New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1868-12-29

sting and no opposition, no matter how many
publicists may join it, can any longer succeed
in uuenchng the spirit of Liberty, when it is
once aroused as it has been reused in Crete
and among the llellenes generally. Fuad
Pasha's declaration that the Hellenes are UNI
willing to submit to Turkish rule ls as candid
as it is correct. Happy must it have been for
his master if Crete had been allowed to go IN
peace and If all the sincere well-wIshers Oh
Turkey had combined to prevail upon the
Porte the adoption of this satesmanlike
conclusion that to hold in subsection Crete.
against the will of the people, can only weaken
her power and spread disafccton. as it has
done all over the Christian portions OF the en-
pire. The Christian Powers have proved them
selves the worst enemies Of Turkey, by with
holding their recognition of Cretan independ-
ancc, and thus supporting the Porte III
course which, in the long run. cannot but prove
suicidal. The fact is. they d'd not want to DO
troubled with the Eastern question. and they
thought they could postpone lis explosion by
turning deaf ear to the Cretans, and by
winking at the Turkish massacres III the island.
Behold the result of this shOrt-sighted policy
Little Crete, dcspied. slandcrcd, turned INTO
ridcule. is avenged for the Culpable indlifer-
ence of Christendom, and threatens to involve
NIL Europe in war. 1t is asserted that only
Russia aud the United States are in favor OF
Crctan independence, and that tho European
Powers particularly France and England, are
continuing to exert their influence in favor OF
Turkey and against Crete and Greece.
The England of Gladstone and Bright is not
the England of Disraeli and Stanley; aud 1T ls
not likely that Great Britain will again
plunge into war in order to give fresh
lease of power TO the Mussulman. In
France. too marked change has taken
place. The TurcOphilc MOustier has been su-
perseded 10y La Yalette, who was bitterly OPP
posed to the Crimean war, and who IL not "a
likely to play into the hands OF the Turks as
was his predecessor.
No thoughtful person can suppose that the
Hellenic race will forever remain under the
control Of the Moslem. The Greeks are the
only vital, civilizing force in Turkey; they
diffuse education; they promote commerce
and industry; they constitute the great in
telloctual and commercial forces which impart
TO Turkey whatever she still possesses of vitality.
United with them in liberal aspirations are
the Bulgarians, the Scryians, the Roumanians.
How long will it be possible to keep them all
undori These nationaties ycarn after free
dom and Independence and (as is shown In
the case Of Crete) the danger of general war
arises not from supporting their just claims,
but from denying and defying them
1t is now too late for any publicst TO make
the Christians of the Last believe that tho
American people, sympath;zing with liberty
everywhere are Indifferent TO them and them
alone, though Turkish agents may strive to
produce this false impression. The fact
is that, since the beginning OF the Gre
tan war OF independence. hundreds of ar
tcles published in New England and Western
papers have been translated into Greek and
Bulgarian and sown broadcast all over the
East, while the resolutions of State Legisla-
lures and OF the American Congress in favor of
Cretan independence and of the progress of
liberty and Christian domination and ciyIiza-
ton ia the East, has had immense moral
effect, though these things were hardly noticed
here.
1t is this American influence which has given
wings TO the Cretan war of independence; not
that they ever thought that America would
go to war for their sake. but they felt that
America, as the only disinterestcd Porer, could
exert an influence Whlcn no European rover
could bring to bear Such is the prestige of
the American Republic abroad that these half
a-dozen Congressional resolutions became
source of inspiration, and gave the unmistak-
able assurance of the sympathies of America
with the cause Of Cretan independence and of
the increased power of Hellenic and Christian
nationalites Since the European Powers al
ways made an cgregious failure in their tam
pering with the Eastern question. it was uni
versaly understood in the East that the reso-
lutions of the American Congress- though de-
rded by the TurcoplIiles aud even belittled
by Tory papers, and though not intended to
entangle this cnmity into war, were yet des
tined to impress the Eastern world with sense
of the sympathes felt in the United States on
behalf of the emancipation of the Christian
uulinnaliiirs