Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1877-05-19
both sides, unless there is foreign in

I6TI0F0lc0.
Will there be such interference
;. Undoubtedly there will in Europ
! We go back to first principles. 1t
impossible that Austria can allo
Russia to hold the Danube. 1t
' certain that England will not allo
! her to take COnstantinople. An
, forecast of events must take as i
basis these two facts: Austria's Wit:
interests areat stake on the Danub'
r our imperial existence is at stake {
| COnstantinople. If, therefore, Rus
i sia attacks in Europe, she does S
knowing that she will not, even
successful in war, be allowed b
Austria to hold a foot ofground on tn
Danube; and it is an admitted max
: i'm by the Russian strategists, tha
no Russian army can remain soutl
of the Pruth, unless the neutralit,
of Austria is secured. Further, sh
attacks, knowing that the one grea
goal of her ambition-CO Constantine
ple-will be barred to her by Eng
lish fleets and English soldiers
should Austria allow her to advanc,
to the Balkans.
Is it, then, conceivable that Rus
sia will attack in Europe at all
Yes; for two reasons. First, be
cause the army so long kept upOI
the Pruth is an element that cannot
be disregarded, and it demands ac
tion as a reward for it's months o.
weary inactiOn, satisfaction for its
mlseries and its hardships of the
winter; secondly, because even tC
the Gar, GortshalIoff has had to
cloak his ambitious designs under
the garb of SlavOnic sympathies,
punishment to Turkey for her mis-
government of the children of the
true Church, relief for these from
Mussulman oppression and the lie
must be acted out and covered. But
in Europe Russia can gain no re-
ward for her costly preparations, for
the losses in blood and in money
that war will yet entail. 1t is in
Asia that she Willseek this. 1t is in
| the rich provinces of Armenia that
she will find some compensation !;
and when once she has crossed the
frontier, she will make no peace till
she has taken, not only Kars, but
Erzeroum, not only BatOum, but
Trebizond; till she has thus secured
for herself the outlets of the Persian
trade, and seaports upon the eastern
coast of the Black Sea till the val
ley of the Euphrates is in her hands,
and that route to India for ever shut
to England, her jealous foe.
That Austria will move troops
into Bosnia is most probable. The
line of action for England is plainly
marked out. There are tasks that
we can, undertake. We cannot at
tempt to cope with Russia in the
open field; for our small contingent
of 10000 men, far from its base,
would soon dWindle to shadow.
But we can defend COnstantinople
if need be; we can prevent Crete
falling into other hands. And we
believe it will be found that no SOON
er will Russia have crossed the
frontier than our Government will
despatch what force it can collect,
not to COnstantinOple, but to Crete,
and to the peninsula on the west of
the Dardanelles; there to bide events
in healthy camping grounds, giving
no aid to the Turk, but ready, if
our interests are directly threatened,
to occupy lines west of Constantine
pie, and hold them against all
cOmers.
Before Russia can close the war on
which she is now about to embark
she will be financially bankrupt;
and Turkey, though she may have
to yield Asiatic provinces, can pay
no indemnity. Thus the injury to
Russia from this will be far beyond
the gain. Her credit will be ruin
ed, her dream of a free Bosphorus
will not be realised.N
In 1.-The blackness of the situation
one gleam of light shines out. We
have at length learned that Prince
Bismarck's retirement, which it is
endeavOured to attribute to German
internal politics, is due to his ina
bility to bring the Emperor to his |
views regarding war with France. |
The Emperor, stern as he is, shrinks !
from the idea of so soon entering
on another great war without any |
immediate striking prOvOcatiOn,
and the Chancellor sees all his eff |
forts foiled. All his plans have |
been in vain. While GOrtchakOf |
has conquered the Gar, and made |
him an unwilling tool, the old Ger
man Kaiser is firm and unyielding, |
and even the great Bismarck has to |
give way. The influence of the |
Prince Imperial, and of that Eng
whom Bismarck likes
moi, are to be traced in this. If |
Europe is spared the horrors of this
war in the West, in which Italy
would assuredly have chimed in,
all the horrors of the East may |
more easily be borne.
The voice of the British people
has not yet spoken. Led away on
false tracks, Englishmen have been
hoodwinked and deceived. With
5tatesman1like reticence, our Minis
ters have said no word against the
Government of the Gar. Butwhen
Russia throws aside the mask; when
our Government speaks out, and
tells the deeds of lying and chica-
merry which it knows full well when
the English people learn how they
have been cheated and beguiled-
with one voice the nation will cry
out to be revenged for the deceit,
and will demand that our honor and
our interests be protected by the
might of our strong right arm.
plan of F,N;coonaI Visitation Eivod |