ARHIVELE OLTENIEI - Universitatea din Craiova

138Tudor NedelceaRomanian army, meanwhile clearly saying that a politic independence,conquered on the battle field, must be completed with an economic one, whenRomania will have to play “a civilizing role among the countries from Orient” 3 .Hopping for the Europe’s righteousness regarding the Romanian governlegitimate requests of guaranteeing the neutrality, taking into consideration itsgeographic position, Eminescu highlighted the Romania’s active role, that of apeace agent in Balkans: “This way we hope that, in the interests of peace andcivilization, the Great Powers won’t hesitate to accomplish the work from 1856by giving to Romania, through a special act, a just and well defined situation ,placing it in the position that Switzerland and Belgium had. The principle ofneutrality given by the kindred must have the same consequence for the Orientas for the Occident” 4 .Considering that Romania had “its own individuality and a civilizingmission to fulfill” 5 , he reaffirmed the idea of the European necessity andopportunity regarding the his country neutrality “having the right to neutralitywithin its nature – the only thing that Europe should do is to give the warrantsfor it, out of which the eradication of the nominal vassalage toward the SublimePorte is the most important” 6 .Proving to be superior to the politicians through his judgment, politicalmaturity and a real national concern, he saw the danger and the peculiar interest,coming from the Great Powers, regarding the redistribution of the spheres ofinfluence in Balkans, not wishing only to change one domination with another.The purpose and the Romanian political options are written in the Paris Treatywhich “imposes us the task to defend our territory against anyone who would tryto trespass it” and if the occidental powers would consider this treaty “as beingan empty right”, then, “Romania should acquire a direction that emerges fromthe interest of the Romanian nation” 7 .Among the great powers that aimed to obtain new territories or mobilefrontiers, Eminescu placed Russia by rights. In order to offer to the readers, butmostly to the politicians, the real image of Russia, Eminescu made an excursioninto the history of this great power, did pertinent observations about its externalpolitics along the centuries “studied in tight connection with the cause and effectphenomenon” to ascertain “a kind of unity within its development, as never seenbefore to another nation” 8 .3 [“We find out that the English govern…”], in “Curierul de Iaşi”, 9, nr. 110, 6 th October1876, p. 2, see more in Tudor Nedelcea, Eminescu, istoricul, Craiova, Fundaţia Scrisul Românesc,1998, p. 74-94.4 [“The newspapers from Bucharest…”], Fundaţia Scrisul Românesc, 1998, p. 74-94.5 Ibidem.6 [“The answer…”], in “Curierul de Iaşi”, 9, nr. 132, 3 rd December 1876, p.3.7 [“In the Chamber’s meeting…”], in “Curierul de Iaşi”, 9, nr. 134, 10 th December 1876, p.3.8 [“There’s no doubt that the history…”], in “Curierul de Iaşi”, 9, nr. 118, 29 th October1876, p.3