The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1876-07-21
The War Cloud on the Danube.

| surround the Sultan of the Turkish En-
pire. servia, the most warlike of the
Danubian principalities, has taken the
| field, Bulgaria has issued a proclamation of
independence, the troops in Montenegro
are ordered in readiness to move, and the
revolution in Herzegovina is anything but
quelled. The uprising of seryia is another
Illustration of the power of tradition to
move communities to patriotic action.
| The town council of Belgrade, the capital
of Servia, not long since issued manifesto
calling upon " Servians to rise and restore
the ancient Empire of Servia." The ap-
peal was to the sentiment that animated
the Seryians four OF five centuries ago,
before the time that the Crescent had
triumphed over the Cross in the domain of
the Empire founded by Constantine the
Great.
/ How that appeal has been answered is
sn6 nteaau Or 1tu,ud0 1uer,, vuu' prob
bilities that in the course of few days
the Servians will meet their ancient enemy.
It was not without a severe struggle that
the ancient Empire of Servia was broken
up by the Mohammedans. In 1889, on the
plain Of Kossova, the Turks gave battle to
the Servians. The latter were defeated
with great loss, but the Sultan Amurath
was killed by a Servian nobleman. Then
the Turkish conquest was not complete,
ane it was not until 1891 that the Sultan
Solyman II. found himself in the possession
of Belgrade, the Servian capital.
Servia remained part of the Ottoman
Empire until 1717. In 171s the Austrians
were in possession of Belgrade. In 1889
the Principally was again given up to the
Turks, and was finally restored to the
Ottoman Empire by treaty in 1891. Since
that time there have been continuouso
revolutions against Turkish rule. In 181
partial independence of the Turks was
secured by Milosh Obrenovitch. The
province has remained suzerainty of the
Turkish Empire until this time. By the
Treaty of Paris in 1856, this state Of semi
independence is guaranteed by the Euro
pean contracting powers, but the people
have remained restless under the despotism
of Turkish rule.
Servia, of all the principalitles, is per-
haps in the best condition for throwing off
the Turkish yoke. 1t is the most prosper
GUS of them all. The people are warlike.
The population in 1873 was 1,40O, 900.
The finances are fourish1ng and the coun-
try Is free from the blessing of national
debt. The army, with the militia, con-
sisted in time of peace OF 50, 1000 men, and
the country would ere this have been en-
tirely independent of Turkish rule but for
the restraining influences of the great
European powers.
1t is not surprising that Bulgaria should
have declared itself independent of Turkish
lule after the severe cruelties which, dur
ing the present rebellion, have been COM
mitted in that province by Ottoman troops.
The telegraph few days ago stated that
thirty-seven villages had been destroyed
and from $4,000 to 10000 lives sacrificed.
The Bulgarians are described as peace
able, industrious and intelligent people.
They are principally engaged in agricul-
ture, but also work the coal mines which
x.xriat in taan r,rssasssna
more directly under the rule of CONSTANT
nople than Servia. The population of the
province is estimated at z, 500, 900, of whom
not one-fifth are followers Of Islam.
Montenegro, another of the Danubian
provinces reported as ready to take up
arms, contains a population of about $780,
900, chiefly Sclaves. The people, although |
not numerically large, are hardy and brave,
similar to those races who inhabit noun |
famous region. I'D