The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1875-11-28
RUSSIA IN THE EAST.
HOW SHE EXPECTS 10 OCCUPY ENGLAND's AT
TENTIoN AND CAPTURE coNsrANTINoPLE.
London Tablet, Nov 6 ]

London Tablet, Nov
Public opinion in England seems to be slow
y waking up to a suspicion that the policy of
Russia in the East is as hostile to British
Interests as ever. If are to trust a piece of
intelligence conveyed by the last India mail,
the Indian Government is SO convinced of the
reality of this hostility that it has resolved on
a step which, no wever much ia favor with a
certain section of Angio-iudiau society, consti-
tutes complete revolution in Sur Indian
theory of administration. Even Warren Has
tipgs, whose vast and daring ambition clearly
con templated the subsection of the entire In-
dian Peninsula to British rule, had concep-
frontiers of Hindostaa. If We advance to
Qoettab, as is now announced, how long shall
we be able to limit our occupation to o single
valley of Beloochistan The Khan of Khelat,
within whose dominions this import ant post is
situated, lie bound by treaty to admit a British
garrison within the walls of Qaettab, but the
concession is the result of compulsion, and the
Indian Government is not unaware of the
sentiments which will be aroused among the
| independent tribes of Beloocbistan by this new
stride of British dominion. The long and diff.
hcult Bolan Pass lies between Quttah and our
Indian frontier, and when we have occupied
| our new acquisition we shall still have to main
| tain the communication with it. If, notwth-
| standing all these difficulties. occupation of
Quettah has been decided upon, then the dan
ger against which it is designed to guard must
be grave, and that danger can oaly be Russia.
No stir among the hills, no mastering of border
and 80 costly measure In fact it is acknow.
lodged that the Russian advance towards
Herat, Rsssia's colonization of the Attrek
Valley, Russia's conquests in Turkeystan and
along the afghan frontier, furnish the reason,
and the sufficient reason, for the move of the
Indian Government.
1t is not, however, India which is the object.
i've point of Russian policy. To-day, as in the
days of Peter the Great, Constantinople forms
the aim of the ambition of st. Petersburg. By
| two methods alone could the path of Russia be
effectually barred: by the maintenance of the
Ottoman Empire, or by the development of the
| independent organization of the Christian pro-
vinces of Turkey. The former is impossible,
| aud the latter, thanks largely to the ultra
Turkish of Great Britain aud the ultra
Macy arism of Austro Hungary, is less possible
| than was to have been expected. 1t must at
the same time be admitted that Russian policy
| at Constantinople has never been more ably
| or successfully represented than during the
present complications, and however much the
| laundering diplomacy of her rivals may have
aided her, Russia deservedly holds her own by
| sheer dint of craftsmanship and Machiavelian
| skill. Russia has been proyerbially fortunate
in her diplomatic agents, but never has she
been more faithfully and ably served than by
1gnatieff in Constantinople, and we may justly
| add by Schouvaloff in London. To destroy
Turkey without allowing the Christian pro-
vnces of the Sultan to take the place of the
| eff-te despotism they had shaken off, this, in
| two words, is the entire policy of Russia on
| the Bosphorus. The destruction of Turkey
was proceeding rapidly in any case, but the
| recent bankruptcy of the Sublime PoTte-a
| measure which is now understood to have been
| urged by Russia on the Sultan's Government
has given the decisive impetus to a downward
| career, the momentum of whose descent may
now be expected to increase with every year
| and every month. But while helping Turkey
| to ruin, Russia has been equally careful not to
help the Christian rayahs to autonomy. The
large measures of independence which would
have terminated the HerZeg0vinian and Bos-
MAN insurrectiou would have laid the founda-
| tions of a further aggregation and consolida-
| ton of South-Slav elements, and this would
have been fatal to any subsequent annexations
| by Russia. It is not incorporation with Russia,
| holy though it be to the schismatic peoples,
which Is the dream of Servian ambition, and
the more Serviss there were between the
| bounds of Muscovy and the bounds of Hellas,
| the less the probability of an extension of Rus
sian territory to the Sea of Marmora. Give
| the Christian peoples of Turkey ten years of
sem-independent organization, and the do
minion of the st. Petersburg Government
| could only be imposed on them by force of
arms. In such a case those ii erce and tenacious
populations, backed by the Western Powers
if Western Power there remain any longer
might bid defiance with impunity to the
schemes of the Gortschakoffs of the day.
To sum up the main results of recent events,
the reputation of her financial engagements
by Turkey has both created profound resent
ment among the nations which have defended
the Ottoman Empire. and has intellectually
weakened Turkey by closing the money mar
kets of the world to Turkish exigencies.
Secondly, the Instruction has further hasten
ed the dissolution of Turkey. Thirdly, Turkey
has not been allowed to be compensated by any
resulting growth of autonomous institutions
among the Christian populations, both the
aut-Sclavonic tenderness of Count Andrassy's
Government and the philo- Turkish infstuaton
Of Great Biitain combining to, play Russia's
game. AS a result, it is Russia that is likely
to reap the reward if, even at the last moment,
the Cabinets of London and Vienna do not CO.
operate 1esolutely in raising up the beginning
of q Christian confederation in Bosnia, HeIze-
govina, Servia. Roumaniaa and Bulgaria. These
provinces contain population Of upwards of
twelve millions, besides occupying vast terri
tories, which only require tolerable government
in order to be productive beyond belief. Bat
ish Government especially, that Russia hopes
to prevent or counteract by assembling forces
in the neighboI hood of our Indian frontier.
The policy of England on the Bosphorus must
be sensibly Influenced, it is calculated, by
events in Asia, and there can be DO don BIT that
were the English power occupied in straining
every nerve for the protection of India, Russia
would have proportionately less to apprehend
in Europe. The notion of Russian designs
India in any other sense is simply absurd.
1t has taken US acentury to raise our
power in India to its present stage and
Russia would not have our advantage
in possessing the command of the sea