The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1876-12-21
THURSDAY, DEC. 81, 1875.
I,usxIa aud tho Conferences.

stand that unless some arrangement,
which ia satisfactory to her, is effected,
she will herself engage in the fray. With
her according TO her own choice, rests
tho responsibility Of saying whether
tho war shall now end or whether 1t
shall continue, and DO carried forward on
alsrgcr scale.
I. can DO safely asserted that the atti.
tude Of tho Car is in harmony with the
wishes Of his people. 1t is probably
more threatening than hc would hRvC
chosen it to DO Il his deci0ion
could 10 made without reference to
the popular sentiment Of his empire.
He seems 10 differ somewhat for the
better from the usual type Of a Russian
autocrat. He il man Of liberal culture.
lie is closely related to somc OF the lead.
ing governing families Of Western Eu.
rope. The Emperor William Of Ger
many is his uncle. Ills wife was a petty
German princess, his marriage with
whom was understood TO DO an affair oil
the heart. Early in his reign he did
much to mitigate the horrors OF Siberian
exile. His emancipation Of the scrfs was
an act of which amy sovereign might be
proud; for no: only was it in itself u viz.
tuous decd bu! it also involved great
deal Of courage on accoun, Of tho i'll will
which ii was likely to excite among those
who had proliIed by the old relation.
Dissent from tho established church he
has 10 far winked at as not rigidly-to
enforce the existing proscriptive laws.
Instead Of aiming 10 grasp tho whole
world he has been content to sell the
Russian possessions on this continent
Much Of HE Efforts seem to have been
turned toward tho internal development
OF hia empire. As ruler doubtless he
falls far short OF our notion Of what q
monarch ought to be. Still, he is greatly
in advance OF others who have preceded
him on his throne.
The understanding has been that he Is
reluctant to engage in war. Europe has
been dreaming that he would keep the
peace while he lived, and las been ex'
pecting that not until his son, who ia
warlike and aggressive in his disposition
"a Russian OF tho Russians-ascends
the throne, would this great nation seri'
ously interfere with existing arrange
menLs on the continent Now that the
Gar has taken his present attitude on
this Turkish question, it is perhaps in
advance OF what he would have chosen
for himself if entirely free not to consult
his people. Popular sentimcn: certainly
strongly gusluins him. 1t is probable
that he has until recently, fallen short Of
the position which his people would pre-
fer 10 should assume,
What is it that impels the Russians In
the purl which they arc disposed TO play
There are several motives which COM
bine, and in order to appreciate them
fully we must understand that they arc
likely to be far more potent with an I'M
perfectly civilized and comparatively
ignorant people than with those who are
higher in the scale Of progress. Near
ness OF territory is ono OF the things
which have disposed the Russians to
interfere in the Servian war. The two
countries arc so close together that some
degree Of practical interest is inevitable
But still stronger impetus is produced
by consanguinity Of race. The Christians
Of Turkey are largely Slays. Russia ia
at the head Of tho tribes belonging to
this part Of tho human family. She ia
disposed to assume a sort OF protectorate
over them, and the weaker Of them nat.
urally look to her for help in time Of
need. Indeed there is in Europe party
which dreams OF adivision OF tho whole
Continent into three great natiOns-thC
Romantic, the Tcutonic, and the slavonic
Nowhere Is the feeling which prompts
this notion stronger than in Russia; and
it operates now to iexcile profound sym.
pathy with tho Mohammcdan ele'
ments of the Turkish dominion. A war
on the part OF Russia would 10 in a
measure u war Of race.
A more powerful motive is religion,
The Christians Of the Turkish empire
arc mostly identified with tho Greek
church. OF this great religious section
Of the human race, tho Car is assumed
by the vast majority Of them to be the
virtual head on earth. When the Greek
Christians suffer anywhere it is expected
that no and his people should profound,
ly sympathizo with them. And there is
wide spread and deep rooted belief
among Greek Christians that the Car is
deStincd one day to expel the Turks from
Europe and recover ConstuntinopIe as
the religious capital Of this branch of
tho church. The Russians in particu.
lar arc full OF this notion. A war
with Turkey would DO regarded as
sort OF holy affair. 1t would be a
kind Of modern crusade. The constant
danger against which tho Gar has TO
guard is lest this feeling should break
over all restraints, and prscipiIate the
conflict in u form, which would not be
sustained by the sentiment Of the rest Of
the world, and which might lead 10 great
disasters to the cause which he repre-
sents.
Territorial ACKNOWLEDGEMENT is also a
motive; but it is not 30 directly potent
a, many suppose. Russia ia an ugricul-
tural nation. The land however, is not
rich, and 1t is badly iarmcd. Consequent
ly Is soon exhausted and there is need
of new Territory. Toward the west and