Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1876-02-14
..,,.... - .ChEiatianAnd rurk /.
New York Tlme.. jan. 20th.I

PRESS which is not improbable, that the
Prince of Montenegro had recently com
municsted to Prince Gortschakoff his
inability to restrain his people longer
from joining with their brethren in Her
zeRonvia IN resisting the Turks, and that
be risked the loss OF crown and position
if he withheld them from the struggle
any further. The Russian Minister, it is
said, exhorted the Slavonic Prince TO
curb his ardor. and intimated that if he
maintained peace his own position might
be materially improved or, in other
words, that the long-coyeted narrow strip
Of land, now held by the Turks, which
separates the n county Of the Black
Mountains from the Adriatic, might be
Eventually assigned to its natural owner
the little Principally of Montenegro.
The quality of q population is not,
fortunately, dependent on It's numbers,
and the best things in history have often
come from States no bigger than Monte
negro. Few people remember what this
principality mas to do with either the
present war or with European history.
The truth is, that in all its annals, for
Ioufi hundred years, It has been a kind Of
dixie against that stream OF desolation
which, originating far away in the plains
OF Central Asia, poured for ages over
Eastern Europe. We have had much
ingenious and able philosophy Of history.
Our own. historian, DR.. Draper, has
shown, in perhaps an exaggerated light,
the services Of one Oriental tribe-the
Arabs--to the civilization Of Europe.
But not the, most enthusiastic 0rientaiist
could ever discover the benefit to civili-
zation from the existence Of the Turks
in Europe. On the contrary, good
philosophical essay remains to be written
on the injury done to the best interests
Of mankind by the Turkish invasion
and armed occupation of portions OF
Eastern Europe.
The best Oriental populations which
was ever in Europe-the Maeyars--were
put back for hundreds Of years by their
struggles with this powerful invader
All the Slayonic provinces on the bor-
ders Of Europe we're either barbarized
or Conquered by this influence; and to
this day every province on the Lower
Danube or the borders of the Adriatic
which has been under Turkish rule will
explain ell its want Of progress and civ
iliEstion by the fatal effects Of this
former occupation and conquest THE
Turk" both in popular imagination and
in the true philosophy Of history, is the
cause of most Of the ills Of Eastern
Europe.
Against this invasion OF barbarism the
little country of the Black Mountains
has continually struggled. For hun
dreds Of years, under their warlike
bishops, this heroic population have
maintained an unequal and desperate
contest with great empire. They have
been conquered. their little capital, Get
tigne, taken; their valleys occupied over
and over again by 0ttomaa soldiery;
they were even considered province OF
the Turkish empire, but they we're never
utterly subdued. Alone and unaided,
the small Christian population sustained
themselves for centuries against Moham.
medan influence and invasion. At
length, in 1858, they became entirely. in
dependent, and are now free, and, trav-
elers report, advancing wonderfully in
all the arts of civilization.
The Herzogovinians ara kith and kin
with the Montenegrins. The two popll.
lations have, substantially the same
blood and faith. The cause of the in
Surgents is the old hard.fought cause of
the Black Mountaineers. Their oppres-
sor aud enemy for centuries is the same.
Very naturally : the hardy mountaineers
pour over into Herzegovina and join in
the struggle which has been familiar to
them in all their history. Even in DC
tober last it was reported that 10000 of
the insurgent refugees had taken refuge
in Montenegro. The former line OF
fighting bishops in this prinoipality has
been succeeded by an equally martial
prince, who, without doubt feels himself
in close relation with the great Slavonic
power and, perhaps, has been partly
pensioned by the Russian government.
The Slavonic Christians are essentially
one, despite the great difference between
North and South Slaves. ~ to rsi t
II, as the Russian Cabinet is reported
to have intimRted, there is to be 4recti-
fcation" of the territory OF this little
principally, and it is to possess its natu-.
raj outlet to the sea, all Europe, except,
perhaps, Austria, will rejoice at it,. The
Turk only gained this little strip of land
through the mutual jealousies OF Ragusa'
and Venice; and Christian guarrels, as
vas often the case, strengthened the
Mohammedan power, II would appear
now as It nothing but arWed occupation.
by the imperial powers could prevent
Montenegro, Servis and even Albania
from being drawn into the struggle.