The herald and mail. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1873-188?, 1876-03-03
NEW STATE IN EUROPE.
A Proposed south seIarse state on the
Lower Danube.

| a RrOnOARI &Omth 8ehzTte state the
| Lower Danube
One of the favorite solutions of tn,
"eastern question:" so far as Europe il
concerned, is the formation Of a south
Sclayic state on .hc lower Danube. tn,
"south ScIavs" in Turkey and Austris
number from ten to twelve millions, and
of these not more than seven or eight
hundred thousand are Musselmans, and
perhaps, two and half millions Roman
catholic. The great majority belong to
the same church, as well as race, and
speak dialects of the same tongue. Even
the Roman catholics are heartily attached
to the great Sclavonic family, and bit
terly opposed to the Turks. The most
uncertain element, however, of the fu-
ture state are the Sclavonians, who, for
greed or safety, have become converted
to Mohammedauism. 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 TO the government of
the Porte is of very feeble nature, and
any great disaster to Turkey would carry
it to the other side. It has become
fashion in the European journals to say
that n future Sclavic state in that quar-
~
larger scale the confusion and barharism
of the insurgent districts, and that we
might as well have perpetual anarchy
under the rule of the Porte as under the
rule of a SclavOnian prince. But these
critics choose to forget that the expert
ment has already been tried of a south
Sclavic independent community. We
mean the principality of Free Servia,
.1l Of aVh Tha
coat of arms of the princes of this petty
state is significant The motto, "Time
and my right" the arms, white cross
on a red field; on the cross two dates,
1889, 1915, and between them a drawn
sword. The two dates represent the CEN
turies of struggle with the Turkish power,
since the old empire of Servia 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
peasantry and their brave leaders have
upheld the cross on bloody fields. Now
the only independent relics of the ancient
Sclavonic and Christian empire are Mon
tenegro and Free Servia. All travellers
agree that there is more true progress
and development of intelligence and sub
stantial liberty in these two cOmmuni-
ties than anywhere in eastern Europe,
outside of Hungary. Yet Scrvia has adj
tat1ced under the very guns of Turkish
fOrtresses, and against all kinds of in
ternal difficulties. The contrast of her
territory with the Turkish is striking.
If in fifty years there could be such prog
ress where the whole tide of European
civilization was turned away, what might
I've 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 i'll
Hungary and 1ransylvania, and there
would soon be Il stream of commerce
through il from Germany and northern
Europe to the Levnt and Asia. The
truth is that the eastern provinces of Eu-
rope have never had fair chance of de-
velopment. Their history is one 6 ar
rested growth. Had the Turkish in
vasioh 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.
4 Absolutcly the same race lnhabits Free
Scrvia. Old Servia, Bosnia, Herzegovina,
and Montenegro. IL would not be n
great stretch of power or craftsmanship
10 reunite these populations under the
only successful small SclavOnic state.
With them would be naturally allied the
Croat-Serbs and the Bulgarians. Deav- !
ing out of view the south Sclavs under |
there would still I've a pOpula- |
ton of some nine millions, who are united !
in race, and whose interest it would be |
TO act together. Such state would be !
d perpetual barrier to Turkey, indeed !
might eventually control COnstantinOple |
and the sea of MarmOra. Bnt its forma-
ton would met with two great obstacles; |
the opposition of Russia, which repre- |
sents the north-Sclavs, and the opposition
of Austria, which would dread its inf1u- |
ence on the Croats and SlOvcnes of Hun |
gary and the frontier, and which also |
covets an outlet by the Danube. 1t is
these manifold interests which make the !
final settlement of the eastern question |
20 difficult, if not impossible.