The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1877-05-02
THE EUROPEAN WAR.

The civilized world is once more aroused
by the tocsin of war. All Europe is shout
dering arms; Russia and Turkey are engaged.
The latest advices indicate pretty conclu-
sively that the great powers of Europe will
be drawn into the conflict. The interests of
England and Austria are vital and immedi-
ate. Italy's interests are to a certain extent
involved. The territory of Prussia is not
directly menaced, though the situation is
such as TO require the yigilence of her
statesmen and her armies. France, though
from a territorial point of view
the least concerned, may be one of the first
to take action against the aggressions of
Russia, owing to treaty stipulations. If
Turkey is regarded in condition to be par
celled out the fight will be over the
choice slices. A territory of 10000 square
miles, with cities, towns villages, cult
waited lands, navigable rivers, sea ports,
ETC., is a prize altogether too large to fall
into the hands of the car without resist
ance. England might be content with
Constantinople and the control of the
straits leading to the Black Sea
with all of their defenses-for in
that case she could check the
aggressive spirit OF Alexander. Austria
would demand large additions to her terri
torial domain, and would be in a position to
assert her claims. For France, there would
be nothing at all, nor is she in a geographic
cal position to take care of possessions in
that quarter. 1t is not intimated that Prus-
STA wants more territory, but it is hardly
probable that Bismarck would be content TO
see Turkey divided up without asking
for so much a tail feather.
Manifestly, the great question involved
is that of territorial aggrandizement and
the power that such acquisitions would GER
tainly confer in moulding the future policy
of Europe. England, which processes to be
intensely Christian, will not hesitate to be-
come Turk if thereby she can the better
protect her Asiatic empire, and in so far as
Christianity is supposed to have any infu-
eace in determining the action of European
governments in declaring war or making
peace, the people have been most egregious-
ly fooled. Russia cares little for the
Christians who have been subjected to the
rule of the sultan. The pretext, however,
that Christianity prompts the forward move
ment answers an excellent purpose, but
awakens no response in Christian Europe.
Russia wants an outlet to the world for her
commerce. She is ambitious of being great
naval power. She possesses half of Europe
and almost half of Asia, and the war under
taken against Turkey is for the purpose of
aiding her ambition in the direction inii-
Gated. European powers are jealous of Rus
sia-England intensely so-and we doubt if
Russia will be permitted to light the sultan
only. Scarcely week has elapsed, and al
ready all Europe is shaking as il in the
grasp of an earthquake So far as the United
States are concerned it may be thought that
the bigger the war the better. Europe can
not feed herself under the most favorable
circumstances, and with her producing
classes in camp and on the tented field, her
necessities will be indefinitely increased.
II the war involves all Europe, there will
be remunerative market not only for food
products, but for manufactured articles, and
j. is possible sslat the war will give America
AN era Of unprecedented prosperity.
Already prices are advancing, but this
so far is not a matter for special graduation,
as consumers pay the advance without any
compensatIng benefits in the way Of more
labor or higher wages. But we must not
expect all the benefits at once. II the war
eventually sets more plows at work, more