ARHIVELE OLTENIEI - Universitatea din Craiova

Eminescu writing about Russia and our Independence War 141about such diplomatic usances. Must be highlightened the fact that Eminescudidn’t believe those rumors, regarding the subordination of the Romanian armytoward the Russian one, although they became true.The question of the Ministers Council addressed to the guarantor powersregarding the guarantees offered to Romania, in case that Russia would ask forthe permission to trespass its army along our country, is extremely important forits future destiny, after the inevitable war when Romania will have to choosebetween “the two historic currents: the north-eastern one which tended to changeEurope’s face, and the western one, which tended to maintain the statu-quo” 18 .England, France, Germany and Italy weren’t interested to guaranteeRomania’s neutrality and the Austro-Hungarian Empire was hostile withRomania, while the Great Powers were concentrated over the preparation of theConference from Constantinople from December 1876.Choosing one of the two “historical currents” was a very important issueand gave Eminescu the opportunity to become a political commentator: “Ourdecision for the East or the West will hang over the future that they will ensure,concerning not only the territory, because being plain, opened all over, doesn’tseem to be predestinated for military purpose or to make conquests, butconcerning the people inside this territory” 19 .Eminescu considered being natural that “the future of the Orient willappear as a confederation of nations in which the equality of the nationality andlanguages, from their territories, will represent an essential matter and thecountries will represent a secondary one” 20 . In this case “the Orient’s reform”could be patronized by Russia or Austro-Hungary because “this represents theoccidental politics” 21 and for this reason it seems inopportune, untimely andeven dangerous to talk about “remaking the kingdom of Decebal”, consideringthis, tactically speaking, “a cheap theory”, said Eminescu with great diplomacyand historical sense.Commenting the leading article from “The Saint Petersburg Journal”,which expressed the confidence for peace, Turkey having to give way to theOccidental powers, Eminescu considered that “Russia’s arming doesn’t menacethe peace, instead, represent a big sacrifice, imposed to itself for assuring thepeace and for defending the Christians” 22 . He also said that, in case that the warbecomes inevitable, then “the Russian people will sustain this cause with a greatenergy, released after all the attempts for making peace would have18 [“It is said that in the Council… ”], in “Curierul de Iaşi”, 9, nr. 125, 17 th November1876, p.2-3.19 Ibidem.20 Ibidem.21 Ibidem.22 Russia [“With all the preparations for war ...”], in “Curierul de Iaşi”, 9, nr. 123,12 th November 1876, p. 3.