Gallipolis journal. [volume] (Gallipolis, Ohio) 1837-1919, 1853-02-24

Public attention has been lately at.
tracted by the accounts Of the wsr
which is going on between the Turks
and their refractory dependents. the
Montenegrins. Every foreign arrival
brings news of its progress, and Of the
new phase it assumes. together with
speculations as to the probable bearing
it will have upon European politics.
Turkey, it Is said by the latest accounts,
is making preparations to throw an ar
my of $4,000 soldiers at once into the
country, and oyerpower and reduce il
speedily to subjection. One would sup
pose war could not have been mains
tanned so long as this one has, BY pow
er so weak. There is not over l00,~
600 Inhabitants in the territory of Mons
tenegro; and its whole extent OF noun
tain peaks will not be over estimated at
ninety square miles. The following,
from the New Bedford Mercury, in ref
erence to this subject, will be read with
interest: E-
"The two great arbiters Of the desti>
nies of Eastern Europe, Russia and
Austria. are drawing into the conflict.
and the Eastern question: the perpetu-
al puzzle of cabinets, bids fair to be re-
vived. This is sufficient apology for
a word or two upon Montenegro and its
people. They form, perhaps. the last
fragment OF the old Servian Kingdom,
that once stretched from the Black Sea
to the Adriatic, but now blotted from the
map Of nations. In race they are dis
tinct from the Ottoman people. as well
as in their religion. which is that Of the
Greek Church. Something of the old
republicanism of The early New Eng
land colony may find parallel in them;
for they are, in fact, republic of small
communities; each village having the
right to be governed by its own assems
bly,. The head of the people, called
Bladicka, is both temporal and spiritual
leaders, bishop and sovereign. The
Office is hereditary and in one family,
but cannot descend directly, as the
priesthood requires celIbacy. The pres
ent Bladicka is practised soldier, hav-
ing been educated to a military career
before entering the church
"Like most mountaineers, the Monte
negrins are sharp~shooters, using long
guns that carry to great distance, and
hardy, brave and fierce. and burn with
unquenchable hatred against the Turks.
Their land is series of mountain
peaks, with deep valleys between, with
out roads, except rough and scarce dis
cernible paths. abounding in Businesses
all but inaccessible TO regular troops
Constantly annoyed by their incursions
into its territory, the Porte has attempt
ed to crush them, and hence the present
war.
sin the examples of similar attempts
before alluded to, the long and costly
and doubtful struggle, has been between
such people and mighty nations in the
prime Of vlgor, and assisted by all that
means and modern science
can supply. Here they have only to
contend with an effete monarchy, with
irregular and feeble resources, and far
behind the rest of Europe in warlike
arts. The result, especially if the me-
diation Of Russia and Austria be thrown
into the scale Of the Montenegrins, is
hardly to be questioned.
meanwhile, we of the United States,
cannot but look with interest at the
brave struggles of these mountaineers,
though their territory and numbers hard.
ly would equal single county of some
of our own States."