The Osceola times., 1876-02-26
NEW STATEN EUROPE.
a Proposed south sciasic state ON the
Lower Danube.

NEW STATE IN EUROPE.
a Proposed south sciavie state on the
| Lower Danube.
One of the favorite solutions of the
eastern question" 80 far as Europe is
concerned, is the formation of south
Sclavic state on he lower Danube. The
south Sclavs" in Turkey and Austria
number from ten TO twelve millions, and
of these not more than seven or eight
hundred thousand are Musselmins, and
perhaps, two and half millions Roman
catholic. The great majority belong Ia
the same church, as well as race, and
speak dialects OF the same tongue. Even
| the Roman catholics are heartily attached
to the great Sclavonic family, and bit.
terly opposed to the Turks. The most
uncertain element, however, of the flu.
ture state are the Sclavonians, who. for
greed or safety, have become converted
to Mohammedanism This population is
now often the most bitter against the
! Christians and is, no doubt, harassing the
unfortunate Bosnians at this very time.
But its attachment TO the government OF
| the Porte is of a very feeble nature, and
any great disaster to Turkey would carry
it to the other side. II has become n
fashion in the European journals to say
that a future Sclavic state in that quar-
ter of Europe would only repeat on a
larger scale the confusion and barbarism
of the insurgent districts, and that we
might as well have perpetual anarchy
under the rule of the Porte as under the
rule of Sclavonian prince. But these
critics choose to forget that the experi-
ment has already been tried of south
Sclavic independent community. We
mean the principality of Free Servia,
with over million of inhabitants. The
coat of arms of the princes of this petty
state is significant. The motto, "'rime
and my right the arms, white eros,
on red field; on the cross two dates,
1889, 1915, and between them a drawn
sword. The two dates represent the CEN
turies of struggle with the Turkish power,
since the old empire of Servia went down
before the great Turkish invasion, and
until the modern province was freed by
heroic men after desperate contest. For
more than four hundred years the hardy
peaantry and their brave leaders have
upheld the cross on bloody fields. Now
the only independent relics of the ancient
Sclavonic and Christian empire are Mon
tenegro and Free Servia. All travellers
agree that there is more true progress
and development of intelligence and sub
stantlal liberty in these two communi-
ties than anywhere in eastern Euro pc,
outside of Hungary. Yet Servia has ad-
vanced under the very guns of Turkish
fortresses, and against all kinds of in
ternal difficulties. The contrast of her
territory with the Turkish is striking.
If in fifty years there could be such prog
ress where the whole tide of European
civilization was turned away, what might
be the advance if all these provinces were
united and put in connection with Chris
tian and civilized EuropeY Belgrade is
the natural outlet for all the railroads in
Hungary and Pennsylvania and there
would soon be stream of commerce
through it from Germany and northern
Europe to the Levant and Asia. The
truth is that the eastern provinces of Eu-
rope have never had fair chance of de-
yelopment. Their history is one of ar
Ttsttu pIOWtu. Ildl lnc 1Ufklsn IN
vasion been thrown back, they would
have become equal in prosperity, and
perhaps intelligence, TO Bohemia or Sax
ony. They contain great resources, and
lie upon the main routes of commerce.
Absolutely the same race inhabits Free
Scrvia, Old Servia, Bosnia, Herzegovina,
and Montenegro. Ii would not be a
great stretch of power or statesmanship
to reunite these populations under the
only successful small Sclavonic state.
With them would he naturally allied the
Croat-Serbs and the Bulgarians. Leav-
ing out of view the south-Sclavs under
Austria, there would still be popula-
tion of some nine millions, who are united
in race, and whose interest il would he
to act together. Such state would be
a perpetual barrier to Turkey, indeed
might eventually control Constantinople
and the sea of Marmora. But its forma-
ton would meet with two great obstacles;
the opposition of Russia, which repre-
sents the north Sclavs, and the opposition
of Austria, which would dread its influ-
ence on the Croats and Slovenes of Hun
gary and the frontier, and which also
covets an outlet by the Danube. 1t is
these manifold interests which make the
final settlement of the eastern question
20 difficult, if not impossible.