New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1876-12-26
AFFAIRS ON THE BOSPHORUS.
vrsp1uE AND RAPTNE INCREASING.

x,rpvss.IARMEp BY A PLAN OF HIS DEvIsING-
OTTOMAN PREPARATIONS FOR wlR--ACTs OF IN-
u,sr,cE In ARMEYIA-THE AMERICAN MISSION
ARIES AND THE PENDING COMPLICATIONS.
rYRoH AN OCCASIONAL CORRESPONDENT OF THE TRlBosE'l
CoSsTANTINoPLE, Nov. 16.-Gen. lgnatief, the
Rnssian ambassador "near the Sublime Porte" is
most amiable man. If you call upon him he is ever
happy to see you, talks TO you with warmth ana
fronlIness which is equally surprising and hatterlng,
and let's you 90 away after hour or so, cOhVnceu
that for some reason known only to himset ne mas ao
mitted you to his innost confidence lou nave heHhu
from his own lips what his augustmaster thinks, now
he desires peace above all things-WhaI NO hlniSeiA
thlnks-that the Emperor is too slow; and you pave
heard q hundred sprightly sayings IN reference 10
SIR Henry Elliot the Turkish M1nisters-peIsonai
comments things which you are sure he would very
,,oh raoyet IN have repeated. You go away and
Won feel certain hesitation about communicating
to anv one what has been told you in confidence
You hesitate until you see in some newspaper q ro-
mort of some other mans interviews In whch inc
General is declared to have said in most charin-
ingly frank manner the very opposite OF what no %
frankly told you. Then you are little puZ1leu to
know who is mystihed. The fact Is that zen.
Ignatieff is a cOnsummate master OF diplomacy anu
as such he is admired by those who have nothing at
stake and feared by those whose all is at stake IN
the existing crisis. He has probably moro power TO
toward war or peace than any other man. be-
cause both the Turkish and the Russian
Governments are strongly influenced by his manner
of uniting things. Gen. Ignatetf declares that IN
the recent ultimatum he acted without orders IN
causing his goods to be packed and placed on the
steamer. 1.-THE Turks did not believe that meant
what / said. Their army was rushing on anu
npsbinp the Seryians 10 the WALL had to stop them
somehow, and so had the boxes packed ana pa
raded along the main street down to the harDor Ina
prodnced a panic the Turks telegraphed to ABDUL
Kerim Pasha 10 stop, and then we had the boxes
brought back. But you see we haven't uhpacAeu
The moral effect of the boxes is good~
Gen. Ignatieff has strong dislike for Sir Henry
Elliot. the English ambassador. For years their
resnectiye policies have crossed each other, and
have often consisted mainly of attempts on the part
of one TO outgenera the other in petty matters OF
influence at the Porte 1t is mainly owing 10 the
fact that these two never agree that specla
envOys have been appointed by the European 0oV-
ernments to sit with the ambassadors IN the APP
preaching Conference. Gen. Ignatieh cannot aolde
the English propositions of limited autonomy Ior
Rosnia Herzegovina, and Bulgaria Sir Henry
Elliot must have a very peculiar dictionary says
he: al can't find any such meaning to autonomy In
INV dictionary. The Emperor loves peace, and he
declares that the English definition of autonomy
shall be adopted. We obey, of course. But many
things NAV happen yet. And if disagreement
should arise among us in the Conference and should
by chance fall to Russia to come to an understand
ing directly with the Porte why then we will open
our Russian dictionary and see what autonomy
means before we settle this business|
Meantime the Turks are making immense prepara-
lions for war. Many troops have been Withdrawn
from the Servian frontier aud are already marching
into the Danube viayet TO watch ROumanla and to
nj l. g. Tba hon m Mel
are now anchored at the Black Sea mouth of the
Bospborus to guard against surprise by Torpe-
does are being loaded and storedn bomb proofs IN the
forts near the Black Sea entrance and the passage
through the Dardanelles and the BOsphOrus
by night has been prohibited. Ninety battalions OF
the new levy of troops already assembled ana
transport steamers to carry them to any threatened
point lie with coal on board waiting orders. Iur-
kew has STILL apparently last card. She can al
any moment force Europe to face the question OF
The special action TO be taken IN view OF another
Russian war. And if Europe is brought to the ac-
tual presence of such war, the Turkish Ministers
are confident that one of the European Powers
will be ready to fight against the partition OF tins
empire.
The situation of the country is very miserable
One becomes tired of repeating the instances OF mis-
government and oppression which daily come 10
light on every hand. In parts Of European Turkey
theTurkish villagers using such violence toward
their Christian neighbOrs that the people emgrate
TO the cities, where the Government can protect
them for it does not cannot hold the village popu-
1otions in check Robberies are cOmmOn-sO also are
crimes against the person. The wretched sufferers
from the atrocities of the Spring are receiving help
They are, however, unarmed and robbers come upon
them nightly and run off stock, or carry OIL goods.
Even in broad day the CTcassans roam the country
seizng whatever they imagine they can take win
immunity The peasants complain, mounted police
are sent off to find the robbers, and that is the last
Of it, unless the men who complained are shot or
beaten. OF have their houses burned By the robbers
in revenge.
In Asiatic Turkey matters are very much as usual
peope in the ordinary conditions of life hardly ever
co1nplain because it is of no avail. The state of
things NAV be Judged from few instances OF III
Justice taken at random. A man in an Armenian
village had cotton GIN Although such machines
ere by law exempt from taxation the tax farmer
levied a heavy sum on this one. The owner ap-
pealed to the "Mejlis" or elective council OF the
district and the council told him that if the tax
catherer insisted he must pay they could not help
him In another place man bought a bag OF beans
at market and was going home, when Turk de-
Inanded them as he had wished to buy beans that
day and none were left. The man refused to sell
them. wbereupon the Turk beat him tremendously,
and carried off the beans. The man III this case
even was afraid TO complain. have just been read
ing letter written from place Ill the heart OF Ar
menia by an Armenian in whom have confidence,
and he gives case after case OF outrage and Oppres
sion in that region, the cases being numbered III
order. For instance an Armenian was buying flour
OF Koord and quaTreled about the price. The
Koord cursed him, his family individually, and his
-o1;u;o, Tho Armenian " Nav VOur CurseS