, 1876-05-13

Austrians would, at all events, not enslave
the women and that Russia, whether
she likes it or not, must SO far protect
them as to keep Austria off while they
fight out their battle with the Turk.
And it is probable that the insurgents,
whose sight is sharpened by their interests,
are substantially in the right.
No one in England who understands the
facts will doubt that submission would be
very terrible for the Insurgents, who would
thereby give themselves up, not into the
hands Of the Turkish which,
bad as it Is, is still amenable to pressure
but into the hands OF the Mohammedan
landowners, who are amenabIe to nothing,
who cannot be hanged for oppression
without provoking revolt both in the
Army and in Constantinople, who regard
the refugees as reyolted slaves, and
who have endured nearly as many outra8es
as the peasants themselves. They will be
as cruel as only a frightened body OF
]sIayeoWners can be, and the insurgents
had far better take to briGanJage in the
mountains than suffer themselves to fall
into their hands. Nor will any one here
doubt that in the last resort the rule of
the Austrian army in Bosnia would be bet
ter than the rule of the Turkish landlords
and militia. The Austrians are strangely
dreaded in the PrincipaIities, in Seryia, and
in Bosnia, but the dread is principally due to
the bitter hatred felt torthe Magyars, andnot
to any specially oppressive conduct on the
part of the I~Iapsburgs. At all events,
b,.-l,. no tla haitian. NAV IN 0pA llrInr tho
occupation Of ,he Principaljties in 1S53-54
certainly We're, they are better than Tur-
kish Pashas, aud once obeyed, would rule
on civilized and ineligible principles.
The only English doubt will be as to
Russian action, and it is round this point
that interest in Berlin and Vienna is now
centering Carefully as the political secrets
of Russia are still guarded, it is becoming
clear that a great struggle is going on In
the Russian Court, upon the issue Of which
depends immediate peace OF war. On the
one hand, d powerful party, III possession
as yet Of the Administration, holds that
to compel Austria TO abandon her policy
might involve war chat such a war
would be European, and that Russia Is
not yet quite prepared for SO grave a
struggle. The Car, a melancholy and
worn man, well aware that his energies
would Dc unequal to such a crisis, leans
to this party /; and the strange reports
circulated for a fortnight of his obdication
were in all probability due to a statement
from him that if the interests of Russia
required a war, he would not conduct it,
but would leave it to his stronger and
more imperious son. On the other hand,
an equally strong party, tayoured, if not
headed, by the Heir-Apparent, and several
Of the permanent group Of aristocrats and
officials which sways the policy of Russia
under the Cars, maintain that the oppOr-
tuuity is singulady favourable for allow
ing the Southern Slays to break loose
from Turkey, and so clearing away the
greatest obstacle to Russian advance south
wards. They doubt if Austria will fight,
and maintain that if she does she will be
beaten, unless Germany helps her, which
Germany, afraid of France attacking her
in rear, will be slow to do. They say
that to desert the Southern SIays in he
crisis of their fate would be to lose all
hold over them, and to make them either
Austrian or Socialist, and might, in the
end, lead to courses sure to influence the
Russians themselves, who sympathise
strongly with the South Slavs, and who
are always attracted by revolutionary