The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1876-07-15
WILL THERE BE WAR IN EUROPE

2 not been able to keep our readers as well
G posted in reference to the rising war cloud in
). Easter Europe as may be necessary for an In
, teligent comprehension of the situation. y
] disturbance between Turkey and her Euro
t pean provinces would IN itself be of little
e consequence, were it not that 1t slmost inya-
2 riably opens the troublesome Eastern CUES
t ton" with its endless suspicious and jeal-
ousies among what are called the great
! powers. Turkey is known as the sick man, -
+ though an enormous empire, covering in
, Europe and Asia as much territory as all the
rest of Europe combined except Russia, and
embracing, with its dependencies, popu!a-
ton Of 100000 of people; yet SO weak
in its administration, that it is liable at any
day to fall to pieces, when its vast territory
will naturally become the prey Of the other
great powers. Russia has long had d covet-
Gus eye on COnstantinople and the golden
gate to the Mediterranean; Austria would
like to gobble Herzegovina, Montenegro,
Bosnia, &c; and Prussia might be satisfied
to trade her slice for Poland or Gallcia, while
England, with her naval supremacy in the
Mediterranean, her control OF the Suez canal
and paw on Egypt, is mainly concerned for
the maintenance Of the Stata quo and keeping
Russia out of Constantinople. Thus it is
that whenever any disturbance occurs be,
tween Turkey and her European dependen.
cies, English fear and jealousy at once jump
to the conclusion that Russia is at the bot.
tom of it, and no matter how righteous may
be the cause of the poor provincials, England
! flies to the rescue of the sick man"
The immediate cause of the present conflict
between Turkey and some of her European
provinces is simple enough II lies in the
attempt of the Turkish authorities to collect
what are regarded as eXorbitant and oppres.
sve taxes from the inhabitants Of Herzego.
vina and Bosnia. This imposition of taxes
has always been regarded as oppressive by
the christian subjects of the Sultan, and they
have never failed TO protest against it either
by representations TO the great powers or by
an appeal to arms. But the overwhelming
force of the Turkish baualions supporting the
tax gatherers has hitherto suppressed every
attempt at resistance, besides inhicting on
the people the most terrible cruelties. Is
was from such causes that Herzegovina again
rose in revolt less than year ago, and the
vigor of her resistance is shown by the total
failure of the Turks thus far TO subdue her
After the first outbreak, ami when it became
evident that Servia, Albania and others OF the
mr. oh no iro iDtp he fi-bt q
Austria called halt, and proposed TO settle
the trouble by negotiation. This led TO what
is known as the Andrassy note. Andrassy is !
the Austrian prime minister, who drew up
note to the Sutton, in which he was required, |
in consideration that the insurgents would /
lay down their arms, 10 grant the proyincials /
certain important reforms-less taxation, per. /
feet religious liberation, &c. Andrsssy car
riei his note to Berlin, and there, at an inter. !
view between himself, Bismarck and Gort- |
chakof, the mote" was agreed TO by the |
three great powers, Prussia, Russia and Aus |
tria, with an animation that If the Sultan |
failed to make the concessions, the great |
powers would interfere TO compel him, while |
if the insurgents refused to lay down their
arms, the like force should be used with re.
gard TO them.
But when the Andrassy note was present
cd to England and France for approval, the
latter evaded it while the former decidedly
demurred. England could see in i, nothing
but the old spectre of Russian intrigue to
humilatc and crush Turkey and seize Con.
stantinople. Instead Of endorsing the An.
Grassy note, she doubled her feet in the Fgean
and told the northern powers to keep hands
rupture on the Eastern question and another
Crmean war, and the Andrassy note was
withdrawn.
The present attitude of the great powers in
reference TO the rebellious provinces, there.
tore, is one of proiessed neutrality In that
condition, the conflict can have but one issue
Turkey, with all her weakness and dstrac.
tons, yet maintains standing army Of atleast
100000 men. Herzegovina, Montenegro and
Bosnia can raise at the utmost not over So
600 fighting men, and the total available
strength OF ServIa is placed at 10000 BE.
sides this, large proportion of the popula-
ton of the rebelious provinces themselves is
Mohammedans, so that they have, besides the
en9my an active, insiduous enemy
at home. Thus the overwhelming power of
Turkey ought to make short work of the
rebellion.
But will she be allowed to do so? The
war on the part of the Turks is essentially one
Of religious hate. What 1t will be like may be
judged of from the manner in which the relig
ious persecution is now carried on IN Bulga
ria Under pretencc that the Christians in
Bulgaria are preparing to join the Servlans
and Herzegovinians, the Turks have seized
the opportunity to wreak their vengeance on
the Christian population. They have armed