The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1876-12-15
Mr.. Thomas Carlyle.
His Views on the Eastern Questiou-Tbe
Turk Should Turn His Face TO the East.
ward and Give up Tr.ing TO Govern.
The London papers print the following, writ
iEYNE Row. CHELSEA, |

The London papers print the following, writ
ten by Mr.. Carlyle:
No. s CHEYNE Row. CHELSEA,
Nov. "a, 1876.
Dear HoaCdrd:-lt by no means seems so evl-
dent to me as it does to you and your friends
that an utterance of my opinion on the Eastern
crisis could be important; but since you assure
me that it might be of service to many persons
now in doubt on the matter, overcome the
very great reluctance L had to speak of the sub
Ject at all and will try to indicate summarly
what my own poor private views on it are. In
the first place, then, for fifty years back my
clear belief about the Russians has been that
they are good and even noble element in Eu-
rope. Conspicuously they possess the talent of
obedience, of silently following orders given,
which in the universal celebration of the ballot
box, divine freedom, ETC., will be found an in
valuable and peculiar gift. Ever since Peter
the Greats appearance among them they have
been in steady progress of development. In
our time they have done signal service to God
and man In drilling into sorder and peace au-
archie populations all over their side of the
world. The present Gar of Russia judge to
be strictly honest and Just man, and, in shcrt,
my belief is that the Russians are called to do
great things in the world, and to be a conspcu-
GUS benefit, directly and indirectly, to their fell
low-men. To undertake war against Russia
on behalf of the Turk, it is evident to me,
would be nothing short of insanity, and has be-
come, we may fondly hope, impossible for any
minister or prime minister that exists among
us. Twenty years ago We had mad war in de-
tense OF the Turk; mass of the most hideous
and tragic stupidity, mismanagement and dis
aster lin spite of bravest tighting) that England
was ever concerned in since L knew it; hun
dred millions of money and above sixty thous-
and valiant lives were spent in the enterprise.
BY treaties of Paris, etc., the Turk was
preserved intact, binding himself only to re.
form his system of government, which certain
ly of all things in the world needed reform.
And now after twenty years of waiting, the
Turk is found to have reformed nothing nor at
tempted to reform anything, not to add that by
bankrupt finance he has swallowed a disastrous
tribute of many new millions from the widows
and orphans OF England, as fms to all which he
has wound up by the horrors of Bulgaria. and
such savageries as are without parallel With
these weighty aggravatlons, the Turkish ques-
tien returns upon as anew and demands So
luton. 1t seems to me that something very
different from war on his behalf is what the
Turk now pressiDgly needs from England and
from all the world-namely, to be peremptorily
Informed that we can stand no more of his at
tempts to govern in Europe, and that he must
quinn prinlum turn his face ito the eastward,
forever quit this side of the Hellespont, and
give up his arrogant ideas of governing any
body but himself. Such immediate and sum-
mary expulsion of the Turk from Europe may
appear to many too drastic remedy, but to
my mind it is the only one of any real validity
under the circumstances. Improved manage
ment of these unhappy countries might begin
on the morrow after this long-coDtinued curse
was Withdrawn, and the ground left free for
wise and honest human effort. The peaceful
MoDgol inhabitants would, of course, De left in
peace, and treated with perfect equity, and even
friendly consideration; but the governing Turk,
with all his Pashas and Bashi-Bazouks should
at once be ordered to disappear from Europe
and never to return. This result is in the long
run inevitable, and it were better to set about it
now than to temporize and haggle in the vain
hope of doing it cheaper some other time
fnaV nffnFT
of the recovered provinces, cleared of their un-
speakable Turk government for twenty, or say
any other term OF years. our own experience in
India may prove that it is possible and in few
faithful and skillfnl hands is even easy. Nor
in the temper of the car aud the Austrian en-
peror need the fair partition of these recovered
territories be quarrel. Austria must eX pect
to become more and more Sclavic and Hun
garian empire, her 100000 of Germans more
and more gravitating toward their countrymen
of the great German empire. The czar, whose
serious task it is to protect the Christian sub
jects in Turkey proper, will justly have claim
to territorial footing in the recovered country.
To England there is one vital interest, and one
only-that of securing Its road to India, which
depends on Egypt and the Suez Canal. The
thing to be desired is concord among the three
great powers, and il, as we do hope, there is a
mutual trust grounded on honesty OF intention,
on the part of each, none claiming more than
| in the nature of things belongs to him, we may
confidently expect that the difficulties of the
business cannot prove insuperable. 1t seems
| to me the advice of Prince Bismarck, mag
unanimous, noble, deep-seeing iman, who has no
national aims or interest in the matter, might
| be very valuable; nay, were he appointed
| arbiter where difficult dissdences arose, what
| but benefit would be likely to result? But on
| this portion of the subject L am not called to
| write. The only clear advice have to give is,
| as have stated, that the unspeakable Turk
| should be Immediately struck out of the ques-
| tion and the country left to honest European
| guidance, delaying which can be profitable
or agreeable only to gamblers on the
| stock exchange. but distressing and unproht-
| able to all other men.
remain always, dear Howard,
Yours truly, T. CARLYLE.
g. Howard. ESQ.