The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1876-03-02
NEW STATE IN o


One Of the iayOritc solutions Of the
eastern question: 20 far rs Europe is
concerned, is the formation Of Il south
"aou'h ScIays" in Turkey and Austria
number from ten to twelve millions, and
Of these not more than seven or eight
hundred thousand are MusSelm ms, and,
perhaps, two and 4 half millions Roman
catholic, The great majority belong to
the same church, rs well AZ race, and
| peak dialects Of the same tongue, Even
the Roman catholics are heartily attached
to the great SclavOnic family, and bit
tcrIy opposed to the Turks, The most
uncertain element, however, of the fI-
turc state are the %SclavOnians, who, for
greed or safety, have become converted
to Mohammcdanism. 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 10 the government Of
the Porte is Of n very feeble nature, and
any great disaster to Turkey would carry
it to the other side. It has become Il
fashion in the European journals to say
that a future Sclavic state in that quar-
ter Of Europe would only repeat on II
larger scale the confusion and barbarism
Of the i]nsurgcnt districts, and that we
might ~ well have perpetual anarchy
under the rule Of the Porte as under the
rule of Il ScIavonian prince. But these
critics choose to forget that the expert
mcnt has already been tried of a south
ScIayic independent community. We
mean the principality of Free Scryia,
with over a million of inhabitants. The
coat Of arms of the princes Of this petty
state is significant. The motto, Cline
and my right the arms, Il white cross
ON a red field; ON the cross two dates,
1880, 1873, and between them a drawn
sword. The two dates represent the cen
turics Of struggle with the Turkish power,
since the old empire Of Scryia 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
pcasantry and their brave leaders have
upheld the cross on bloody fields. Now
inc OIllN ll'lf ItII'lIIl ltllNN VI lllt dlItltIIl
ScIayonic and Christian empire are Mon
tcncgrO and Free Scrvia. All travellers
agree that there is more true progress
and development Of intelligence and sub
@stantiaI liberty in these two cOmmuni-
tie, than anywhere in eastern Europe,
outside Of Hungary. Yet Scrvia has adj
yanccd under the very guns Of Turkish
fortrcsscs, and against all kinds Of in
tcrnal difficulties. The contrast of her
territory with the Turkish is striking.
If in fifty years there could be such prog
rcss 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 Europe? Belgrade is
the natural outlet for all the railroads in
Hungary and Pennsylvania, and there
would soon be Il stream of commerce
through it from Germany and northern
Europe to the LcyGsn and Asia. The
truth is that the eastern pdOvinces of Eu-
rope have never had Il fair chance of de-
vclopment. Their history is one II ar
rested growth. Had the Turkish 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 Scrvia, Bosnia, Herzegovina,
and Montenegro. 1t would not be a
great stretch of power or craftsmanship
to rcunite these populations under the
only successful small SclavOnic state.
With them would he naturally allied the
CrOat-Scrbs and the BuIgarians. leav-
ing out of view the south-Sclavs under
Austria, there would still be a popula-
ton of some nine millions, who are united
in race, and whose interest it would be
to act together. Such Il state would be
Il perpetual barrier to Turkey, indeed
might eventually control Constantinople
and the sea of MarmOra. But its tOrma-
ton would meet with two great obstacles;
the opposition Of Russia, which repre-
scnts the north Sclavs, and the opposition
of Austria, which would dread its innu-
cnce on the Croats and Slovcnes of Hun
gary and the frontier, and which also
covcts an outlet by the Danube. 1t is
these manifold interests which make the
final settlement of the eastern question
so difficult, if not impossible.