The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1855-06-30
Gbc 1l)ar III tI)c Cost.
A GREAT QUESTION.

1.-THE question whether the Turkish
Government will survive the present War is
much agiatcd among those who consider and
debate the great problems of the Age. The
New York Tribune thinks the AIoslcm rul,
must cease in that fair land and as will be
seen by the following article is in favor of its
falling under the Russian rather than under
the English or French rule.
TIE PARTITION OF TrRKEY.-It is in tn,
nature Of things that the Turkish Empii,
| should come to an end. The product of Is
laniSm having gained its highest point Of
Splcndor with the trilmphs of Mohammed's
Successors, since Solyman the Magnificent it,
history has been the chronicle of its gradual
decline. The Turkish system is essentially
military and barharouS: and when 1t ceased
To he aggressive its dissolution began. Ii
the present world of civilization and indus
| try the Turks have no place. Their religion
their laws their traditions, their spirit fol bid
it. In modern Europe they exist in n stag.
nant and morihund condition. In this wal
they have fought well, but fighting is thei,
national business the only thing they profess
20 he good for. In spite ofall that, however
the famous phrase of the late Car was a true
one: Turkey is sick man. Mohammcd.
andism. as political system at least, has nc
more business in Europe at the present day
than lcpcr in healthy society.
In saying this we do but utter what every
one llStiactvcly feels. Political prejudice
may deny the truth, but common sense all
mits it. The Turks must march out OF
Europe. 1t is high time their cncampmcnt
IN that nncqualcd country-unequalcd in soil
climate, mineral treasures, and especially in
arhical poSition-had come to an end
by this we mean not the expulsion of the
race-let them stay if they will amid the
relics of the Empires which vanished before
their own. But the MoSlcm law, government
and political system must he abrogatcd
Let the sick man end his days in such peace
as his malady may allow; but let not his es.
tates fall to utter ruin, and his tenants and
workmcn s.alye and perish, when, by chang.
ing his etlrte and stupid methods of admin
lstration, they might thrive abundantly in a
land blooming like garden.
The destiny of Turkey is no mysterious
problem of the future. We have not to wal,
for the development of remote years to know
what must become of the Turks. That is al
PLAIN al this moment, and can hardly be two
opinions on the subject. Turkey must be
discmbarr asscd of the Moslcm. That is the
whole story. 1t is true the statesmen of Eng.
land and France have had much to say about
preserving the integrity of the Empire, and
guaranteeing TIE sovereign rights of the Sui
tan. But all this must be set down to tho
ever open and capacious account of Bun
combe. These statesmen know perfectly
that the Sultans have run their race, and that
the day is at hand when no such prince will
be found at Constantinople.
The real question is. Who shall succeed
the Sultans and this none of the Western
statcmen seem at first to have had the cour-
age or skill to answer. Accordingly, they
went into the war with the solemn humbug
in their mouths that they were fighting foi
the integrity of Turkey. The truth is they
have fought because they did not know how
to partition Turkey. Jealous of each other
jealous of Austria, jealous of Russia jealous
above all of the evcntuality of a new Power
rising out of the ruins of Turkey, if that
were possible, they pretended to be contend
ing for the preservation of government al
most if not quite dcfunct, which i'll its day
was the most fanatical, aggressive, tyrannical
and harbarous ever seen in Europe. What
they were really contcnding for was the pres
ervation of their own uncertainty as TO wha
should replace that Government.
In considering this permanent problem o.
Europe, about which Europe is now involved
in a costly and most sanguinary war, we have
not hesiiated to declare orr opinion that the
interest of humanity would be promoted by
substituting the Russian for the Moslcn
Government at Constantinope. or for th'
Government of the Allies. Not that the Rus
san political system in itself is not replilsivc