The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1876-06-03

England I'm Turkey.
In European councils it is indispensably
necessary that Turkey should stand by some
other strength than her own. No Ottoman
Statesman" ever thinks for himself in his
consideration of what course it is proper to
take in the complications Of European poll
tics. He performs part He goes through
the movements and pronounces the proper
sentences at the right time, but some one
else has contrived it all beforehand and is
ready to prompt him as occasion may require.
And as this is the case with cabinet min
listers and great officers individually-as each
one depends upon an adviser or prompter,
supple, cunning and sometimes capable-so
the nation collectively seems unable and in
disposed to proceed in any particular with
out the countenance, advice or support of a
foreign Power.
1t has in various times depended on Eng
Land, on France, on Austria and on Russia,
and the various periods of the history of the
nation in recent centuries may be classed as
each of these influences was respectively
dominant French and English influence
were, of course, dominant in the days Of
the Crimean war; and in the years that
followed that war, until 1870 In that
year the scales of the European balance
were greatly changed. With France pros
trate an alliance of Western Powers for East
ern purposes seemed dead forever, and sup
port from that quarter hopeless while Ger
many was dominant and Russia was allied
with her. In this juncture the Emperor Of
Russia repudiated the treaty of Paris, so far
as it related to his navy in the Black Sea.
Turkey, cut off from her late friends, ac-
cepted as kindly as she might the proffered
good will of Russia and made sacrifice to it,
as the Indians who, having sacrificed vainly
to God proceed to sacrifice to the Devil, for
all her fears were on that side. Hence the
hold required by Russian influence, which
has just been broken by the exclusion of the
Sultan and the advance of one amenable to
English influence
Turkey is now very much like an English
province, for the degree in which country
whose government is once under foreign
influence becomes subject to that influence
is progressive AT one period the foreign
influence is confined to suggestion and ad-
vice, but as calamity comes and is not COM
pretended by the governors, the influ-
ence Of the Power that saves increases at
every recurrence of danger; and in the pres
ent crisis the Power to which the Ministry
is forced to turn essentially governs the
country and determines its destiny. Thus
the Emperor of Russia instructs his Ambas-
sador to appeal for the life Of the deposed
Sultan, but Queen Victoria lifts her hand
and Abdul-Aziz is saved. Fast steamers are
prepared to carry dispatches out from Eng
land, for they cannot be trusted to the
wires, and meantime Murad does not issue
his proclamation, because he does not know
what he must say. and he is not even girded
with the sabre, because the conditions must
first be properly declared.
Austria and Russia neutralized one an
other in the settlement Of the trouble in
Turkey till England slipped in, Jumped
their claims" and seized the country by
sort of diplomatic protectorate. But her
position does not present a casus bell, and
there is no fact in the attitude of Turkey
that requires any hostile proceedings from
her neighbors which were not required be-
fore the change. 1t is to be supposed, how
ever, that the Powers will press on the new
Sultan all the requirements that it was de-
cided to lay before the other, but with what
vigor will not be known till after the chan
cellors of the two Northern Emperors and
the Austrian Ambassador at Berlin have met
at Ems.
1t is probable that the crisis will arise on
a settlement of the relations of the Sultan
and the quasi sovereign princes in the subject
and partially subject States. Bosnia, Herze-
govina, Montenegro and Servia will refuse
allegiance, perhaps with the open support of
Russia; and their independence and the
independence of all the country north of
the Balkan, with or without war; will be the
result. In the many nice points to be nego-
tiated and the many hostile interests to be
appeased it will be wonderful fortune if
war is avoided.