New-York tribune., 1875-09-13
THR TTRK And HIS GUARDIANS


The doubt and distrust of each other exist
ing among Christian nations are the only
causes which have kept alive the Turkish
domination in Europe. The Moslcm conquest
of the Danubian principalites was made pos
sibe originally by the furious religious dis
snnsiOns of ChrstendOm. and there has not
been o time in the last hundred years when
clear and candid understanding among the
great Powers of Europe would not easily have
enabled these subject provinces to throw of
the yoke of barbarous and heather despotism
Twenty years ago the Turkish Empire WAS
yisbly approaching dissolution. If the West
ern Powers had simply done nothing, all those
regions now under Turkish control this side
of the Bosphorus would have passed I'M
der governments more or lcss Christian. The
CITY of Constantine would have come once
more into the hands of q sovereign protesting
Constantine's religion, and the grandest Basilica
of ancient times, dedicated to the Divine Wis
dom, would once moro have been cOnsecrated
to Christian worship. But the balance of
power seemed to the statesmen of Europe a
matter of much greater Importance than the
spread of Greek Christianity. England saw
her way to India threatened by the advance
of the Russians southwark, and wasted no
time in sentiment over the desecration of ST..
Sophia. The Emperor of France, who had
Just gained his crown by larceny, perjury, and
murder, was glad to go into war with re-
spectacle companion who could give him social
standing, and he did not trouble himself much
TO consider what the war was about. 1t
was an odd combination which went
into that Crimcan contest against Russia.
English Professionalism aud French BOnapart-
ism which had just restored the Pope to Rome,
united with the Grand Turk TO defend the
Crescent against the Cross, and they cOntrived
to put {, good deal of fervor and poetry into
the business. They saved the Turkish Empire
for the time being, and fastened anew the fet-
ters of a brutal and corrupt tyranny upon the
unfortunate inhabitants OF the Valley of the
Danube.
1t would perhaps be too much to expect
good government or peaceful civilization
from the ignorant violent, and quarresome
peasantry Of these ScldyOnic p.inciDalities.
They are too prone to quarrel, too apt to mix
their religion with strong drink and sharp
dirks, too much inclined to kick out one gov
ernment before they are ready for another, to
inspire very lively hopes that they would
make any rapid advance in peace and pros
perity, even if they should free themselves
from the yoke of the Sultan. But it is reason
ably sure that they could not govern them
selves worse than the Turks have done. There
are limits to bad government this side
of determination, and 1t is hardly too
much to say that the Turks have
reached those limits in almost all their
European provinces. Pillage, corluption ille-
gal trials and executions, unpunishcd outrages
on property and person, are the daily and
hourly Incidents of their rule, wherever they
are strong enough to defy the lawless resent
ment of the people 1t is this, quite as much
as any vague love of liberty or wagner sense
of nationality, which impels the MOntenegrins,
the ucrzegoyinians, the Scryians and their
nciglbors to break ont from time to time in
reckless and hopeless revolt against then Mos
lem masters. They can never succeed in it
without the consent. or acquleScence OF the
Western Powers, and they cannot obtain this
until an entire change of policy takes place
among those Powers in regard to the Eastern
question.
Sooner or later this change will take place
or a conflict is inevitable Even at the mo-
ncnt when the diplomacy of tho Continent
w,., cA,lting itself tO the utmost to put down