The Red Cloud chief., 1877-05-17

The causes of the trouble between
. Russia and Turkey are remote, and the
many complications leading to existing
difficulties cannot be easily understood
without a close study of the political
history of modern Europe. Primarily
= OF a religious nature, what is now
geDeralized as the Eastern question
gradually became a political problem
involving the existencfof some nations
the commercial supremacy Of others,
and the success or defeat of distinctive
national policies.
The Christian Church was for many
centuries a united body. with power
~centering at Rome. When Constantine
ade COnstantinople the capital Of the
roman Empire the bishop Of the new
capital became the rival of the Roman
P9Gtif. and aspired TO exclusive do
minion over the church. This led To a
bitter quarrel, and finally 10 separation
between the East and the West-be-
t1Ren the Greeks and Latins. Constant
inople remained the actual capital of
, the Roman Empire and head of the
Eastern or Greek Church, while Rome
was the head Of the Latin or Roman
Catholic Church.
The western portion of the empire
wd4s overrun by the northern barbara
an$ and several kingdoms were found
ed on the ruins. CharlemagAe united
these in M empire, Of which France
was the head, ithrecognition of Rome
a the head of the Western Church.
All this time the Eastern or Greek
hGYire had been in existence with
Constantinople AS the head Of the
church and the seat of government.
The West was hostile TO the East, and
church and national policies were
shaped on this basis. The crusaders of
the West ever went so far az to turn
aside from their attempts to recover
Jerusalem from the Turks TO capture
aIA pillage Constantinople, the capital
of the Christians Of The East
2 blp" va "a 'iIou ohN, oiIu HUH
sit dates the decline OF the Eastern or
Greek Empire. The empire and the
church went down with the capture of
Constantinople by the Turks in 1453.
The Turkish policy was to trample out
the H,igion of the East, as well as the
political spirit, and centuries of cruel
struggle ensued. The Christians of the
northern sections found a friend in
Soung Russia. That nation adopted
from the first the Greek faith and
worship, and become its champion.
The struggling nations of the East
turned naturally to her, and she rose
rapidly in power. She inherited the
quarrel with the Catholic powers OF the
West, and all her people hated the
sTIfk Her national policy was relent-
lessiv aggressive. Her aim was TO re-
possess the countries of the Eastern
Empire, and, above all. to ~recapture
Constantinople. That city was to the
Russian the holy city, and, in rounding
out the boundaries of his empire. he, in
the eSrlier stages of the struggle, never
.lost sight of the purpose to regain the
old capital. This spirit, entering into
a national policy, became threatening
to Western Europe, and, as the gov
eminent of Russia schemed for COM
mercial as well as political ~ascendency.
tn. commercial nations of the West
shaped their policy to oppose any such
contamination. This feeling entered
Into all alliances and combinations.
and the West. being strong politically
and commercially. has prevailed. The
West drove the Turk from her every
state or nation, but she has resisted
every attempt of the East to drive the
same people from her old empire. This
is one phase of the case.
Politically, Russia has always been
the friend and ally Of every nation OPP
posed to the Turk. She has been in
sympathy with the rebels in every
revolutionary or insurrectionary move
ment in Turkey, because the insurrec-
tio1,ists were Christians of the Greek
ShurSn. She early conquered Moldavia
and Wallachia. and compelled Turkey
to grant concessions tOthe Christians of
other northern provinces. The war of
1889 grew out of her interference
in behalf of the Greeks intheir struggle
for liberty a few years before. She
undertook this war. however, under
pledgesato Great Britain and France
that il should not be a wal of conquest.
If Russia absorbed Turkish territory,
gaining absolute control of the Black
Sea, and valuable ports on the Medi-
terranean, the commercial interests of
the Western nations would suffer, and
en this ground the Turk wa better
than the Russian. Russia made peace
when shes had virtually conquered
TurkeT. and this was sin the interests
of Europe" Russia was content with
treaty stipulations looking to the pro-
tectioIi of the Christians.
Kinglake contends that the origin of
the Crimean war in 1855 was a quarrel
between the Greek and Latin Churches
S to privileges at Jerusalem. Turkey,
influenced by Louis Napoleon. favored
the Roman Church, and the cOmplica-
tions led to irritation and the irritation
to war. Russia taking up the old
quarrel of the Greek Church. and claim
ing that existing treaties had been