The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1868-12-13
TURKEY.
The Eastern Question.

From The London Times. Nov. =.
Just ABOUT four centuries ag0-thai II 10 say on
the 21th ol May. l453hs earliest, the greatest anu,
events have shown, the most intraciab.e OF Euro
pean questions was first constituted by the cap
fure Of Constautnople ana the enthronencnt Of the
Turks In the ancient capital or the Cnsars. That
was the origin Of 1.-The Eastern question: which has
ever since, though In very different shapes, per
picked and torincnted the governments OF Christen.
dom. AZ 1rst the impression that or universal
alarm. Other states Of Europe deserted their own
fate III the tate OF the Byzantine Empire. and for
some generations the only question was how to make
head against this auen and aggressive Power. At
length, through the yaOr OF the Christian p0pua-
tons on the border, this alarm was dlspelled and
presently the Eastern question assumed a character
so anomalous and paradoxlcal that the governments
Of the nfteentn century could hardly have compre-
hnnacd taa phenomenon. Gradually the Turks, In
s,ead OF being looked upan with terror came
actually 10 be regarded win liberation, aud In the
end with an Interested sympathy. Sorth OF their
empire nad arisen military monarchy which APP
reared far more formidable tlIaa the declining aad
now obviously harmless Power on the Bosphorus
Inc cOuquering state was no ionger Turkey, but
Russia; and II Russia should absorb Turkey, as
seemed not Impossible, and make Consiantlnople
itself Russian capital II would follow that the lib
critics Of Europe might be IN peril from sncn an ex-
orbiisnce OF power. 80 the Eastern question came
10 mean IN BRIEF what was To be done with tas
Eaat 1 he DAYS VI lhe Turk. except Tor aftihcel
support appeared 10 be numbered, anu yet tAe only
substitute for the sultan was tho car. such an
Alternative was perpexinx IA the extreme. western
Europe had little desire 10 see the russian
empire doubled BY iae conq9css ., ,'F NJ
ernments should lend their strength OF iheir
influence to perretua,e the servItude 81 Christian
people under unbClieyicg lords. however, pVhcy
prevailed against synparny. aud tue sublime iorte
became practically ''prutected' state. IN coars.
u time ourselves, the rulers Of lndia dLcerned
SPECIAL interests OF our own IN Inc maintenance Vi
Things they were, until az last LORD chatham
could stand up IN the House oil Commons ana de
care that any man failed 70 see tue necessity OF
UNFOLDING TIE ottoman EMPIRE II would DC useless
| 10 argue against such political blindness.
How, aud Al what cost, this traditional polio,
was sill pursued 10 l65. we need hardly explain
| but at length an English minister mas nad the bold
! moss TO express views OF 40 different character
People Ia the countries adjoining Turkey can hardly
believe that Engiand Is disposed to Withdraw from
intervention VA turkish aiaIs and yet thai ace
tue only Interpretation TO he put upon Lord Staney'd
speech ut IyDu SIR Lord stanley dld, with chafac
tcristc candOr. make Two important adiuissons =
first that the disntegratiOn OF the ottoman Empire
appeared no impfObnbe contingency ana, next
Mat it was not for us 70 Interfere oppose the
sequences. 80 foreign Aliauee, no European guar
| anteo, cta protecg ggyefnH4cat lsauas uGancta