The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1876-11-29
THELEsSoN oFrHE EASTERN CRISIS.

Now that tae seemingly critical state of
| things brought about BY the movements in
the reyOlted provinces of Turkey, has lasted
long enough 20 impress it's influence upon
the course of European diplomacy, some in
structive differences may be drawn from the
attitude of the various powers in the pres
ence of The impending danger. One fact
which appears at this moment with clear
ness altogether novel in these later years is
worth noting with considerable insistence. 1t
is that when this perennial eastern question
is stripped of all extraneous issues and re-
duced to bare statement OF the points at
issue, it remains the same from generation
degeneration and from century to century.
The progress of civilization and the growth
of modern notions of international right and
justice have somewhat masked the main
elements in the dispute during its long pc
Rod of quiescence; but in the critical mo-
ment of its probable renewal by armed force
they re-appear with startling diStinctness
The main, essential, almost sole important
elements in the eastern queetion-those
which brought the dispute into being, have
kept it alive through series of generations
and have given il new life in this very year.
are two-Russian greed OF conquest and
English commercial jealousy. For more
than century past, an abiding lust after
Constantinople and the command of the
Black sea has been the strongest national
feeling in Russia, and for the same time the
traditional English policy has been to make
almost all questions of state policy subor-
dinate to the great question of protecting
from all present or possible encroachmen
her Indian possessions and the route thereto
These two national qualities, essentially
selfish and grasping as they are, have been
somewhat softened and masked for long
series of years, during which the eastern dis
pute has seldom assumed great importance,
but they have never disappeared, and still
form the groundwork OF contention. Russia
will still exhaust her armies and her treas
ury, after all the resources of diplomacy have
failed, to feed her greed of territorial con-
quest. England viii still strenu-
ously plot and scheme, and, ii
necessary, hold herself in readiness
to fight to preserve her route to India and
the commercial supremacy upon which all
her importance is founded. Any other pre-
tended elements in the dispute, any other
pretexts for interference in the affairs of
Turkey on the part of either Russia or Eng
land, are the baldest pretense. The aspira-
tons for freedom and unifcation on the part
of the reyolted provinces are feature in the
situation. Panslayism as hope and more
or less distant dream among the scat.
tered peoples of the lower DANUBE is
a fixed fact. But these are minor
considerations in the great issue. They are
but cloak to Russian designs, as the
Christian provinces are but puppets in work
ing out Russian plans So on the other
hand England's srecious pleas about the
balance of power, preserving the integrity
of European states and sucooring weak and
oppressed nation, but serve to disguise the
national fear that sees danger TO the Aslat!c
trade in Russian success nPon the Black
sea. Russian lust OF sonquess and English |
trading iealousy are still the two moving
causes tb-s keep European diplomats in a |
feverdpon the eastern question
This fact is made most clear by events Of /
the last few weeks. The traditional policy |
Of England was obscursd for time by the
popular indignation over the bulgarian
atrocities, and Mr.. Gladstone was for sup
posal to express the sentiments of the ma
ion in his feryid appeals for justice TO the
christian population of Turkey. But the
persistent adherence of Lord Derby to the
I'D time policy, fortified by the recent
rigorous speech of Disraeli, indicates that