The morning star and Catholic messenger., 1877-06-24
THE EUROPEAN SITUA1ION,
A GLOOMY OUTLOOK.
London Tablet, June ~

i II,
on the Danube or in Asia; and already the sit
| uation, not only as regards the contending q
nations, bat as regards Europe in general, has
| the "Jehad" by the Ott5man Government,
| though 1t may be considered no more than q
| reply TO the challenge of the Rassian "Ortho-
for this country. 1t was favorite matter of
argument with the pro-Russian party in Great
Britain that nothing in the course of q war
between Russia and Turkey could seriously in
volve the position of the 20 600, 600 Musul-
mans who form the most influential portion Of
our Indian population. We have now the
proof that this easy optimism can be no longer
maintained. The war against Russia Is now u
| war of faith" for every Mohommedan, and
the conduct of England in the crisis will be
watched with palnfnl and jssloDs apxiery by
every Mohammedan subject of Her Majesty.
When We remember how powerful the Mnsul
man population of India is, We can form just
idea of the enormous danger to be apprekend-
ed from such reckless ravings as those of the
Indian &utiny it really depended upon two
Musulman Powers-the one inside India and
the other just on it's borders-to determine
whether oF moi the ihsurrsction OF the Sepoys
should become rising of all India AS it
was, we had only to deal with the revoted
army of Bengal, and not only possessed Mad
were enabled to direct the entire armed force
ofthe Papjab against the rebel Government at
Delhi. How would it have been if we had to
defend the Pnpjab itself against an Afghan
invasion, and had to hold Madras against the
Mohammedan State of Hyderbad with it's pop
ulation of ten nillions aud it's fanatical MusuI-
lodged that the abstenton of the Afghaps
aione allowed the march of that Pupjab army
which captured Delhi, and but for the ex.
ertions of the Vizier of the Nizam of HydeI
sbad, the British possession of Southern india
would have been reduced to a strip of mari
time territory. We should indeed have re-
conquered India, or at least we should have
put forth every exertion to do so, and eventu-
allY, doubtless. wOQld have aDccna6ad
but there can be no denying that the loyalty OF |
the great Musulman caste facilitated the |
actual work hundredfold. We may fancy |
the feelings with which this bigh.spirited and |
warlike population observe euch declarations |
of British policy" find expression on Black
heath Hastings, and on the platform of Bing-
ley Hall.
If we look to the Continent of Europe we
see nothing but the most disquieting symp-
toms. On the Roumanian borders of Austro-
Hungary the Russian troops are erecting for
Llhcations at the mouths of the Carpathian
Passes which debouch upon RoumanIa, and |
this is an indication of the true stat of the
cannot contradict. On the other side of
Europe, the German Government has Just
carried out its threat of increasing the garri-
soRs the frontier of France, so that under
sions it may be sought to disguise the facts, it
is now a reality that nothing less than a
powerful army ofobseIvation stands encamped
on the French confines. At the same time the
German press, and we may be certain the Ger
man Diplomacy also, are busy in stirring up
enmity against the French Government among
all the antl-Catholic Governments and parties
of Europe. The intercourse between Berlin
and the Italian Ministry is more close and
cordial than ever, and visions of the restora-
tion of Nice are flashed across the greedy i'm
agination of the Sandman rulers on one side
to encourage them against the French nation,
while on the other side it is not indistinctly
that the Court of S. Petersburg
would view with satisfaction a "rectifcation
If frontiers" between Italy and Austria along
;he Adriatic. The Turks are convinced thaj
italy means mischief that the rumored ap-
oroach of an Italian squadron has again and .
again thrown the Turkish garrisons in Alba
ala into panic, and Italian boat-crews have
,ad to pnt off to their ships in all haste from
he pursuit of Turkish coast guards.
II TO these causes of anxiety We add the un- |
doubted danger to the naval supremacy of
England which arises from the terrible de- ;
and terrible portability of the =.
lew engines of submarine warfare, the va
lous sorts of torpedoes, we must be forced to ,
he conclusion that not since the wars against !
IApoleCn in the beginning of the century has !
}reat Britain had to pass through more por- . .
entous crisis of foreign affairs, The destruc-
ion of the last Turkish monitor is infinitely >
more serious from the point of view of naval !
military science than even tho action or the I
'hornycroft torpedo boat against the trial hulk =
II Cnerbourg. 1t might be argued that yes. a
els of the ThornycrofG class cannot after all =
q carried everywhere, nor be used in all =
a6ers. The tCrpedoeS which sent the second "
urkish monitor into the ar can, the con- y
rary, be- Carried everywhere aud used from 4
ny description of vessel. feet of fishing =
oats, it may be said, with two or three Of !.
lese portable torpedoes on board each, and u
lanned by skilled and daring men, would sut. "
ce to send to the bottom of the sea, in an y
our or two, all the "Devastationo" ." and Y,
Thunderers" in her Majesty's service Mr.. e,
rsssey, no mean authority, clearly gives up =,
1e case hopeless as regards the mighty o.
onclads of England, and the Times does not =,
onceal its concurrence in the opinion. 1t is III
} be apprehended that we are at the outset of HI
a era In naval warfare to be compared with "
lat which followed the introduction of fire. ~
ms into the warfare of medioval Europe. ~
Thile iron coats could be trusted to keep out
1T and thrust, the gigantic knight and man.
farms conld defy a hundred vulgar assail-
ats, but tho ignition of little pinch of nj
tlainous gunpowder quickly laid the tower fir
g chivalry of jousts and tournaments at the IN
ercy of any little half.starved weaver who "
'uld level q musquetooD. The enormous an OC
Is and steam hammers which were onr pride 81
Id our protection from their very costliness &C
i'd scarcity are NO longer guarantee ofnavAl Sh
A long and LIGHT OU