The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1876-10-11
RUTHERFORD b. HAYES
WILLIAM A. WHEELER,
OF NEW YORK,
Republican or COssack.

Republican or COsSack.
Napoleon, who was habitually bilious at st.
Helena, thought that Europe would become
Republican or Cossack before the close of the
present century. But the different people of
that country exhibit no haste in fulfilling the
prediction, plausible as it was. There was
time when Spain and France were both re-
publics and the vigor of democratic agitation
in Italy excited hope that the Latin races,
Europe republican. But the Bourbons are
back in Spain, President MacMahon has sue
ceeded the more progressive Thiers in France,
and Italy's pride in the Ieestablished integri-
ty of its territory seems not 10 be much dis
turbed by dreams of civil liberty.
So Europe will not become republican.
But the Cossack is on the march. 1t would
surprise no one if within a very short time
Russia's quiet and disavowed encouragement
of the revolt of Turkeys Slavic dependencies
should suddenly change into open and effec-
tive championship. Presages of such start
ling event come thick and fast, and the Mus
covite's long cherished dream of the possess
sion OF European Turkey may be on the eve
of fulfllment. Even if Austrian jealousy of
the Pan-Slavic movement should impel that
crippled empire to lend its aid to the Su tan
and England should carry her strange fond
ness for her Mahometan protege to the point
of renewing the armed support of 1854, most
of us, with such information as we are able 10
obtain on this side of the Atlantic, would ex-
pect to see the Cossack in Constantinople at
an early day.
But it is far from Constantinople to the re-
naming capitals of Europe, even by way of
the Dardanelles and the Mediterranean; and
those Of us who live to see Europe all Cossack
will be very old indeed. But if this were to
be the result of Russia's southwark move
ment the civilized world might well sympa-
thize heartily with England in its anxiety to
uphold Turkey as an unsightly but necessary
barrier against Russian aggression. For
though cable-like bond of amity between
the people of the United States and the Gear
is exhibited in diplomatic correspondence and
in after dinner speeches on rare occasions of
social intercourse between the two countries,
emphasized by grateful memories of sympa-
thy during our struggle for national integrity,
it is probable that this tendency to friendship
is the result of their antpodal position and
the lack of dangerous points Of territorial con-
tact rather than of any natural sympathy or
affection. Distance, which is said 10 be the
grave OF love in individuals, is often the first
source of it with nations. They have moth
ing to quarrel about and cannot fight at arms
length, and so they make love. Haroun al
Raschid, in "his golden prime," sent strik-
ing clock to Charlemagne, the enterprising
Giaour whose laurels he would have actively
disputed if a continent had not stretched be-
tween them.
The Cossack has little claim to our sympa-
thy except that he isn't a Turk. By Cossack
we mean what Napoleon meant-the repre-
sentative soldier of that vast and compli-
Gated union of nations and tribes called Rus
sia. Europe has always execrated the Turk
as struggling Monsol, an offshoot of the
Tartars who came many centuries ago out of
the wilds of Northwestern Asia. Ethnology
has been as strong point in Russia's case as
itlused to be that Of our Southern brethren,
But he who finds that his neighbor comes of
low family must be careful to look I'D his
own gehealogy before saying much about it.
Russia says that the Turks are straw Tartars
and do not belong in Europe. But are not
the most numerous and powerful races of the
Russian Empire descended in part from those
savage and restless Scythians who were the
terror of the ancient world, and in part from
those same Tartar hordes that were led by
GeDghis Khan and Tamerlane to slaughter?
In fact, is there not pretty near relation
ship existing between this proud European
proprietor and the Asiatic squatter who is
abont to be warned off? 1t is little matter If
the Russian turns his imbecile and blood
thirsty poor relation out of doors. OF the
two the Russian is undoubtedly the better
fellow and somewhat more civilized But
vast numbers of the Russians as well as the
Turks are aliens to the great Indo- European
or AIRY an family. Both Russians and Turks
are descendants Of northern barbarians who
in almost all historic ages but the present
have swarmed southwark and fattened on
| the riches of civilization. Russia, with too
much scope allowed her at the start, might
possibly feel the impulse of her mingled
| Scythian and Tartar blood, and make wild
work with the powers of Southern Europe.
Napoleon thought it extremely probable that
she might, but the apprehension of such an
attempt does not seem to trouble European
| cabinets so much as it did earlier in the CEN
tury. England is jealous, indeed, but it is
for her Asiatic possessions, not for her own
| Independence that she fears.