The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1878-03-16 00:00:00

A HINT TO THE CZAR.

The Times in the course of It leader commenting upon the
Treaty of Peace betwixt Russia and Turkey, remarks :

In dealing with the terms of the treaty the Czar
himself will do well to scan every line and every
Phrase of it in order to see, not only whether it presses
too hardly on Turkey but whether it needlessly hurts
susceptibilities of foreign Powers. It is believed to
be a compromise between the ideas of General
Igoatieff and those of Prince Gortschakoff. . . . A
country like Russia would be profoundly unwise if she
were to assume that the existing state of Europe will
last long. Compared with the Western States, she is
a young Power, with a character to earn and a future
to make. She has the vigour and the ambition
of races which are only beginning to be awakened.
Her geographical position, the aspirations of her
people, and the traditions of her policy all tend to
bring her at short intervals into collision with other
Powers. Thus Russia is eminently a State that needs
allies, or passive ;confederates, or sleeping partners.
For some years the condition of the Continent has
ministered to such a necessity, the old Europe of the
diplomatists having been broken up by revolution, by
the movements of nationalities, and by the shock of
great wars. The storm of 1848 began the destruc-
tion of merely artificial States, and the boundaries
of countries now tend t.) be more and more de-
termined by the natural lines of cleavage. Europe
is passing through a period of recoil itruction, and the
liberation of the Christian provinces of Turkey forms
part of the movement which led to. the liberation, of
Italy. The end of all this unrest may still be some
way off. But it is rapidly approaching, and
very
soon the European Powers will again fall into
mutually supporting groups. France will not long
consent to have no foreign policy ; Italy will not
always be dependent on Germany ; Germany herself
will not for ever be held in check by the fear of
France ; Austria cannot continue to be paralysed
by Magyar jealousies ; the bonds of the three
Empires will some day snap like threads, and, now
that the fate of Turkey is finally settled, the foreign
policy of England will have a clearness and a decision
and force which it has not possessed for many a day.
Russia would do well to prepare for the kind of Europe
which will thus arise i the near future. She would
make a terribly bad preparation for it if she were to
plant the conviction that she could not be trusted,
that she had perfidiously gained dangerous advantages.
or that she must be watched and held in check by a
coalition. The Czar would be shortsighted if he were
to sanction arrangements which might reasonably
alarm Europe, even if he himself should believe the
apprehension to be unfounded.

TERRIBLE BOAT ACCIDENT.— A sad accident has just
occurred at Brest. A sort of fair is held in that town
on Ash-Wednesday, to which the villagers in the sur-
rounding districts flock in great numbers. After the
day's business or amusement, last week, thirty-six
• persons went on board the barge Marie-Joseph, about
five o'clock, to return to their homes at Saint- Adrien
and Wonlas. As soon as the vessel had put if from
shore, the sail was hoisted, and all went well, although
the wind was squally, until the, craft attained the
middle pf the roailstead, when a sudden gust caught
her and she was capsized. Every soul on board
perished, although other Vessels were in siAt",and •
made every exertion to rescue some of the ili-fated
passengers.