, 1876-08-03
THE TURKISH CIVIL WAR.


field, to achieve tho first notable victory over
tho Turks. The nows Of the battlo Of IRE
binjo ia SO circumstantinl That there iR little
reason to doubt tho Turks suffered decided
defeat, with q loss Of more than 5000 men
aud largo number of officers. Tho yaluo
of this victory lies mainly in tho dcmonstra-
ton Of strongtl1 on the part Of tho Monte
negrins Which has not been suspected, and
which may induce the Turks to weaken their
forces in Servian territory, and by this divis-
ion to interrupt tho series Of successes that
have boen gained ovor tho Scrvians. The
Montonegrin success will exert less IN
auence over Roumauia's policy than il q
similar victory had been won in servian ter
ritory which adjoins Isoumania, and whore
tho Successes have boen mainly OH Tho side
Of the Turks. But this single victory over
the Turks is not enough Of itself to warrant
the belief that tho Scrvian war,
even strengthened by tho alliance
with Montenegro, will eventuato in
the establishment Of tho Independence of the
province. There IN no reason to believe
that any Of these provinces Hingly can sue
ccssfn1ly contend against tho Turkish power,
md tho only hopo for tho Christians in
European Turkey is union Of forces, in
Guiding I'll of Bosn;a, Seryia, bulgaria, and
Roumania, along with Greece.
The correspondents at tho sent of war
seem to ngreo that, when scrvia struck, tho
blow aroused tho patriotic sentiments Of
Pauslavism, which 1ncana consolidation of
the Slavic people into ono nation. Tho moro
recent tendency il to confederation. with
independent powers reserved to tho various
States. This is tho basis Of the agreement
between Servia an6 Montenegro, which
pledges TINT tho autonomy Of Montenegro
shall be maintained with the annexation of
Herzegovina, while Montenegro recognizes
the servian Kingdom. II tho union Of theao
two provinces can aclliovo enough Of success
in opposing tho Turks to develop
tho Panslavio sentiment in Roumania
and lead to tho joining Of That
province in tho war upou tho Same terms,
then the other minor provinces will probably
trust their destinics with tho alliance, and
tho war will assume IN importance aud
magnitude that it has not yet possessed
Ronmania Of late Inns been arrogating TO
itself privileges OF sovereignty which are by
no means guaranteed to 1t, but which havo
been passed over by Turkey evidently
with tho purpose OF concil'ating tho Rou-
manians md keeping thom ont of tho fight.
But now 1t is understood that Roumania in
teuls to press tho old dispute about her
boundaries and insist upon An annexation of
certain territory along the Delta Of tho
Danube. The revival Of this dispute at tho
present time would ace.n to indicate that
Rounlania proposes to make the most Of the
insurrection for hor own advantage, and a
failure to attain her purpose through tho
insurreotion of Seryia and Montenegro may
induce her to join them. This would
look to tho formation Of Pau.
slavic, Confederation. But the sentiment
Of Greece is opposed to such q
union Of the Slavic provinces and peoples,
which probably accounts for tho domonHtra-
tions Of tho Athons Government of Its at-
tachmont to tho Ottoman Empire. Unlcss
Greece should striko Turkey on tho flank, 1t
Ia not impossible that tho Turks might pre-
yail over the Slavic union Of forcca. Mean
time mediation by the European Powers
sceula to 10 seriously contemplated, which,
il It takos d practical shape, will probably
bring about another postponement Ut war
OF races mud religions almost suro to come
sooner or later.