The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1876-10-21
WAR IN EUROPE.


across the water during the past lew DAYS
had been lat Europe was on the eve CT an
- other Prolonged and general bloody war, bu
Yesterdays dispatches Unexpectedly assumed
different tone, and now it seems certali
that ut most the war will be confined to {
4 short, sharp conflict between Russia and Tur
kew. 1t would occupy more space than W.
v can spare TO give such resume of events il
Europe for the past few months and such &
detailed statement of the relations. influences
5 and motives of the various Europeon nations
, in reference to the great Eastern question, as
} would make the subject ineligible to oui
} readers so that II must suffice at present tC
say, that the solution of il all is, that Russia's
supreme desire IS TO get possession OF Con
stantnople and an outlet to the Mediterra
mean; that Germany and Austria shrink from
such a consummation for fear of the over
whelming power it will give Russia in Euro
pean politics; while to England Russia IN
the Mediterranean simply means the closing
up of her gateway to the East and placing
her entire Eastern Empire at the mercy OF
Russia
The rebellion of the Turkish provinces in
Europe Montenegro, Herzegovina and Ser
via--had its origin doubtless purely in Turk
! ish outrage and oppression IN Those provinces,
but it gave Russia an opportunity, by secret
| ly sending men, money and war material to
the insurgents, to make the rebellion so for
midable as to demand the interference Of the
great powers by threatening ultimately to
weaken Turkey by disintegration of her
empire in Europe. To avert this, the great
powers patched up an arrangement that all
shonld keep hands off and let Seryla, &c,
fight their battles alone, secretly hoping that
Turkey would soon tire Of it and give the IN
surgents such terms as would END the strife
In this, however, the powers miscaculated
Turkey was entirely too strong, and il was
soon apparent that the insurgents would be
hopelessly crushed Then Russia again be.
came uneasy and began to interfere, and the
powers demanded another halt-the granting
of another armistice by Turkey, and another
siege of diplomacy to patch up peace This
diplomatic tilt has been going on 70. a month
past, but at every stage the subject seems to
have grown more complicated, until Russia
appears finally to have tired Of the dilly.dal.
lying, and Tuesday kilograms showed that
she had thrown of the mask and commenced
moving troops into Bessarabla and Bulgaria.
Ordinarily, of course, this would have meant
the end Of diplomacy and immediate, bloody
war But Russia accompanies the movement
with declaration of what she wants. What
she demands is the absolute independence of
Servia, the recognized independence Of Mon
tenegro, with an extension of territory, and
the annexation of the port of Spssia and the
political and administrative autonomy OF
Bosnia, Herzegovina, and Bulgaria. She
wishes the strip off Bessarabia taken from
her in 1856, and to have the liberty of the
Dardanelles established
Now as this does not involve the dethrone.
ment of the Turk and the possession OF Con
stantinople, nor the gobblng up of any Eu.
ropean territory, the great powers, rather than
risk a general, fearful and prolonged bloody
European war, seem inclined to humor Rus.
sa by acceding to her demands, and though
these demands may lead TO a
war between Russia and Turkey, the rest of
Europe seem to have about settled down for
the present TO let that war 60 on and to keep
hands off. England says such a war need
not necessarily involve the other powers, and
Turkey had better at once prudently yield TO
the Russian demand and thus compel her to
make peace on her own terms. In no event
can Turkey hope for any other ally in such a
war than Great Britain, while If England is
allowed to have Egypt in general dismem-
berment of Turkey, even England could no
longer be relied upon as an ally to Turkey.
Well-so, roughly sketchec, seems TO stand
The matter at this writing OF course, in the
threatening aspect Of the affair, the Ameri.
can grain and stock markets on Tuesday
were fearfully excited, and wheat and corn
began to go up at a startling rate. The sub
more pacific dispatches, however,
have allayed the excitement, and the markets
IRE settling back to the old figures.
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