, 1875-10-13

houses which she had erected In their ter
ritory after the disastrous campaign OF
1859. The grand Vizier at the same time
drew up, under the inspiration OF General
Ignatiew, the famous irman which embo-
died in principle the creation of a Bulga-
rian ~exarchate independent Of the Gcu-
menical Church of Constantinople, and
which was destined, two or three years
later, to bring about the schism that has now
defnitively sundered the Greeks and the
Bulgarians. These concessions once Sc
cured, Servia and Montenegro broke Oft
their negotiations with Greece; and
Russia loftily disavowed US. Clearly,
we were duped by a policy not remarka-
bic for its generosity, seeing that, thanks
to the blood we were shedding in torrents
for the common cause, the Slavs, without
striking a blow, snatched the advantages
which they had never been able to obtain
by force Of arms. The conduct OF Servia
produced in Greece a very sorry effect
and thus it is that, Notwithstanding the
advantages OF an alliance with that Princi-
pality, public sentiment still recalls with
disgust the conduct of the Servian Cabinet
towards expiring Crete. Greece was
similarly undeceived with regard TO the
Bulgarian question. At the back of the
Bulgarians we encountered the Russians,
along with the Servians and the other
Slavic peoples of Turkey. So much was
this the case that for a moment there was
q struggle between Hellenism on the one
side, and Slavic nationality on the other.
The Slavs. in fact, even put forward ina
ginary pretensions to Macedonia, Identify
ing themselves as the felIow-countrymen
of Alexander the Great and Aristotle. Not
content with the vast regions occupied by
their prolific race, they mediate further to
expel Hellenism from the countries which
it has made illustrious and where it has
had the glory Of laying the foundation of
modern civilization. That would indeed
be, in the eyes of all who are able to ap-
p~reciate the services which the Hellenic
race has bestowed on the human kind, an
odious proclamation. Such was the state
of relations between the Greeks and the
Slavs of Turkey when the news reached
US by telegraph Of the breaking out of the
HerZegovinian Instruction. This an
nouncement-as will be easily understood
after what we have above set f0rth-was
not received with the interest and the en-
thusiasm which it would have evoked ten
years ago. Nowadays the predominant
idea among the Greeks is to cultivate the
most friendly relations with Turkey. The
interested policy which the Slavs have
SO we'll taught US has replaced the policy
of sentiment, and almost every one is now
convinced that the interests of HELEN
ism, menaced as they are by the rising
tide of Panslavism, require that nothing
shall be done calculated to weaken the
Ottoman Empire in Europe. This idea is
not born of yesterday ; and nothing less
than a rising of the Greek population in
Turkey could drag us into a war against
the Porte. In 1864 the Hellenic Govern
ment did all in its power to prevent the
revolution in Gambia, and it was only
when the Cretaus, our brethren, drew the
sword, that the policy of sentiment, the
impulse of our hearts, moved people and
Government ~undisguisedly to embrace the
cause of the people of Gambia. On this
present occasion the Greek press has con-
fined itself to the reproduction OF the news
of the insurrection published by foreign
journals, wishing thereby to leave to the
Government the most entire liberty Of
action ina matter which, as will have been
seen, touches but remotely the interest of
HelIenism. With q view to cut short any