The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1876-09-12 00:00:00

BOURNIMOITTIL

THE TURKISH ATROCITIES.'

In Personnel) of two requisitions from the ratePsyers,,_ „to
Use Mayor (Mr. H. T. Harvey Mead), • meeting wall CUM
for Thursday evening in the Town.hall, Christchurch.
Ono .4 the requisitions set forth tam objects of the meet"
Mg to be "to call on Her Majesty'rGovernment to use all
the moral influence of Britian to secure protection for the
byes, liberty. property, of the mixed population of
Bulgaria, and the neighbouring provinces, and to prevent
the repetition of outrages." The other went a little
farther. and put the objects of the meeting to be "to call
upon Her Majesty's Government to use the influence of
Great Britain to obtain the independence of Bulgaria and
the other revolted province* in 'Turkey."
liy the hour (7.30) appointed for the commencement of
proceedings the hall was crowded to excess. Mr. H. T.
Ilarvey Mead (mayor), and,beaides • number of ladies and
other., there were on the platform. Sir Henry Drummond
Woltf, K.C.M.G. ALP. for the Borough, the Hon. Auberon
Herbert, Mr. J. liagerd, Mr. J. Druitt, Mr. G. T. Louth.
Mr. A. Elphinsten, r. Stevenson, Rev. T. Bush., Roc
IL Ai. Roberts, R.V. T. Lucas, Key. W. Denims, Rev. J.
W. Walker, General Maberly, and Major Loftus, *c.
Mr. J. Dwarf (Town Clerk), was asked by the oneirmse
to read the requisitions and notice convening the meeting.
They were, however, accepted as read, and
The Rev. J. W. Wstgge (congregational). in Pro
the first resolution, said they were not assembled
discuss politics, but to protest against atrocities com-
mitted by the Turks. He did not believe that since the
Lancashire cotton famine anything had created so much
interest 111 this country. Men of all shades and political
opinions had been unanimous in their condemnation. He
did not think It should be made • political question, and
erred the necessity of calling upon the Government to
pursue • different line of policy with regard to the Eastern
Question. The rev. gentleman then quoted from the
reports of the Daily New correspondent end other sources,
bearing on the deeds of horror committed by the Turkish
irregular troops in Bulffaria, and afterwards proposed the
following resolution— That the meeting record, with the
utmost indignation its horror of the deeds of the Turks in
Bulgaria, and solemnly declares its conviction, that there
can be no satisfactory solution of the Eastern Question
which does not secure the independence of Bulgaria and
the other revolted Provinces"
The Rev. W. Dimon seconded the resolution, and said
if they had met for • political meeting he would not as •
clergyman been present It was, he thought a matter
that concerned Liberals and Conservatives alike. He had
travelled through these countries, sad he asked them
what would be the state of this happy country. if. as in
Turkey, no one was allowed to make any anneal. no Poor
girl who had been wronged was allowed to seek redress.
In conclusion he said these murders were not the excep-
tion in Turkey, they were rather the normal condition of
that unhappy country. Language was not powerful
enough to describe the deeds of heir and these were hellish
deeds. No outrage, be said, would have been committed
if Turkey had not been protected by Ingland—(hisses,
cheers, and uproar)—but in the present contest Semis
had won the sympathies of the English people (Cheers.)
Mr. W. STILVEISON proposed the following amendment
—" That the meeting, while derN,' • the fearful
atrocities which have taken place i. mararia, urges on
Her hiejeety's C :nent the necessity of taking steps
to prevent the re-currence of such revolting incidents, end
further in conjunction with the Allies of Great Britain,
to obtain for the inhabitants of the revolted Provinces of
Turkey such a system of administration as will guarantee
to them the fullest production of their lives, liberty, and
ProtnetY."
Mr. tirgrugsson, who spoke amidst great uproar
and interruption, said it had been said that this was
not a political question, but, although he thanked God
that there was a humanity in the county above political
feeling, he thought the element of politics had been
infused into the present meeting. The Ant requisition to
the Mayor contained only the natural feelings and
Her
of Englishmen, but the secoond called upon
liier Majesty's Government to interfere by force of arms
to secure the independence of the revolted states. The
speaker went on to deprecate anything like warlike
interference, and said it was the same party who now
cried out, that in 1851 took the Turks under their protec-
tion carried on a two years war, in which 44,000 English
soldiers and 270 officers were slain, and which added
C 11,000,000 to the National Debt
The Rev. W. Luca (Sopley),
_seconded the latter resolu-
tion, not because he followed Mr. Stevenson in all he had
said relative to the introduction of politics into the meet-
ing. They need not be surprised at what had happened
as the Turks had all through been barbarians. Speaking
of the question in the House of Commons, Mr. Gladstone
had said "I am not ashamed to say that I desire the
maintenance of the integrity of the Turkish Empire."
Independence was easier spoken of than effected, and
when they spoke on that subject they must go in for the
dismemberment of the Turkish Empire." In conclusion
be thought the presence of the fleet in Besika Bay lent a
moral support to Turkey. England's duty was to break
chains—not to forge them.

Sir H. DRUIIKOND WOLFF then addressed the meeting,
and was received with loud cheers. Ile said he hoped they
would come to an unanimous vote. They were apt met to
celebrate • party victory or achieve a party triumph, but
to condemn atrocities at which, as Mr. Gladstone said,
hell Itself might almost blush. It was not necessary to
expatiate on horrors which all lamented and abhorred,
bet to determine, so (sr as our influence went, that they
should not recur. He therefore quite agreed with the first
=the resolution, but be objected to one word in it.
they were unable to enter into the details of
negotiations respecting the balance of power which could
only be settled by statesmen after quiet deliberation.
While expressing their opinions on the horrible atrocities,
let them also record their opinion that there should be a
strong, effectual, and immediate remedy, though they
could not point out exactly what it was to be. Referring
to the part he himself had taken, he said he was free from
political bias in the matter. In the House he had tied
himself to no statesmen, to no man, and to no opinion.
When the insurrection broke out he was staying in
Scotland with the hon. mmeber for Perth, and immedi-
ately addressed a letter to The Tinsel, a letter to which
his name was attached. He therein expressed the
opinion that the immediate action of the English
Government was necessary to stop the insurrection
and prevent it extending. In the House of Commons
he had more than once addressed questions to the
Government that were not always palatable, and on
the occasion of one debate he seconded an amendment.
moved by Mr. Forsyth. the effect of which was that it
was the duty of our Government to obtain from the
Turkish Government adequate guarantees for the good
government of the provinces south of the Danube without
respwe to races or creeds. He did not think any attempt
had been made to attack or defend the Government,
because all speakers had observed neutrality, but if it
were otherwise he was fore from attack or defence. He
with Mr. Denton, who knew Turkey so well, that
rerel had been the grossest misgovernment of the
Chriatain Provinces, and if England were to maintain its
alliances and the Treaties guaranteeing the independence
of Turkey, it was bound to insert that Turkey should
govern its Christian subjecta properly, and should not
expose Europe to the danger that must inevitably follow
if she oppressed them. (Cheers.) He agreed with Mr.
Denton that the Consular service was, at lout, in • state
of disorganisation which required immediate reparation.
Ile would not condemn Sir H. Eliot, whose difficulties
he was not In • position t. appreciate, but he did regret
that earlier steps were not taken to verify at Phillip-
popolis, Tartar Bazirdjik, the reports of the atrocities
committed there. No one could wish more heartily than
he did to prevent the recurrence of these atrocities, by
securing a form of Government which would insure safety
for lives, liberty, and property, and he thought the
Powers were bent on obtaining • measure of that kind.
But it was for the Powers to decide upon the manner in
which their intentions were to be earned out. When the
Fleet was sent to Besika Bay, Sir H. Elliot was
surrounded by a crowd of British residents, who feared
that what had happened at &lonics would be attempted
on • larger scale at the capital; and it was believed to be
• fact that the despatch of the Fleet to Besika Bay
prevented the despatch from Nicolaieff of 26,000 Russian
troops, who were prepared to embark for Oonstantinople.
Personally, he had no more fear than Mr. Gladstone had
of the influence et Russia. He thought It was exagge-
rated, rated, and that we had no reason to fear it.
influence Russia did possess in Turkey was like political
gratitude in expectation of favours to come. (Laughter.)
If we stepped forward to maintain the privileges of the
Eastern Chriatiens: if we espoused the cause of the
revolted Provinces, we should exercise among them as
much influence as was supposed to be exercised by
Russia. An instance of this will furnished by the case of
Greece. Lord Palmerston, being jealous of the influence
of Rustle in Turkey, blockaded Greece. Subsequently
the e Greeks thought we were inclined to assist them, a
therefore the country which, in 1850, had declared itself
to be in favour of Russian as against English policy, in
1864 elected an English Prince by hundreds to one against
the Russian candidate. He believed that if we boldly
stepped forward and insisted on good Government for
the Provinces eolith of the Danube, and showed the
Sclavonic race that we were not indifferent to their
sufferings, both in respect of temporary atrocities and
continuous misgovernment, our influence in theme
Provinces would be equal to that of any other country.
Nor did he fear that our taking that position would at
all damage us in the opinion of our Indian subjects so
long as In India we maintained the good government of
all classes; and he wee happy to see that the Governor-
General on a reoentoccasion had endeavoured to d
the oppression of natives of India by British subjecimetturre
ho he had not shown any improper bias in favour
of urkey. We must consider the position we occupied
with regard to the Treaties of 1866. They guaranteed
the independence and integrity of the Ottoman Em7ri,..
and the Liberal leaders—Mr. Gladstone and
Granville--had spoken in the same sense as the Prime
Minister and the Conservative leaders of our obligation
to keep those Treaties. We could not maintain those
Treaties better than by establishing in the revolting
Provinces such a system of government as would secure
the Turks against insurrectionary movements on the part
of the Christians by removing the causes of insurrection. ,
The independence and integrity of the Turkish Empire
wind,' be maintained by Roumania. He would suggest
here, as he did in the House of Commons, that at the Con-
ference which must ensue for the settlement of the
Eastern Question. it should be decided that a Commission,
composed of skilled men, should proceed to those
Provinces in order to make inquiries . afterwards
recommending to the Gonference and to the Turkish
Government such form of Government as would secure to
them an administration of which England and the Allies
could approve. In 1860, when there MU a 11146111011 in
Syria, the Powers agreed that French troops should go
into Sylia to see that the promises of the Turks were
carried out, and that a form of government that was
supposed to secure liberty was established and maintained.
The French troops went and stayed • certrin time, and he
believed the form of government thus established in !eyrie
now gave satisfaction. lii some such way It would be
possible for the Powers to agree that Austrian troops
should be sent into Bosnia, Herzegovina, and Bulgaria to
establish, under the suzerainty of the Porte, such form of
semi-independent autonomous government as would
preserve the rights of the citizens of those Provinces. He
found the independence apparently pointed to in the
resolution would be damaging to them, because it would
make them practically not independent, but would leave
them to be preyed upon by Austria, Russia, and Turkey.
and none of them wished to see that. What they wished
was that Herzegovina, Bosnia, and Bulgaria should have
the same liberty and privileges that were enjoyed by
neighbouring States—by Italy opposite to them, and by
Austria, which was conterminous. He hoped the meeting
would arrive at an unanimous decision, for he did not see
why they should fight. Even the word independence
°gemmed too precisely the form of government which was
to
mightbe psdut°PintlominepthhraTe which Pmvinee;wouldLnedmhbode hyol'eLivti.ehresey
of all without offending the prejudices or the feelings of
any. (Cheers.) Let them impress upon the Government
that they protested against those atrocities and wished to
see good government established in the Provinces, and let
them avoid apparent division by unanimous', so
ti=
a resolution which would express their wishes. (
The lion. ALTBERON HEISERT said he did not think
there was any person in the room that would regret the
little differences of opinion which had been in
regard to the resolutions before the meeting. "Mid was
nothing like • little disagreement and • little diacusaion.
It showed that people took an interest in the subject, and
by discussion they were enabled to see it more clearly. To
a certain extent they were all agreed. What were the
chief points of difference 1 All agreed in condemning the I
Turkish Government He did not want to Ilse stronger
words than those sued by the rev. gentleman who
seconded the amendment They had been told that
" hell itaell niust blush " at the record of the deeds com-
mitted by the Turks, lie did not think the words too
strong. So far. then, they were agreed. They held the
Turkish Government responsible for what had been d
one
—things which he had not the courage to describe—things
which were so horrible, and which had lasted over such a
time that he could not bring himself to ten an Knew,
endisace what they were. Ifs maintained they did right
using strew; words about the Turkish Government, and
It only remained for then; to decide in the beet way they
could, and with • strong tense of responsibility, what ceukl
int_t c_i2e for those unfortumete people mongol 'which those
had heneeeled- peeetuteli,, when lamas& innr 041. as be "bet was brat for other lentlikb he had 4tr-

covered that it was not a bad rule to put himself in the
eonoiapan and what he wanted was that an
end for ever he put to the position in which they
stood with regard la the Turkish Government. If any
body came to him and said that guarantees should be
given that this kind of thing should not occur again, he
should be very apt to say to them that those guarantees
had been given many times over during the past few
years. It was not long ago that six Great Powers concerted
together to give those guarantees. They were given
In as solemn a 1111011eT as possiblr, and the
result was that they had remained as a deed letter until the
present day. He could not help thinking that the day had
gone by for every guarantee but one, and that was that
should be no longer under that Government. [A voice
Sick to things at home before going to Bulgaria.] Ile
asked them to put themselves in the position of Bul-
garians. Supposing that Christchurch were in Bulgaria,
she would have a district and be under • governor, who
would have purchased his place in Constantinople, with
• sum of money, and his obiect would be to get it hark
again with interest as soon as parable. He had not long
to do it in. It was too good • trade at Constantinople to
let him stay long. Very soon another Governor would
an have paid 000 d £3,000 for the place, and would come
down to (ill preceding governor's shoes. [ls that truer]
True! Let the speaker go and live there for • few months.
(Loud laughter). Supposing, whilst living there a Hue-
Neiman cams into their house lve the husband or
wife a heating. they would naturally take measures to
bring him before a court of law and have him punished ;
but U they did so they would find out that their oaths
would not be taken against the word of alf ussulman. A
Christian was • dog. His word would not be taken. It
wig ...ibis that he might want to buy • piece of land,
like fiii-neighbonr, and pro..perty of his own. [A voice:
Question.] The "question turned upon tine Was the
Government at Constantinople so bad that it ought not to
exist, or was it the duty of England to maintain it I If
any sue of them were a Christian dwelling in one of these
provinces, and wanted to buy a piece of Lod when put
up for sale by the State, he could not buy it bemuse he
was not • Mussulman. Take one other thing. When the
Turkish Government wanted to convey troops or baggage
from one part of the country to the other, the authorities
came to a poor farmer and used his carts, he, and perhaps
the farmer himself, and took them 100 miles from home
—himself and horses knocked up—without giving him
any compensation whatever. (Shame). Thome unhappy
Christians were not allowed to carry arms, but Muuul-
mans could do so, so that one portion of the inhabitants
were entirely under the other. The Turkish Government
ruled for the advantage of a small minority—if it put arms
into the arms of Mnssulmen—was it consistent with the
fair fame of England to raise a finger to prolong such •
system of government? Englishmen bad purchased then,
freedom; they had taught freedom to other countries
and were they going to turn round and turn their backs
upon the lessons which their fathers learned before them?
was it to be said of England, of all the powers of free-
dom, that she was to be the last to extend her freedom to
others He did not put it in any party view. There
were men on the platform who felt as strongly as he did
on the subject. The question they had to decide was
whether England at the t day cherished liberty and
Independence or not. (
Hr. Daum said that upon the question of the amend-
ment one person at bust residing in Christchurch should
say a word. In considering the question, they should
acquire • certain moderation which would enable them to
consider calmly the real practical benefit a the subjects
of Turkey, and the interests of England as to the best
course to be pursued. How practically was anything to
be done by England but by its Government? They lied
to the Government to carry them through any difficult 7
with regard to the Eastern question. If the Government
could not do so, then the country would be prepared to
tarn them out and get another that could. Nobody would
think of asking a man to drive • coach along • rood, and
drive away without any regard as to where he WAS going.
Rather would they choose their coachman, and give him
instructions as to what he should do. The fact was there
had been a great fire. and Russia saw some chestnuts in
the fire, and Liked Servia to get • few of them. (No! no
and yes, and interruption.) Poor Servia's paws were
burnt dreadfully in the attempt. (Laughter.) They had
come to the hall that night to protest against outrages and
deprivation of liberty but there was a little knot of
people in the corner behind—(the rest of the sentence was
lost in uproar.) With the land permission of his kind
friends in the corner he would—(more uproar.) They
gave him liberty to think what they thought, but when
he thought for himself they interrupted him. (Hear,
hear, laughter and cheers.) It seemed to him that a great
stir was being made to get John Bull to put his paws in
the fire and burn himself for the benefit of Russia.
(Cheers and counter cheers.) It they autonomised the
provinces south of the Danube, they would be pretty
much in the same stete at Roumania. The Turks weal not
allowed to enter the country at all. It showed that
autonomy, without independence, might be • sufficient
liberty to protect them ; the injuries which the European
inhabitants of Turkey were suffering from could not be
excused, but some consideration ought to be had for Turks,
BashiLtazouks, and Chcassians who were driven out of
Russia —(uproar and expressions of dissent) That was,
he believed, the fact of the matter. If it were not so, the
newspapers had been misinformed, for those people had
been spoken of as the people who had done it. (More
uproar,) He deprecated England rushing into war.
(Hear heard It seemed to him that there was great
danger in passing resolutions at these ineetinga, which
might have the effect of enticing Russia to keep up the
unfortunate war in which Servia was suffering so much.
(Cheers.)

The MAYOR then put Mr. Stephenson's amendment and
declared it curried by a large majority.
The next resolution was put by General MALIERIA and
wu as follows :—"That this meeting protests againAt any
support of the Turkish Government, under the plea of
protecting English interests and believes that the
interests of the country can never be promoted at the
expense
of the independence of other countries.'
Mr. ALZICANDIiI Emmintoy seconded the rUelution.
Mr. J. HAGGARD as an amendment proposed a vote of
thanks. to the Chair.

The Her. M. Roberta protested against such an attempt
to " Burk" discussion and some uproar ensued.
The Hon. AUSERON lIIRBIMT rose, but the uproar was
so_great that be had to sit down again.
Mr. F. MOtini craved • hearing for Mr. Herbert who
was understood to say that no amendment could be
introduced which was foreign to the subject at issue. Ile
appealed to Sir Henry Drummond Wolff, who said there
was some force in what his hon. friend had said, and
perhaps it would be better to put the resolution and after-
wards move a vote ef thanks to the Chair, lie differed
from the resolution which he considered abstract and
informal. .

°lotion was then put and lost, and a vote of
thanks to the Mayor for presiding brought the proceedings
to a close.

-
A meeting on the same subject has been called by the
Chairman of the Improvement Commissioners, on the
requisition of • number of ratepayers, for Friday evening
in the Town Hall here.

MR. GLADSTONE AND THE ATROCITIES,
Mr. Gladstone's pamphlet on the Bulgarian horrors
and the Question of the East is issued. Mr. Gladstone
describes how the present situation has been brought
about, and comments on the inaction displayed by the
British Ministry after the accounts of the Bulgarian
horrors had been published by the Daily New. He observes,
firstly, the deplorable inefficiency of the arrangements a
the British Government for receiving information
secondly, the yet more deplorable tardiness of the means
adopted under Parliament pressure for enlarging their
store of knowledge; thirdly, the effect of the answer' of
aatrme
sfromentwhalcl
public, the coul
t h
not but
the
responsibility lay in thc fast instance with certain
invaders of Bulgaria, that the deplorable atrocities which
had occurred were fairly divided, and were such as were
Incidental to wars between certain races. What could and
did this mean, but between Circassins on the one side and
Bulgarians on the other! It now appears that the
Circassiami had very small share in the matter. While
the Bulgarians were thus loaded with an even share of
responsibility for the atrocities, we were given to under-
stand that the Turkish Government and its authorised
agents appeared to be no parties to them. That the
' scenes '—that Is, as is now demonstrated, the wholesale
murders, rapes, tortured, burning., and the whole devilish
enginery of crime—were 'to be mitigated and softened ise
much as possible.' lem concerned to subjoin the follow-
ing declaration stated to have been made by Lord Derby
to a deputation on the 14th of July:—He did not in the
least doubt that there had been many acts of cruelty, and '
wanton cruelty, committed by the irregular troops of both
sides. It was not a case of lambs and wolves, but of some
savage races fighting in • peculiarly savage manner."
This declaration is •gross wrong inadvertently done to the
people of Bulgaria, and it ought to be withdrawn. I hare
the fullest confidence in the honour and intelligence Sr ,
Mr. Baring, who has been inquiring on behalf of Bulgaria,
and it ought to be withdrawn. I have the fullest confidence
In the honour and intelligence of Mr. Baring, who has been
Inquiring on behalf of England; but he was not sent to
examine the matter until the 19th of July, three months I
aftar the rising and nearly one month after the inquiries
in Parliament. Mr. Baring's report exists, no doubt, and
when it comes we shall receive it with profit and with
confidence, although we may be sure that the Ottoman
Government will have done everything in its power to
blind and bale and mislead him. As lam writing. •
new piece of testimony reaches me through the courtesy
of M. Muslims. It is • report on the Bulgarian events,
presented to the Ottoman Government by a commission
of Mussulmaa and Christian notables. I cannot but at
once denounce it as • disgraceful document, confirmetort
in its moral effect even of the worst parts of the charges.
Mr. Gladstone ho that through the energetic attitude
of the people of hngland their Government may be led to
distinctly declare that it Is for the purposes of humanity '
alone that we have a fleet in Turkish waters. Secondly,
that the fleet will be so distributed as to enable its force to
be most promptly and efficiently applied in case of need
on Turkish soil, in concert with the ether Powers, for the
defence of innocent lives; and to prevent thi&petitioe
of those recent scenes, at which hell itself t almost
blush. Mr. Gladstone will endeavour to e up, by
means of the future, for the serious deficiencies' of the
.
peat. He considers objects we should desire and
seek for, through our Government, are to put a stop to
the anarchial misrule, the plundering, the murdering
which is, we now seem to learn upon sufficient evidence,
still desolating Bulgaria, to make effectual provision
against the recurrence of the outrages recently Pertetlited
under the sanction of the Ottoman Government, by
excluding its administrative action for the future, not
only from Bosnia and the Rsrusgovln, but also, and
above all, from Bulgaria, upon which at best there will
remain for years aM for generations the traces of its foul
and bloody hands to redeem by these measures the honour
of the British name which, in the deplorable events of the
year has been more gravely compromised than I have
known it to be at any former period.' Mr. Gladstone
hopes, at least, that the territorial Integrity of Turkey I
need not be impaired, but maintains that we Lave •
higher policy than the maintenance of the Porte. Com-
menting on Mr. Bourke's letter, he says the indignation
of the Government is froth, and their mere remonstrance
mockery. The two things worth saying Mr. Bourke dues
not say. The first,—that unless theta horrible outrages
are redressed and their authors punished the British
Government withdraw from Turkey their moral and
material support; and the other, that the British Govern.
Meat would no longer be a party to the maintenance of
Turkish adminietrstion in Bulgaria, Mr. Gladstone
concludes by entreating his countrymen to insist that eur
Government, Which has been working in one direction,
dull work in the other, sad shall apply all its vigour to
concur with the other states of Europe in obtaining the
extinction of the Turkish executive power in Bulgaria.

SIR WILLIAM HARCOURT ON THE TURKISH
ATROCIITIES.

•
Sir William Harcourt hae addressed to the Mayor
of Oxford a long letter, from which we make the
following extracts
The official information that we have so tardily
obtained leaves little doubt that the Bulgarian
massacre was part of a plan to extirpate the Christians,
whom they a perpetual source of die-
tcubenoe andrerpe:ffd as .
What has England done to
prevent the execution in part at least ef so
execrable a policy? Nothing —absolutely nothing.
Of the conduct of the English Government in this
respect two opposite accounts have with consistent
inconsistency been offered to the nation. The First
Minister, in answer to Mlle observations of mine in
the House of Commons. amerted „that ttoillabiZt
were
cdrz=nfocirltdrew.d—Afrai with Pule,*
regard to discretion. and I believe 2eo more in
accordance with the facts, declared that the Govern-
ment had no knowledge of what had occurred till
they learned it &cam the newspaper correspondent*.
But, whether we adopt the one explanation or the
other, they both able reflect equal discredit on the
conduct of affairs. If the version of the First
Minister is correct, what are we to think of an
English Government who took no more effectual
PooluTem tn stay Awe airocions =Wes But if the •

more candid admission of Mr. Bourke is to he
accepted, the nation will ask to what purpose we
maintain a costly diplomatic establishment at COS.
stantinople, and a consular body in Turkey, if such
things can be done under their eyes without their
knowledge. If the staff of a daily journal is so
superior to the organisation of the Foreign peke, we
are certainly only in the infancy of Administrative
Reform. Let us remember when these things at
which the world shudders, were transacted. 'fhey
happened at or near Tatar Basardjik, a station nu a
main line of railroad within twenty-four hours'iouniey
of Constantinople, with a telegraph and all the
appliances of modern transit and communication.
The means of intelligence were et ample as thew
between London and the place from which I am now
writing. It is idle to say that they could not have
been helped. Every ones knows that it could have
been helped. Will anyone pretend if Lord Derby iied
taken the steps in May which he took in August tut
the Turkish Government would have gazed to massacre
the 15,000 people whose fate Mr. Schuyler attests ?
To identify the interests of England with the fortunes
of a race which

----Wed--es--through slaughter to a throne,
And shuts the gate of mercy on mankind.
is to degrade our position amongst nations. I was
shocked to hear the First Minister of England declare,
when an appeal was made to those sentimenta of
humanity which pervade all civilised people—and I
hope the English people chiefeat of all—that after all
the first duty of the English Government was to have
regard to English interests. What does this meaa
but that the two things are separable and may
conflict? This lathe sort of language which has too
often exposed us to the censure of our foreign critics.
I am as willing as any one to curb the ambition and
resist the aggression of Russia, and to employ all the
proper means for such a purpose. But of all the
means to that and the most foolish policy is that
which will inevitably result in placing Russia in the
right and England in the wrong in the eyes of the
civilised world. To small Russia through the imam
mentality of the Turk is to attack a man clothed in
armour of proof with a bulrush. To intrench English
interests behind so rotten • breastwork is to deliver
them over to certain defeat. To my mind this is but
a paltry and a blundering ototemonohip. It looks
only to the narrow scope of the immediate aod
evanescent present, and has no vision for the larger
and the more certain future. The true isdicy of the
Eastern Question is for England to lead the van
es
the champion and the vindicator of Eastern civilisa-
tion. 'nut is the only way in Which English
interests can be really protected. If we leave thie
office to Kuroda we &genre her ultimate triumph. Th.
idea that the Turks can be reformed usi pitdud
once more If it were ever admissible tmist o„,
dismissed. The dominion of the Turk has become •
political blunder no less than a social crime in the
face of Europe. Europe has already delivered Greece
and Berrie and Roumania from the hoof of these
ruthless oppressors. It remains to complete the
work. 1115 status quo in Turkey is imposeible. The
opinion of Europe denounces it, and I am proud to
know that the voice of England rejects it. In these
matters the instincts and the oonscience of the notion
arrive at a judgment more sound and more true
than has been reached by the cold calculation of
politicians and the wavering timidity of diplomotista.
No Government in a free country can afford, what-
you are called upon to
take part. such an expression el
pevuerbliictsopmainiionriastY. to
that dilaregardn which

• THE BRISTOL MUSICAL FESTIVAL.
The following is the programme for the appgosching
Bristol Musical Festival :—Mendelseohn's "Elijah "
will he produced on Tuesday morning, October 17th
the first day rand the principals will be Mdlle. Albani
(who has just made so marked an impression at
the Birmingham festival), Madame Edith Wynne,
Madame Patey, and Mears. Edward Lloyd, W. IL
Cummins, and Maybrick. At the evening concert,
Mdlle. Alberti will sing "the mad scene," from Lucia
de Lammermoor ; Titiens also will appear and sing
"Softly sighs," from Der Freyschatx ; and in the
solos and concerted pieces of Verdi's beautiful "Re-
quiem." we shall have, in addition to the "Queen el
Song," Madame Trebelli-Bettini, Mr. Edward Lloyd,
and Herr Behrens, On Wednesday morning (second
day) Handel's massive work, "Israel in Egypt' will
he produced, with Titiens, Madame Patey, Mr.tEdward
Lloyd, Mr. Alaybrick, and Herr Behrens as the
principal& The miscellaneous concert in the evening
will he • grand musical treat, the whole of the principd
vocalists engaged for the festival appearing. Titiena
will sing " Ocean, thou mighty monster,- from
Weber's Oberon; Albani will interpret the beauties
of Bellini's "(alts diva," from Norma, in addition
to singing "Angels ever bright and fair," from
Theodora, and warbling the familiar ballad, "Robin
Adair.' There will be also a duet for Titiens and
Trebelli-Bettini, and other concerted pieces. Mr.
Charles Hallt,'s hand will (play the fine loertaire
Warmer's Tannheiiser, besides other contributions.
On Thursday morning (third day), in the " Fall of
Babylon" and Beethoven's " Engedi," most 1 the
above-named artists will again appear: and in the
production of Mendelssohn "Hymn of Praise in
the evening, the principals will be Albani, Madame
Edith Wynne, and Mr. Lloyd. At the Name concert
(second part), Titiens and Trebelli-Bettini will sing.
On Friday morning, the long programme will be
brought to a close with "The Messiah," the whole of
the principals, with Titiens and Albani, again appear-
ing. The ticket office at Colston hall is now open,