Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1853-04-15
8 rec pres 6,
Turkey.
BURLINGTON. w.
FRIDAY MONNlNG APRIL 10, 1853.

Turkey.
1t will have been seen from the foreign news,
in our last ISSUE. thtt Turkey is again brought,
into circumstances Of great difficulty though
the cucroachmnnt Of Russia. The British and
Flonch fleets had been ordered to advance to
the Dardancllcs aud the French fleet had ac-
tuolly set sail accordingly, though the British
admiral Dundus, did not feel authorized to com
ply with the orders of Mr. Rose, the British
Cha &c, to sail from Malta, from the nature Of
his instructions from the Admiralty. The
greatest excitement prevailed throughout the
c ntncnt thou h there were strong hopes there
and England D.! at the mllel would pas off, as
usual, after flourish OF diplomatic notes. The
chief cause of the present excitement is Il de-
mand on the Porte by the Emperor of Russia,
that he be acknowledged hy the Sultan as pro-
tcctor Of the Greek Christians, subjects Of Tur
key, as France has been for some centuries OF
the Catholics in the Lcylnt; and that the cleo
ton Of the Patriarch Of Constantnope SHOULD
hcnccforth be made by the Greeks and confirm
ed by the Emperor Of Russia, to the cXclu-
sion OF the Sultan, who at prc5en has the right
OF nomination and invcstiturc.
The party CHI, fly ntcic ted on the other side
after Turkey, is France, whose influence has
been predominant OLA with the government Of
the Sultan, aud to the success Of whose designs
in the East this influence seems to be all-impUl-
tInt. En5 anl is interested only as the dlstur-
hanna 81 h.lu Of in H., Ot
the ACKNOWLEDGMENT Of Turkey may iniurious'y
affect her commerce, or mcnl:e the security of
her East Inlan possessions
Austria is nee cUts-paw in the hands of
Russia. 1t is thus in effect Il quarrel between
the three great powers, Russia on the one side,
and France and England on the other, as to the
disposition Of the fragments Of the Turkish
Empire, now certainly crumbing to decay
Russia Is resolved to annex the whole to her
own doninions, and it seems to be her "mani-
fest destiny" so to do, at an early day. France
and England oppose this project as directly at
war with their own ambitious designs.
For us, the question has little more than a
speculative interest. 1t can hardly be the worse
for our commerce, if the old Empire falls to-
morrow for in that event it will certainly fal
into the clu' cies Of nations more cltcrprisng
and cultivated than itself. But as tie last o.
the stron.bods of Islamism that remains il
Europe, where the descendants Of the prophc
once had SO extensive possessions, there is nc
State i'll Europe whose changes and decay i
can be more intel cstlng to watch. Just iou
hundred years ago MLllomet IL. entered Con
s,aAtlnople, and established himself on the
throne Of Constantine and Justlnian. From
tlat day 10 the present the Tartar race has main
ed exclusive possession Of this one Of the mos
beautiful parts Of Europe, and during por
ton Of that period the Turkish Empire has bee
accounted the most powerful in the world
Syria and Egypt were added to his dominion
ny .arnm, me prnndson Of Mahnmrt II an
the greater part Of Hungary by SUyman, til
magnificent, the contemporary Of Charles til,
5lh and the most accomplished Of all the o,
toman princes. Other princes succeeded these
of great ambition and ability, ana it SCENE,
probable at one time that this warkc ract
would extend their conquests over the whole 0
Europe; Dul III 10 JoHh ooDlCs"l, KING U
Poland totally defeated the army If the Sultai
employed in The siege Of Vienna. From tia
day the Empire began to decline, AMI the las
one hundred and seventy years have prcsenc
the spectacle Of powerful nation sinkin! I'M
der defeats, and under the weakness which ne
ccssanly followed from extended dominion ac
quircI by the feryid zeal OF ignorant fanatics
All that is now possible is to prop up the ed
flee so as to postpone the catastrophe, or SO t
direct the fall that as little harm, and US muc
good, may result to its ncighbors as may be-
This, as we understand 1t, S to be the fate [
Turkey, and such are tic difficult circumstal
ces with which its degenerate princes have I
contend.