Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1876-11-24
TbeWsrmortt ABenit.



and tho enemies of Turkey. The more
deeply this question is probed, however,
the more he who studies it will hesitate
about taking sides at all. As with almost
every quarrel, national and domestic, nel-
Their party is wholly blameworthy, nor Is
either wholly withoutfault. To discern on
which end of the scale the greater merit
lies is very difficult, and only those whose
view of the Eastern question is cursory
and superficial, will be in haste to espouse
one cause or The other, and become parti-
sans of Russian ambition or of Turkish
territorial integrity.
We sympathize, and rightly, with Chris
tans who are oppressed by Mussulmans;
with subject people against alien masters;
with races fighting for freedom, against
those who keep them enthralled. We are
even inclined to regard with something
like satisfaction the prospect of the utter
collapse Of Turkish power in Europe. Set
ting out with these ustifiable feelings weaIe
tempted too hastily to condemn wholesale
an Asiatic race and a religion hostile TO our
own. But Turkeys side, after all, is not
so utterly bad that we can justly ignore 1t
with contempt In the first place, we need
only to examine the matter 10 find out that
the Bosnian, Bulgarian or Roumelian is
but little better in intelligence, morals,
sense of justice, or governableness, than
his average Turkish aud Moslem neigh
bors. The last three or four sultans really
tried 10 effect reforms, which should give
the Christians a substantial political and
civil equality with the Mohammedans and
the failure OF these attempts was in large
degree owing to the conduct of the Chris
tians themselves. Foreign agents were
perpetually stirring up discomfort in Bos-
mia and Bulgaria; and whatever the gov
eminent at Constantinople did failed to
counteract these occult influences. The
condition of the Christians, moreover, has
been actually and materially improved
during the past decade. Their taxes are
lighter, their religion has been recognized
and protected, and Christians have been
given share not only in the government
of the provinces, but that of the Harem it.
self. The CONSUMPTION for the army has
been modified so as to make military SER
vice not obligatory upon the Sultan's Chris
tian subjects. Every reform, hewever, has
been impeded by the Christians permitting
themselves to he worked upon by Russian
agents, taking up arms on small provoca-
ton, resisting taxes and resorting 10 the
harassing hostility of brigandage.
Much has been made of the atrocities
which have been committed by The Bashi
Bazouks in Bulgaria; and truly no human
language is adequate TO express the horror
with which every human heart revolts
from such fiendish deeds. But these con-
siderations should restrain us before we
say that, because of those outrages, Turkey
no longer. deserves 10 exist, or that she
should be, as Mr.. Gladstone impetuously
says, obliterated from the face of Eu-
rope. The first of these is, that it is now
clear that these outrages were committed
not only without the connivance, but with
out the knowledge of the Sultan's govern
ment; and that government has declared
its purpose that every reparation in its pow
or shall be made for them. The second is,
that the Bashi Bazouks, who committed
those horrible deeds, were not only guer-
illas, led by semi-bandits, but were in large
part actually Circassians, that is, former
Russian subjects, who had been driven to
Turkey by Russian expressions. The third
consideration is, that if we judge Turkey
fit for humiliation on account Of the Bull
garian outrages, we must apply the same
principle in justice to whatever other pow
or is found in the same way to be RESPONSE
BILE for similar outrages. Now Mr.. Eugene
Schuyler, whose account of the Bulgarian
horror was the first TO reach England and
this country, the first to stir us TO the very
depths of a most righteous indignation,
happens to have accompanied the Russian
army to Khiva three years ago. The results
of his experience on that expedition have
just been published. 1t appears therein
that the atrocities committed upon the
Khivans by regular Russian troops, and
by the express command of regular Rus
sian officers, were in no whit less outrage
GUS than those visited by the Bashi Bazouks
upon the Bulgarians. Nor has any Russian
officer been punished therefor, nor has any
reparation been offered therefor TO the Xiii
vans, whose babes were tossed on bayonets,
whose wives ard daughters were ravished
whose villages we're burned, whose towns
were made desolate. The same testimony
that of Mr. Schuyler condemns in equal
terms the Russian and the Turk for crimes
which harrow up the soul by their mere re-
cital. Why is it not proposed TO annihilate
the Russians from Europe? Simply be-
cause Russia Is strong, and Turkey weak
there is no moral reason why the one
should not be annihilated, If it is judged
that the other should be, for offences against
humanity. The Servians declared war up
on Turkey without any allegation of a JUS
cGsus belh. Turkey had done nothing IL
ibjure Servia; had not violated her soil
had broken no engagement with her. The
Turks were victorious; and in the midst o
victory, they were called upon by the pow
ers, not only to rellnquish every fruit o
victory, not only TO leave Servia, the de
feated party, as we'll off as she was before
but actually to make such concessions as ar
usually demanded of belligerent who ha
been decisively worsted in the field. Thi
may, indeed, have been the proper cours
for the powers TO pursue; but the fact ena
bles us TO see some reason, at least, VIII.
Turkey should hesitate to regard her victo
ry as the occasion for giving retribution in
stead of exacting it.-Boston Herald.
The Value Of Condiments.
By condiments we mean substances Xix