policy in Turkey he was in close accord with Austria.* This, however, the Austrian Government denies. Truthful men declare that the Czar was not even informed beforehand of the demand which Austria had resolved to press upon the Porte. It is certain, however, that the Czar determined to act as though he were in close con- Count cert with Austria. Count Leiningen was to be a'assiou. ' the bearer of the Austrian summons ; and simul- taneously with the Count's departure from Vienna, the Emperor Nicholas resolved to despatch to the Porte an Ambassador Extraordinary, who was rue czar's to declare that a refusal to withdraw Omar Pasha's uig another forces from Montenegro would be regarded by the mission to the Porte Czar as a ground ot war between him and the at the same time. Sultan ; and the Ambassador was also to be charged with the duty of obtaining redress for the change which had been made in the allotment of the Holy Sites to the contending Churches. It may seem strange that the Czar should propose to found a declaration of war upon a grievance which was put forward by the Cabinet of Vienna, and not by himself; but lie was al- ways eager to stand forward as the protector of Christians of his own Church who had taken up arms against their Moslem rulers ; and when, as now, his conservative policy was disturbed by
- ' Eastern Papers,' part v., in several places.
