National Republican., 1876-09-28
THE TURKISH QUESTION.

Though the reports which reach US from
the East conflict as 10 whether the armistice
between Turkey and Servia has been ter
minated and active hostilities resumed, of
one thing there is an absolute certainty,
and that is that Russia has at last thrown
off her mask of armed neutrality and is now
openly reinforcing the shattered columns
of Prince Milan in such numbers as to
compel the Great Powers to acknowledge
that important fact, and the Sultan to bat
tie with the Gar. The depleted ranks of
the Servian regiments are being rapidly
filled up with Russian recruits. Russian
generals are being assigned to the princl-
pal commands, and it is authoritatively
asserted that when these changes have
taken place not single Servian will hold
any position of prominence in that army.
Ten thousand Russian infantry, several
battalions Of artillery, corps of engineers
ard splendid legion of COcsack cavalry
form the advance guard of the Cz:r in aid
of Servia against the Sultan. Undoubtedly
these startling fIcts change the whole
aspect of the Turkish question, and formid
able and threatening to the peace of Eu-
rope as such an attitude on the part of
Russia toward the Ottoman Empire at The
beginning of hoslilties would have beeo,
the aggressive action of the former Power
at This time, though looked upon with
anxiety will doubtless meet with the ap
proyal Of nearly ali the Great Governments
Of Europe, backed as it evidently has
been, since the Bulgarian atrocities became
known, by the powerful moral, if not in
the end, material aid of Turkeys tradi-
tiOnal frienG-:he great British nation.
That the power Of the Mohammcdan in
Europe was doomed even before the en-
croachments OF the Russian upon him no
student of history who properly appreciates
the subject will deny. 1t began. its wane
years before the Crimean war; before the
battle of N.varino and the Greek revolt
achieved the independence of that nation
at an almost fatal cost to Turkey; even be-
fore Don John of Austria struck it that fear
full blow in the naval victory of Leplnto; be-
fore Ferdinand and Isabella drove him from
Spain back into Africa; it began, indeed,
at that early period when the power of the
Cross was first brought into conflict with
that of the Crescent-long before Solyman
the Magnificent had founded the present
dynasty and established his rule over the
Empire of Constantine, and when the sub
jugated races now fighting him first began
to revolt against Turkish tyranny. As we
have before said, had the Sublime Porte
not have had the powerful support of
Great Britain in 1854, Abdul Medjid would
have been the last of the Osmanli to have
sat on the throne of his ancestors. WHAT
are we to expect, then, when his successor,
Abdul Hamid, finds himself twenty yesrS
memorial friendship of the English fast
turning into disgust, if not eventually i'm
placable hatred 1t may be that the pres
ent war may end with the Turk still grasp
ing al power in Europe. We doubt it,
Yet, if such he the result, that Power, we
predict, will be rendered SO feeble as to be
utterly unable to Withstand the next blow
which is sure soon 10 follow against its eX-
istence. The iruth is this war against the
Turk has long been a war of races as well
as one Of religions, and il simply remains a
question of time when the weaker party
will not only be compelled 10 entirely sue
cumb 10 the stronger, but, in this instance,
be utterly extirpated from off the face Of
Europe by the vit1liiy, the superior ability
and the humanity Of his Christian opp3-