The herald and mail. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1873-188?, 1875-08-20
HerZf goVina.


The meagre dispatches which have
come across the cable concerning the
instruction in Herzegovina give little
indication of the Importance which
really attaches to the succession of
troubles that have been breaking out
within a few years in the northern pro-
vinces or European Turkey. The out
break which Immediately preceded the
present uprising was in Montenegro, a
smaller province adjoining Herzegovina,
and both border on Dalmatia, which is
9 part of the Austrian empire. The
fact is that all the Turkish provinces in
Europe, north of the Balkan range of
mountains, are alien In race, language,
traditions, and religion to the governing
power, who are Turks. This includes
the large states of Moldavia, Wallachia,
which have already achieved a sort of
independence. Bulgaria, Servia, Bosnia,
Cromatia, Herzegovina, and Montenegro
are still under Turkish oppression.
When the Turks forced their way sew
eral centuries ago into Europe, the ma
tive population gradually receded before
them into the northern provinces. The
further north the Turks went the smaller
were their numbers, and they composed
a lesser proportion to the whole popula-
ton. In the provinces we have named,
the proportion OF Turks Is not more
than One-ffth of the entire population.
Four-ffths of the people are of Slavic
origin, and belong to the same family as
the population of Hungary and Transyl-
vania, which are now parts Of the Aus
trian empire. They ore of o race that
was among the first TO adopt the Chris
tian religion, ard the present popula-
ton is divided in dogma between the
Greek and Roman churches, but with a
large prepOnderance in favor of the
former. There is, therefore, not the
slightest sympathy between these peo-
pie and their Asiatic Mohammedan
rulers.
The news that Sarvia has begun to raise
subscriptions to aid the instruction,
and is petitionipg Austria to maintain q
strict neutrality, would ind1cIte that
these Turkish provinces have determined
upon something like a general insurrec-
tion and blow for independence, if
they can be assured of the moral sup.
port of Austria. What Servia has done,
Bosnia, Cromatia, Montenegro, and the
rest. are ready to do in the common
CAUSE Ii lilBldul anu IbioSld MOulA
keep their hands of, there is no que5-
ton but what the inhabitants of these
provinces. in a united effort, would de-
velop sufficient strength to throw off the
Turkish yoke. There would also be an
opportunity here for Austria to resume
something like her former posi- ion
among the great powers of Europe
There is certainly a close affinity b.
tween the provinces ripe for a ravolt and
the Hungarian portion of the Aus rian
empire and, if they were joined to the
empire, they would give Austria pop
ulatiou of from 45, 100000 to 47,O00,OOO
in all, and add rich agricultural dis
trict and hearty people to tie product
i've resources of the empire. In this
way the little cloud that now appt ars in
the obscure province of Herzegovina, no
bigger than mans hand, may yet over
shadow all Europe, and get great nations
by the ears. It is morally certain that
the Slavic population in Turkey, north
of tho Balkan mountains, will not sub
NIT many years longer to the extortions
and abuses which Turkey imposes upon
them for the support of an extravagant
and corrupt court and government with
which they have no sympathy, and a re-
ligion which they despise.