The New York herald., 1876-11-18
The War Cloud in Europe.

| II is possible that the Continent will be
ablaze with war while the courts are still
disputing the conditions on which their
representatives may meet TO avert the war.
Russia-not the Gar, not the Court, but
the na,ion-is under the influence of one Of
those great moral excitements which
drive people toward some definite
object as If with the yigor of
tremendous storm. In Russia tho people
have not reached that stage in the growth Of
thought which in most western countries
has reduced Christianity to form of
opinion. They nre still in possession of
that robust faith in their religion which was
the leading attribute of tho Puritan people,
and which three hundred years ago devas-
tated all Europe with wars waged on doc
trine. That enthusiasm which in the his
tory of the Crusades seems incomprchensi-
bic IN these times is n vital force in Russia
to-day, and the government recognizes that
the attempt to suppress it is dangerous.
This spirit pursues Legitimate object in
demanding that the government shall rescue
the "brethren" Of the Russian people-thcir
fellow Slavs-from the oppression and
tyranny of the Moslem rulers. 1t is esteemed
n great triumph Of moral force that in our
own country tho very small oppression in
hctcd upon the negroes of the South in
spired at the North nm agitation that cvcntu-
ally made n great wor But if the
white people of the North might JUS
tifably espouso the cause Of tho ne
groes at such cost, how much
more naturally and justly might this
have been done if those negroes had been
whites of the same race and origin
with ourselves and subject to the ferocious
expressions Of men of another race This
is the case rs between the Slavs of Russia
and the Slavs in the Turkish provinces In
Russia great nation is compelled to wit
ness the Bulgarian atrocities practised on
men of it's own race and religion, and to
know that they are butchered in great pnrt
because of their religion and race And
since those atrocities, stirring the hor-
ror of England through their in
humanity. inspired in that country
demand that the Moslems should
be left to their fate, can it surprise
anybody that in Russia, where they touch
not the sentiment of humanity but the
deepest passions of the people, they should
give energy and even fury to the demand
that the victims shall be secured by free
dom against the possible repetition of such
treatment? Is it incomprehensible that
government should deem war as trivial
evil if it is necessary to satisfy this de-
mand?
Pitiful, indeed, is the spirit in which Eng
land deals with Russia's earnest energy. It
is natural enough on the part of English
writers to assume that England's motives in
her relation to the Eastern crisis are abso-
lutely pure-without any taint of self-seek-
i2g whatever. 1t seems to be equally natu-
ral with them to impugn the motives of Rus
sia-to imply in oil they say that the govern
ment at st. Petersburg puts forward
humanity only as pretence and furthers
secret ends of its own while ostensibly act
ing as the champion Of oppressed popula-
tions allied to its people. No very
extensive acquaintance with the history
of European politics is needed to know
that this is the light in which England al
ways presents herself on one hand, and in
which she sees her enemies on the other.
Every people in the world, Of course, sees it's
own case in the most favorable aspect; yet
there is hardly any nation except England
that cannot sometimes do justice to its ene-
mics. 1t is m evidence of the vigor and
success Of the press in country where il is
free that England commonly makes the
opin;on ~ Eurona in raforepoa %> bor ,v,,,
disputes, and that she has now instilled in
Germany, in France and in Austria her own
suspicious Of Russia's sincerity and i'm
pressed her own opinions of England's open
honesty.
There is hardly anything in print moro
sublimely impertinent than the words sent
by cable, quoted from the Pail MaH Gazette
which picture England as tho guardian of
the universe, watching Rnssa to detect
| s'nny overt net in the direction of her sus-
| pected aims" before proceeding to annihilate
| her. And this conception of the lofty func-
ton of England in international relations
and of the mean cunning of Russia is given
to the public on the same day with nm
outline of tho English programme for
taking possession of Constantinople; not
to hold it in the interest of England
oh, no! but only to keep it out of the
hands of Russia, and possess it in trust for
the future owners, their identity to be de-
termined by an international Congress.
England vilifcs Russia before the world for
half century on the theme that Russia is
only endeavoring to get Constantinople.
She holds up the desire to get Constantine
pie MS the acme Of national wickedness aud
then proposes to take Constantinople her
self. to keep others out of temptation. Rus
sin might contemplate such proposition
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