Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1877-01-17
Wafrhn,an & ganrnaL
WEDNESDAY. JANUARY Il, 1877.
The Eastern Questionable. 8.

LONDON, November 6, 1876.

LONDON, NONeInDeI ", low
Toward the close of my last letter made
mention of the unparalleled feeling of en-
thusasm which reigns in Russia at the
present time, in favor of the oppressed Chris
tians of Turkey, and of the readiness to sac
rifce life and property in their behalf /
have seen nothing to be compared with it. |
have never seen such complete union of
whole people, all classes contributing money
and many going at their own expense to
strike blow in the good cause. | saw con-
spicuous examples of this while in Odessa,
and amongst many will mention one. Colo
mel Raevsky, man of wealth and position
and distinguished officer in the Russian
army, resigned his place and taking with
him fifty thousand rubles to be given in aid
of the cause he was supporting, went to Ser
bia. lie Immediately received command,
and shortly after, in the desperate battle OF
Adrovatz, was killed at the moment when
by his skill and bravery he was turning the
tide of battle. His aged mother went to
Serbia and had his body brought home. /
saw the funeral, which was said to be
the most imposing ever seen in Odessa.
The Governor and all the authorities were
present. The procession extended as far
as the eye could reach. This exhibit
ton of respect was of course designed for
the cause as we'll as for the man who died
in its defence. After the funeral ] met
Madame Raevsky at the house of Colonel
Lebedieff, friend of my husband, and a
former regimental comrade of the deceased
Colonel Lebedieff had taken charge of the
arrangements made for the funeral, and the
old lady was at his house. She is gray
haired and venerable person of distinguished
manners, and must have been very beauti-
| full in her youth, for she has now the beauty
of old age She is very good representa-
tive of the large landed class of Russia, peo-
| pie with European education and with
most agreeable and polished manners, and
an ease and freedom in social intercourse
which so far as my experience goes has no
equal in Europe.
The case of Colonel Raievsky is one out
of many amongst the higher nobility. His
| services, however, were more conspicuous on
account of his early and gallant death, and
| by the considerable material aid of fifty
thousand rubles which he gave Many men
bearing historical names hastened to Ser
bia and Immediately joined the ranks
Lower down in the social scale, the eager
ness to join in the good work was not less.
| Cossacks of the Don and the Caucasus, re-
tired soldiers and peasants from the centre
and north of Russia and from beyond the
Volga, all hastened to the field of action.
| One old man from Astrachan went with his
| five sons Sometimes husband and wife
went together, one to serve in the ranks, and
the other to nurse the wounded. If it had
been necessary to defend Moscow or Peter
burg no greater readiness could have been
shown. Such is the devotion of the Russian
people to cause which they consider their
own, and also holy one.
have stated in my former letter that the
real opponents in the present struggle are
Russia and England, and the question to be
settled is. "What are you going to do with
Turkey :" Are the Christians within its
limits, the ancient possessors of the soil
who belong to the same race and religion as
the Russians, to be left in their present con
dition, which, to tell the truth, is beyond
human endurance? Russia answers the
question by saying, "They are not" Eng
land for a long time refused TO entertain thu
question, using every subterfuge to avoid it
First, by saying she could not Aterfere il
the internal affairs of Turkey al Aecondly
by stating that she had no knowledge of an,
wrongs perpetrated on the Christians b.
the Turks. Thus matters stood when il
the beginning of summer the news cam
that about twelve thousand Christians, mel
. women and children, were murdered in coli
+ blood. This account was published in tn
Daily Neus and was written by an Amer
! can, Mr.. McGahan, special correspondent G
: the Neus (the same gentleman was presen
about two years ago at the capture of Khivi
in Central Asia, of which he wrote a yer
interesting descrpton,) Shortly afterward
= the reports of Mr.. Barring, Secretary of tn
English Legation, and Mr.. Schuyler, tn
American consul at Constantinople, CAV
official confirmation to the thrilling descril
. tion of the Bulgarian horrors which had a.
, peared in the columns of the Daily Nep
In the single town of Batak about five tho
sand corpses of men, women and childre
were found half decayed, and the dogs sti
devouring them, a scene too horrible II
description, and the thought of which max
l. one shudder. Mr.. Gladstone, the late Prin
ed Minister of England, Immediately publish'
w pamphlet entitled Bulgarian Horror
II and the Question of the East" In eloque
- and impassioned language he depicts q
al atrocious and inhuman conduct of Turke
%o %o and demands that the English immediate
III withdraw their support from that 70
-, abomination which they have so long e
lg couraged and protected. Indignation met
on ings were held throughout the country. +
he some weeks the excitement was great, a
m undoubtedly caused the government to p
,r. tend to become more humane in its poli'
u- making this pretention solely to quiet t
people and satisfy the moral feelings of
III nation which were transiently reused, un
- government should have time to expli
% that it was not for Engand's financial
III terest to meddle in the affairs Of Turk
1t was wonderful to see how quickly Fl
ey land calmed down and how soon moral f'
,gs ings lost foreground when a suspicion
eiy material disadvantage became an element
lust the question. Gladstone and his follow
au- were blamed for their unpatriotic conduC
aa. y H. in trying to tie the hands of the minis
'uo- and were treated by many journals as lift
,o., had been traitors instead Of being the ft
aon most and best men of England, as they
. In the meanwhile, the just demands
able Russia became more and more urgent,
men it was impossible for England to remain
her former position Of encouraging Tur