The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1880-07-31 00:00:00

(tottriniby elisenter.

SATURDAY, JULY 313 t, 1880.

TURKEY AND THE POWERS.

Years may come, and years may go; but the
Eastern Question goes on for ever I linistries
may rise and fall, tdynasties may flourish and
decay, Pal-dements may be summoned and wane
away ; but there is that everlasting trouble in
the east, continuaLy presenting itself to attract
the serious notice of ,nations and to distract
wateseuen from those topics which reo.e3 im-
mediately uff,ct the welfare of the peoples whom
they rule. When the Treaty of Paris brought
to a cies° the Russian war in 1856, Lord Pal-
merston, then Prime Minister of England, was
heard to express thanks that it would last his
time. He had had enough of the Eastern
Question, and longed for the opportunity to
devote his mind to other objects. He was quite
right in his predicticn : and long after he had
been laid to his rest in Westminster Abbey, the
Oriental sky, so far as it was politically con-
cerned, although grey and often overcast, was
free from disturbance. It was tett years after
Lord Palmerstou's death that the outbreak in
Herzegovina proved the beginning of future
tempests, which culminated in a great European
war. The treaty of Berlin brought this to a close
and again did our statesmen look forward to a
time which should give them a little relief from
a topic so perplexing. That was only two years
ago ; and now a conference, composed of repre-
sentatives of ttle greet Powers, has assembled
in the German capital and called upon the Porte
to fulfil its obligations solemnly entered into in
July, 1878.
There seems no reason to doutit that the
Porte has virtually refused to accept the awaid
of the Berlin Conference. The reply to the
Collective Note, while acknowledging the general
principle that territorial concessions should be
made to Greece, insists upon a large limitation
-of;the area proposed to be conceded. 'I he
Porte is willing to negotiate, but is not inclined
to comply with any demand not enforced by
compulsion. It is difficult to see how any other
reply could reasonably have been expected. It
is not pleasant to give up territory to another
country, and it is seldom done unless a nation is
compelled to do it. Exceptions have, however,
arisen such as that in 1864, when ,Great Britain
gave up the lonian Islands to Greece— a course
which Turkey does not now seem disposed to
take with regard to those portions of her territory
that Greece clahns. But other cores have arisen
ir which territory has been given up only after
a tremendous struggle—as, for instance, when
Alsace and a part of Lorraine were wrested from
France by Germany, in 1871. France started
with a declaration that not an inch of her terri-
tory, not a stone of her fortresses, should be
given up to the invader; and it was only when
she was prostrate and bleeding at every pl;re,
that the National Assembly at Bordeaux con-
sented to the surrender. In the present case
the Powers assembled at Berlin have given it as
their deliberate judgment that Turkey ought, to
surrender Epirus and Thessaly to aareece.
Eui ope.an concert is complete; the rnoral opinion
of Christendom has been expressed ; and every-
thing could be satisfactorily settled if Turkey
would but do what is right and reasonable, and
bow to the opinion of the international
Court which has assembled in the German metro-
polis. But the Turks refuse to do what is exp6c.
ted of them ' • they decline to acknowledge the
obligation of submission to moral force, even if
expressed by the voice of an European conclave.
Such refusal may be, and doubtless is reprelien-
sink! ; but it is natural enough that Turkey
should shrink from annihilation.
The question which will speedily hive to be
determined is whether compulsion shad be ap-
plied, and, if so, by whole. The Porte i 3 in-
different to moral pressure, but .s it. preparcd to
resist physical coercion ? Thus far Turkey has
been able to bold her ground, in consequence oi
the jealousies which exist between the great
military despotisms of the Continent, and which
have hitherto rendered stay agref;tnent amongst
them difficult if not impossible. The Turkish
statesmen have thus far successfully played off
one against other Russia against Austrie
France against Germany. And with all the as-
surance which the Ottoman diplomatists put into
their despatches, there are few in th,s country
who believe that, rather than yield fresh pro-
vinces to Gvece, the Porte is ready to enter on
a death struggle with its assailants. The
Turkish people, if properly ltd and excited,
might, perhaps, be willing to do battle once
more for the cause of Islam, and to stake all
upon a forlorn hope. But the Pashas are
scarcely prepared for any desperate enterprise.
he one object of their policy is to prolong the
existence of the Empire, and if ever the con.
viction can be brought home to their winds that
the European Powers are reak4 to solve the
Eastern Question by force, they weuhl sacrifice
Epirus and Thessaly to postpeuc their itnpending
fate. But this conviction is not 3ct brought
home to the minds of the ruling ea:At) at Con-
stantinople, and will not be brought home until
the Powers are prepared to act as well as to speak

THE IRON TRADE.

WOLVERHAMPTON, Wednesday.

There was a steady market to-day. The
number of sales made was not large, as thv
makers, Mug pretty well booked up for some.
time to cLui,e, were not inclined to take any
fresh orders unless more money is offered them.
Qu,tations were strong for marked iron, and
sonie good lines were booked for unmarked bars
at .-L6 15s per ton. Baling hoops were in con-
siderably better inquiry for export, and for
various kinds of fancy iron there. was also an
incrk aged demand, and higher prices were given
Common sheets were aFra dearer, as gslvanisers
are advancing their prices. Constructive iron
was in steady inquiry, but no sales of impor-
tanco were recorded. The pig trade was very
firm, and the local makers in some instances
quoted higher than their last contracts. With
rcgard to foreign metal there was very little of
the liddlesbrouglt brands on oiler, as the agents
had instructions to withdraw most of ih:ir
quotations. Hematites showed an advance on
the week, being now:qaoted at 90s. delivered
here. Ironstone sold fairly well, and there was
a little better trade done in thick coal.

BIRMINGHAM, Thursday.

There was a large attendance on 'Change this
afternoon, a good td:ne prevaLed. It was re-
ported that Messrs. Philip Williams and Son,
of theWednesbury Oak Works, had announced
their intention of reducing tie price of marked
Ntr3 103 per. ton ; other leadina makers, how-
ever, gave no indication of any intention to
follow their example. Some descriptions of pig
iron are a sh.?tde weaker, but the general con-
dition of the pig iron market was satisfactory
both as to d:..inand and prices. There was no
alteration in the price of coal