The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1877-05-09

Xnc 61stexn 4uestiOn-Aho SSosce"s
and the Cross-How tho War Will
Affect the United states.
The London newspapers who take sides
with Turkey in the Eastern question are
the perfdy and the land hunger of the Car.
England, they say. is the most magnani-
nous and forbearing of nations. She wants
no provinces, no territory, not an acre nor a
stone. All she cares about is that Europe
shall be independent" that the Turks
shall be 'free," and that the ambition of the
terrible Gear shall be repressed. This is
another of the illusions with which the
English newspapers and orators amuse the
world. 1t is like her claim of imperial Gin
fuence." Let us compare the history OF
the Russian and English empires since the
accession of Peter the Great, not quite two
centuries ago. Since that time the Russian
Empire has grown from 1885, 900 square
miles to S,444,7 66. and from 100000
population to more than 85,000,0O0. This
represents the steady growth Of an
empire Of civilization over barbarous
nations like those in Central Asia or semi
barbarous anarchies like old Poland. In this
period of time England has grown to be
much larger empire than Russia, with three
million square miles in America, one mill
ion in Africa, million in Asia, and more
than two millions and half in Australasia.
The colonial possessions of Great Britain
which have been gathered in the last few
centuries are almost as large as the whole
Russian Empire.
1t is charged against Russia that since the
time Of Peter she has been robbing her
neighbors, encroaching on oil sides. Thus
she attacked Sweden and robbed her of Fin
land. She attacked Persia and took some of
the Shah's most important provinces. In
1892 she carried away great slice of Poland.
She has attacked Turkey and robbed her.
She made war upon Khiva and deprived the
Khan of his possessions, and now she wants
the Danube and the Bosphorus. This is the
record against Russia, and we do not ques-
ton it. But what has England been doing
all this time? England has robbed France
and Spain and Holland in Europe; China.
Burmah and India in Asia, not to speak Of
America andAfrica. Within the last century,
says one English authority, England has
for every square league of territory annexed
to Russia, by force, violence or fraud,
appropriated to herself three" This is not
our charge, but that of famous English
statesman, which we quote for the purpose
of showing our English friends that when
they howl over the misdeeds of the Gar in
land stealing they forget their own. So far
as the land stealing morality of the two
nations is concerned it is Robert Macaire
reproving Jack Sheppard. If it is said that
England has only robbed other countries of
their provinces for the purpose of civilizing
the people the same may be said of Russia.
England has gone into other continents and
across the seas to take colonies in q spirit of
adventure. Russia has taken hers on her
own borders, and often for self-protection.
The nations who have como under the
Russian rule have been blessed by the
change. If India and Ceylon and Mauritius
are happier because England rules them
now, SO most assurcdly are the serfs of
Poland and the savages of the Caucasus
under the Gar
If there is one nation in Europe which
came as a conquering army, which has de-
spised civilization, which knows and re-
spects no authority but the sword, whose
civil policy is aggressive, and whose re-
ligion is lust and superstition, it is that
Ottoman Power which many ruling minds
in England would perpetuate even at the
49, Nv r1,C hovo
no sympathy with us either in race or relig-
ion. They came into Europe and took
Constantinople in the middle of the if
teenth century. They were Tartars from
Asia. BY the sheer force of arms the Turk
captured the most renowned and ancient
Greek and the Egyptian and the Carthagin-
ian. He ruled in Athens and Jerusalem
the city of light and the city of religion.
He menaced Vienna. Wherever he ruled
he blighted and destroyed. The history of
his advance is the history of civilization
overthrown, industry paralyzed. laws vio-
lated, temples cast down, art efaced. He
has never changed. A warrior at the outset
he has striven to engraft his warlike Empire
upon the fair bosom Of Christian Europe.
The Turks have no arts, no science. Coun-
tries which, ages before America was known,
were the homes of delicate and refined
civilization have fallen under Turkish rule
into decay. The story of their Empire is n
scandal. Not many years have passed since
they engaged in q fierce war with the
Georgians lin consequence" says the his
torian, ''of the Georgians having refused to
continue to supply Turkish harems with a
customary annual tribute of the handsomest
same time, in lieu, yearly contribution in
money"
In European Turkey the Ottomans are in