Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1876-10-07
THE SITUATION IN EASTERN
EUROPE.

Affairs in European Turkey have
taken a turn which calls for some at
tention, though we are aware that any
but the most cursory glance at them
is impossible in the present great cri
sis in our own politics.
1t was known last week that sus-
pension of arms was agreed upon be-
tween Turkey and the other European
powers though the Servian govern
ment had never given its formal assent
to it. In any case, all prospect Of an
armistice was set aside by the Servi.
ans on Thursday, the 18th ult., making
an attack on both TANKS of the Turk
ish army on the Servian frontier,
which terminated in sanguinary de-
feat of the Servians, a result which
had uniformity attended their military
enterprises throughout the war. A
few days afterwards the Turkish army,
encouraged by their success, took the
aggressive and advanced into Servia in
full force, but were in their turn re-
pulsed with considerable loss by the
Servians. This, the single success of
the Servian army, was needed to give
the Russian Government a pretext
for a more active Intervention than
had been expressed in the terms of
the proposal agreed on by her with the
other powers, and she now comes for
ward with the proposition of the en-
tire autonomy of Bulgaria, Servia and
Herzegovina, the three States to be
entirely independent of the Turkish
Government, except the one point of
paying a fixed tribute to it. In addi-
ton to this she proposes that Servia
shall be occupied by Russian troops.
1t is hardly to be anticipated that this
last proviso at least will be con-
scented to by the other powers, though
it is not easy to see how they can pre-
vent it, as the army in Servia is now
differed by Russians, and even con-
tains a large number of Russian SOL
diers in its ranks. Still it is not be-
lieved that the Russian emperor is pre-
pared for or desires a general war, the
bankrupt condition of his treasury be-
ing one cOnstrainiDg motive to the
contrary for all this he may find
himself forced into war by the intense
excitement of his subjects along his
Southern frontier Austria has still
stronger reasons for desiring peace,
her great dread being the establishment
of great SclavOnic nation on the Dor
ders of her own Slavonic possessions.
Hungary. Moravia, etc, for fear of
these provinces joining its oreaniza-
ton, and so becoming lost to the Ans
triau empire. On the other hand. if
any considerable portion of the disor-
ganized Turkish provinces should be
acquired by Austria. this would al
most certainly issue in the loss of its
German speaking provinces, which
have great repugnanee to being left as
a small German minority in an empire
in which the Sclavonic element should
vastly preponderate. In this contin-
gency they would undoubtedly CRAWL
tate towards a union with the great
German confederation.
The position of England is very pc
culiar in reference to all these COM
plications. The truth is that one of
those crises has arrived in which the
government and the people take OPP
posite views, and look to opposite re-
suits. The whole purpose of the Brit
ish government has been to maintain
what it calls the statue quo ante betlum