The Opelousas journal. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1868-1878, 1870-12-03
TIE EASTERN QUESTION ONCE MORE.
From the Galveston News. 7

1ne very Important European dis
patches now coming over the wires,
indicate so the papers say, the re-
opening of the Eastern Question" Ii
seven persons out of ten were to
confess the truth, they would &C
knowledge that they had no clear
idea OF what the " eastern Question"
really is. In general terms we may
say that i'll European politics, any
proposition as affecting the citation
of Turkey to the great powers of
Europe, is called an Eastern Cues
ton" Turkey is a powerless nation.
occupying an important position in
the geography of the world. Her
weakness and her position is con-
tinual temptation to Russia, while
all the rest of Europe is interested in
maintaining the integrity of the Tur-
kish Empire. Remove the protection
of the rest of Europe, and the Rus
sian bear would soon eat, and quick
ly digest that Turkey. After the
Allies had captured Sebastopol in
1856, there was treaty, known in
history, as the Treaty of Paris.
The parties to this treaty were Rus
sia, France, Great Britain, Sardin-
ia, Turkey Austria and Prussia.
Austria and Prussia did not take
part in the war, but were parties to
the treaty. This is the treaty which
Russia now seeks to repudiate. Nom
inally, it opposed restrictions on both
Russia and Turkey. Actually, it only
restricted Turkey, for Turkey could
notd0, and has no occasion to do, that
which she was forbidden to do. The
terms Of this treaty chiefly relate to
the control of the Black Sea, of which
Rrussia possesses about half the
coast. The Policy of Russia. and
she has pursued it so long that it has
become traditional, is to obtain alb
solute control of the waters of the
sea Z; then she would absorb Turkey
and develop her empire along the
shores Of the Mediterranean Sea,
making her by all odds the most
powerful nation of Europe. It is
against this policy that all the rest
of Europe sets it's face, and out of
it comes the Eastern question. By
the terms of the treaty of Paris, be
fore alluded to, the waters of the
Black Sea were declared to be net-
trail, as are those ofthe Atlantic. The
naval force of both powers was res
tricted to two small ships of two
hundred tons each, to be stationed
at the mouth of the river Danube,
and. six other steamers of eight hun
dred tons each. Neither power was
permitted to erect military or ma
val arsenals on the coast. Russia
agreed to surrender a small piece
Of territory, and all the parties to
the treaty guaranteed the integrity
Of the Turkish Empire. Now, all
these restrictions were felt by Rus
sia, but not by Turkey, and, of
course, whenever Russia felt able to
throw them off she intended to do
so, for such treaties are only observed
till the restricted power secures an
opportunity to violate. Russia
thinks that her time has now come.
She refuses to regard her treaty stip-
ulations. France and Prussia are
at war-Prussia is less interested in
the Black Sea provisions than were
the other States. Another interest
can be secured by the treaty Rus
sia hopes to make. Austria, the
natural enemy of Prussia will join
France if war breaks out, and Great
by her interest and her
treaty stipulations, will be forced
into the conflict. The indications
for a general European war are
very plain and pointed. England
is calling in her navy, and the whole
Of Europe is arming.