Alexandria Gazette

The Porte's Declaration of War.
The document in which the Sultan has conditionally declared war against Russia, is a calm, dignified and unanswerable review of the positions and antecedent actions of the two powers. It shows that while Russia has sought occasion for war, the Turkish Government has done all it could in honor, to avert it. The declaration then concludes thus:
Since the Cabinet of St. Petersburg has not been content with the assurances and pledges that have been offered, since the benevolent efforts of the high powers have remained fruitless, since, in fine, the Sublime Porte cannot tolerate or suffer any longer the actual state of things, or the prolongation of the occupation of the Moldo-Wallachian Principalities, they being integral portions of its Empire--the Ottoman cabinet, with the firm and praiseworthy intention of defending the sacred rights of its sovereign sovereignty and the independence of its Government, will employ just reprisals against a violation of the treaties which it considers as a casus belli.
It notifies, then, officially, that the Government of His Majesty the Sultan, finds itself obliged to declare war; that it has given most precise instructions (les instructions les plus categoriques) to his excellency Omer Pacha to demand from Prince Gortschakoff the evacuation of the Principalities, and to commence hostilities, if, after a delay of fifteen days from the arrival of this dispatch at the Russian headquarters, an answer in the negative should be returned.
It is distinctly understood that, should the reply of Prince Gortschakoff be negative, the Russian agents are to quit the Ottoman States, and that the commercial relations of the respective subjects of the two Governments shall be broken off.
At the same time, the Sublime Porte will not consider it just, to lay an embargo upon Russian merchant vessels, as has been the practice. Consequently they will be warned to resort either to the Black Sea, or to the Mediterranean Sea, as they shall think fit, within a time that shall hereafter be fixed: moreover, the Ottoman government being unwilling to place hindrances in the way of commercial intercourse between the subjects of friendly powers, will, during the war, leave the Straits open to their mercantile marine.