The daily republic. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1853-1853, 1853-07-07

would rest upon the crown of the Carpathian
mountains, and overlook and dominate Transyl-
vania, Hungary, Servia, and Bulgaria Turkey,
to maintain her rights in the municipalities, and
more from dread of the advance of Russian power
IN That quarter, protests against the threatened
occupation. England and France, in support of
their ally, and to check the growing empire of the
| North, have protested also--the latter energeti-
cally, declaring it would be cause of war; and
the former, though hestating at first, finally
joined IN the declaration The interests of Aus
tria would induce her to unite with France and
England, but she fears the displeasure of the Gar
as much as his occupation of Waachia and Mol
davia. That is the state of the question at pre-
sent The Gar stands upon the banks of the
Pruth, as did Caesar on the Rubicon Should he
initiate the Roman and pass the forbidden stream,
war as terrible and as pregnant with conse-
quences as that of the Romans may be the result
What do we learn from these movements Not
sufficient to judge of the merits of the case, or
guess at the probable results. History, the con-
dition of the two empires, the character of their
rulers, the nature of their governments, and the
political state of the world, will teach us much
more. The Emperor Nicholas, in this quarrel
with Turkey, is not influenced by sentiment of
fanaticism or religious zeal, like Mahomet or the
Crusaders The religious question is subservient
to the political. 1t is but the pretext to carry out
his ambitious designs And well do the Cars
know how to use it, like that modern one of pam
slavism, to strengthen and increase their power,
and to awaken the enthusiasm of their people.
The steady purpose of the Imperial Government
of Russia has been, and is, to plant its power on
the Bosphorus. Peter the Great, in his WILL en-
joins his successors 'sto chase the Turk from Eu-
rope, and conquer Constantinople." The Czarina
Catharihe seriously thought of restoring the Greek
empire pn the ruins of the Ottoman And during
her journey, in 1887, to visit her new territories
in Tanridia and the Crimca, she inscribed on the
gate of her newly founded city Khcrson: "Here
is the way to Constantinople.' 1t was this threat
ening inscription which alarmed the Porte, and
which was of the chief causes of the Sultan
declaring war against the Muscovtes. Nor have
the successors of these great monarchs ceased to
extend their influence and territory in that direc-
ton. Both the Russian Emperors and the Rus
sian people believe that it is their duty and destiny
to raise the cross on the Church of st. Sophia;
and time and their growing greatness strengthens
this faith. Their sight is immovably fixed on the
Golden Horn. Who does not see the effect and
end of such belief in a powerful, consolidated,
and almost mpregnable empire' The policy of
the Gar in all questions of the East rests upon
this, and in this finds solution. If he cannot
reach his object at once, he will approximate to
it, and will spread his snares for the final coup de
grace. He may not be able in the present crisis to
,eze the Turkish capital, and it is likely he did
not expect he could do SO; but he meant to APP
proach it, he meant to try the metal of the Sultan
and to tempt his allies and whatever may be the
end of the present difficulty, he will come out
nearer the goal of his ambition. He will wait till
the 'pear is ripe"
But, to understand this question more tho
roughly, let us look at the condition of the Rus
sian and Turkish empires and the nature of their
governments. They are similar in form of gov
eminent. Both are absolute despotsms, tempered
by regicde;' and, strictly speaking, war or peace
hangs on the lips of their individual sovercigns-
the power of both rest, to great extent on a re-
Hgious sentiment. The Gar and the Sultan
claim to be and are believed in as the vcegerents
of God on earth Each is supreme pontiff, the
one Christian and the other Mahomedan. Mich
olas is the head of the Greek Church, and is re-
vered as much or more than the Pope by Catho-
lies. Abdul Medjid is the successor of Mohamet
The spirit of propagandism elevated the Ottoman
power, and is elevating the Russian; the former
united the sword and the crescent, and the latter
the sword and the cross. The only difference is,
that the Turk rose to power on the spirit of rei-
gids fanaticsm alone, while the Muscovite rises
on a religious and political fanatcism and propa-
gandism combined-that is, the Greek Church
and absoutism. Both empires have imbibed to
some exthnt the progressive spirit of the age.
Russia builds railroads and ships, promotes man
ufactures, commerce, the fine arts, literature, and
education, and encourages agriculture and the
emancipation of her serfs. Turkey is making an
effort to shake off her lethargic orientalsm, is
fast introducing the habits and improvements of
Western Europe, while she is more tolerant and
mild in her government than her northern rival
Here. however, the likeness ends And it is in
what they differ that we shall discover the dcs-
tiny of both. Up to the time Of Potter the Great,
and even during his reign, the Turk, a terrible
power was mostly successful against the Rus
slams From that time Russia made rapid strides;
and from the time of Catharine she has constantly
advanced in power over her Mosem rival. Be
fore then, Turkey, as the superior power, had
taken the initiative in the many wars between
them. but since, she stands on the defensive, and
TODAY finds it necessary to call for help upon the
great powers of Europe One has daily I'M
creased while the other has daily declined.
Russia, ntrenchcd i'll her impregnable arctic
f SHOWS has from time to time poured forth her
hordes to the east to the west, and to the fruitful
south She has extended her empire to such pro-
portions that her shadow covers Europe and Asia,
and chills the ncighboring nations Her name is
, a terror Her frown, the withdrawal OF her
representative minister from foreign court in
, dispeasurc is sufficient to call forth the united
powers of Europe in arms. Turkey, feeble and
$ dependent, relies upon foreign support for her
very existence. The former is almost unit IN
race and faith; and the latter is torn to pieces by