The New York herald., 1876-07-06
The War Cloud i'm the East.


We are on the eve of portentous events in
the East. The fate of Turkey as European
Power seems trembling in the balance.
Although a certain mystery seems to per-
wade the councils of the great Powers of
Europe, yet it is difficult to suppose that
Servia would declare war against Turkey
without counting on the moral and material
support of Russia. AS we have before said,
the first blow struck by Servia means
menace from Russia to England.
Servia, as we are aware, is nominally a
dependency on Turkey. By the Treaty of
Paris she was only allowed to retain an
army of eight thousand men; but as no pro-
vision was therein made for irregular troops
she has now militia of reserves of well
drilled troops of one hundred and twenty
thousand. It is also known that latterly
she received at Belgrade sixty thousand
Snider rifles, with large provision of
ammunition.
A very respectable contingent Of this army
has already crossed the frontier On
their departure they were blessed by their
bishops, and went forth amid the widest
enthusiasm ofthe people, with Prince Milan
at their head to fight the cause of the Cross
against the Crescent They have met the
Turks already in n series Of engagements,
but without any decisive results so far. The
Montenegrins have also joined the forces
against Turkey, taking the Turkish army
somewhat in the rear.
When we reflect that the humbling of Tur-
key would possibly put Constantinople
and the Dardaneles into the possession of
Russia, and at the same time give Austria
powerful and dominant neighbor as we'll as
seriously interfere with England in the
quiet possession of her Indian Empire we
may we'll consider what grave consequences
may arise from this step of Servia- Russia
has in reality no good feeling toward Eng
land; she has never forgiven the destruction
of Sebastopol nor the humiliation of the
Treaty of Paris. That treaty, at the first op-
perfume moment presented by the invasion Of
France by Germany and Gladstone's feeble
administration, she tore up with disdain,
thus inhicting n severe wound on the self
love of the English people, who found that
all the efforts they had made in the Crimean
war-the heroism displayed, the blood so
calamity shed and poured out like water
were vain and useless sacrifices
| 1t was, indeed, by some superficial and
Utopian observers hoped that the intormar-
rage between the two royal families might
have led to n better feeling and laid the
foundation of political union, but so far
have these hopes not been realized that
even this event appears to have created
further estrangement. The Duke of Edin-
burgh in England is extremely unpopular
as prince, and his wife is always coldly re-
ceived in public, having got into an undig-
nified quarrel with the Queen on a question
of precedence.
The only check on Russia's action is in
the present impoverished state of her ex-
chequer. She has a debt, domestic and for
egn, of ST. 125, 600, 600. Her five per cent
loan of 1870 is quoted Mt "a, and she will
find it difficult to raise money for length
ened campaign-one that would eventually
be a life and death struggle for Turkey and
accompanied by all the horrors of barbarous
fanaticism and religious enthusiasm. We
must wait for further developments. Aus
tria cannot, and England will not dare to-
assist the Turk in direct war with Chris
tian people whose avowed object is to rid
themselves of the yoke of Islamism. We
feel assured that any such attempt on the
part of Disrneli would break up his govern
mcnt. as he would lose his two best support
f -
Northcote. We feel DISPOSED to think that