"The Austrian representative inquires what we shall do in the event of Russian troops occupying the country; the Russian sounds us to find out whether we repose any confidence in Austria-Hungary; but both adjure us not to act hastily. They desire peace, because they grudge each other the solution of the Eastern Question, and because neither is prepared for war. It cannot be denied that we are suffering from this indecision, and are exposed to every possible danger. So much is certain, that Russia is concentrating troops on the Moldavian frontier, and that General Ignatieff declared to the Turkish Ministers in the presence of my representative, Prince Jean Ghika, that his Government would seize the Danube Principalities as a pledge as soon as the Turks occupied Servia and Montenegro! It is, of course notorious that you cannot weigh every word of the Russian Ambassador in Constantinople in a goldsmith's scales; yet we must not ignore these heedless comments.... We are resolved to repel with armed force any occupation, no matter from which side it comes. We naturally cannot hold out against a Great Power, yet we shall be able to preserve our standing point without, as formerly, meeting the army of occupation as our saviours.... "Matters are not progressing favourably in Servia. The population of that portion of the East has fixed its eyes on Montenegro, which enjoys great authority amongst the Slavs, and great respect from the Turks. Prince Nicholas, with whom I am on the best terms, is treated with especial consideration and leniency by Russia and Austria, a thing which unfortunately cannot be said of the young Milan." * * * * * On April 6, 1876, Prince Milan sent his uncle, M. Catargiu, to inform Prince Charles that he had decided on war with Turkey, and hoped that Roumania would not remain content with the _rôle_ of a passive spectator, as it was to the interest of both countries to free themselves from the Turkish suzerainty. Prince Charles, however, did not abandon the strict reserve with which he had hitherto received similar communications. The startling news of a deficit of 30,000,000 francs, at a time when the political situation rendered an increased expenditure on the army essential, led on April 11, 1876, to the fall of the Catargiu Ministry, which for five eventful and, on the whole, prosperous years had assisted Prince Charles in the consolidation of the Principalities. General Floresku was entrusted with the formation of the new Cabinet, which, as it included two other generals, was promptly dubbed the "Cabinet of Generals" by the Opposition Press. Strange to say, the life of this _quasi_-military government depended on the votes of the eight bishops, as the supporters of the Government disposed of thirty-seven, and the Opposition thirty-four votes in the Senate. _To_ PRINCE CHARLES ANTHONY, _April 26th, 1876_.