The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-08-30
SPIRIT OF THE PRESS.
q ditoriaI Opinions OF the Leading Journals
UpOn Current TOpics-COmpiled Every
Day for the Evening Telegraph.
THE EASTERN oUEsTION-PEACE OR
WAR

WAR.
Fron, the ~ u Herald
For a number of years past the Eastern
question has occupied the attention of the
would it has long been a stock article of dis
cussion in Europe and in this country. The
battle of Navarno brought it into notice, and
it has since occupied a very prominent place
before the public. Innumerable essays and
books have been written on the subject, and
we are as far from any definite result as ever.
The Crimean war was an attempted solution OF
the problem, but the experiment proved to be
so enormously expensive in blood and treasure
and so barren of results that the European
powers have very earnestly tried to avoid
repetition of it. The source of the whole
trouble consists in the very peculiar role the
Mohammedan powers play in European poll
tics From the position they once occupied as
masters of the Mediterranean basin, they have
fallen so low that Turkey owes her position
in Europe to the jealousy OF her more power
ful neiGhbors. OF late years the Sublime
Porte has been having a hard time of it;
snubbed on the Danube by Austria, bad
gered by her late vassel, Greece, she
is now in a great rage at her troublesome
subject, Ismail Pacha, who has GER
tainly most curious and original ideas
of fcalty to his sovereign, and who, SEEM
ingly very much elated at the prospect of the
profits he is going to reap from the Suez Canal,
which passes through his territory, has been
iunketting around at the different courts Of
Europe, from whence mostsuspicious whispers
have reached the ears of his master, the Sui
tan AS in the case of the trouble with
Greece Turkey will not be allowed to go
to war if it is possible to prevent her.
Not from any motives of humanity do
the great powers step in and try to allay diff
culties; but it is the fear of the consequences
hat ,,ir,ht hat fbaV, TO ,I,
course If Turkey, Greece, and Egypt
wanted to indulge i'll a little fight, in which
it would be impossible for them to get any
outside help, they would find nothing in their
way to crafty this desire. The great danger,
however, of Russias interfering in this little
arrangement keeps the remaining powers very
active in maintaining the peace
The Suez Canal has given a new shape to
the Eastern question 1t has changed the re-
lations of Egypt wonderfully and has made
very important parsonage of the Pacha. 1t
has rendered the control Of that narrow neck
of land, which no longer unites Asia and
Africa, of vital Importance. And the ques-
tion of who shall control the Black Sea be-
comes comparatively unimportant whenplaced
along side of the one which now challenges
the attention of the world, which Is, who
shall control the Suez Canal That is to
say, who shall hold control Of half the COM
merce of the world? Who shall control that
golden stream which for four centuries has
been flowing to the West, and which has car.
ried with it the control of Europe? Which
gave Venice and Genoa and Florence their
power and wealth, and which, when it left
them for Spain, took that power with it,
Which made England what she is to-day, and
in the attempt to secure which America has
just constructed that wonder of the age, the
Pacific Railroad
For the very reason that the control Of the
canal would give its possessor undue power
the quarrel which at one time seemed serious
between the Sultan and the Pacha has been
smoothed over by the friendly intervention of
the other rulers The reconciliation how
ever, was too quick to be hearty; the Vice
roy has temporized by the advice of a
powerful friend, perhaps; he dare not fight
alone for fear that Turkey might crush him.
He is, however, determined to be entirely
Independent of the Porte, and whenever
he sees an opportunity will eagerly embrace
it, The Sultan. on the other hand is equally
determined not to let Egypt go without a
struggle, and although not a trst-class. power
Turkey can make very respectable display
Of forces. She has an army of some eight
hundred thousand men, considerable navy,
and, although in a bad financial condition she
has nevertheless large resources in Asia to
draw upon. The result of a war with Egypt.
in which other powers would certainly be IN
volved, would probably result in the expulsion
of the Turks from Europe. The Sultan knows
this, knows that he only remains in Christian
Europe by sufferance; but should a general
war occur he could rally thousands Of his Ash
attic subjects around the green banner Of the
Prophet for the last desperate battle with the
hated Christian Breach-loading rifles, how
ever, would be more than match for the
avo1taH foOotinigpn on1 a ipp, oil n
would easily master the elaborate but old
fashioned Notifications of ConstantinOple.
The fall of the Turkish Empire, however.
would be marked with such wars as the world
has never yet seen; all the nations of Europe
would be involved, and the classic shores OF
the Mediterranean would be the scenes OF
battles beside which those Of Hannibal, OF
Caesar, and of Napoleon would appear insig
nifcant.
The war cloud which has threatened Europe
for the past few years may burst at any time
and the Suez Canal may become the innocent
cause of bcundless misery and suffering. Fol
while it will certainly call into being new
commercial routes, and will give an impetu
to trade and civilization in the East Indie
which will produce wonderful results, it ma
also make the narrow neck of land it divide
famous as the camping ground of great armie
and redden the sands of the desert with tn
blood Of Turk and Christian.
WORKINGMENS HOUSES.