The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1877-05-03
RUSSIA AGAINST TURKEY.
The Origin Of the War in Europe.

The Origin Of the War in Europe.
The nominal causes of an Eastern war
does not deserve much attention, neither
are they likely to receive it outside of
publication so conscientious and cum
brous as Kinglake's "Invasion of the
Crimea," in which about three hundred
pages are given to one battle, and which
is still unfinished, nearly quarter of
century after it was begun. The brief
est OF recitals must, therefore, cover the
introduction to the drama on which the
curtain is expected so soon to rise.
About July 90, 1876, broke out rebel
lion in the Herzegovina, the alleged
cause being the expressed determine
ton of the Turkish officials to enforce
payment of taxes and arrears by the
Slavic Christians. The revolt speedily
spread to Bosnia, and was so formidable
by the twenty-second of August that the
Russian, French, Austrian and English
governments invited the porte by
collective note to examine into and re-
dress the wrongs complained of by it's
subjects. The Servians Immediately
afterward placed 80, 200 men in the field,
menace promptly followed by the
srltan's raising of large forces and call
ing to the viziership of Mahmoud Pasha,
a recognized champion of absolutism.
The sultan declined any mediation by
foreign powers till his rebellious sub
jects had yielded, though he guaran-
teed reforms which they were not will
ing to accept as a sufficient pretext for
disarmament. The foreign powers then
presented the Andrassy memorandum,
prepared in the name of the three en-
perors, and submitted to and approved
by England, France and Italy asking
religious liberty, customs reform, and a
mixed commission to carry out reforms
in the discoutented provinces. The
sultan accepted it February II, 1876,
but the Turkish population bad become
excited, and their rage found vent i'll the
massacre of foreign consuls at Salonica,
May 6, and in the Bulgarian atrocities.
On the eleventh of May the three en-
perors dictated the famous memorandum
of Berlin, which presented the same
facts and conclusions that were con-
tanned i'll the Andrassy note, but ended
with a menace of intervention if at
the end of the armistice peace had not
been brought about. England had not
been consulted in the negotiations and
declined to approve it, and the memo
randum never was presented to the
porte.
Meanwhile the revolution of May 80
followed, Abdul Aziz being dethroned
and Murad V. installed by the softas;
and the assassination of Rachid Pasha
and Hussein Avni Pasha June Is left two
of the revolutionary party at the head of
Turkish affairs, Mehemet Ruchei Pasha
serving as the hyphen between the abso.
lutism of Abdul Aziz and the liberalism
of Midhat Pasha. July l Prince
Milan, Of Servia, long pressed by the
war party, declared war against Turkey,
having formed an alliance with Monte.
negro and being materially assisted by
Russia. The Turks thrashed him sound
| ly, and September l administered the
decisive defeat before Alexinatz, after
which Prince Milan begged an armistice
| (Abdul Hamid II. had Just replaced the
weak minded Murad V. on the throne.
Turkey, disheartened by the antiOt
toman Gladstone excitement in England
offered an armistice which Servia, from
the same reason, declined. The powers
managed to have it proclaimed, thougl
Tchenayeff opposed it and made hi
army proclaim Milan king. Russia, he
proposition for a Joint occupation having
been refused, demanded month
armistice. The porte offered one of 81.
months. Hostilities were rebegun, ant
despite Tchernayeff's skill and the gal
lantry of the Russian officers and volun
teers who did all the fighting for Servia
the Turks took Djunis and Alexinatz
After this an armistice of six weeks ha,
been practically arranged between Tur
key and the other powers, when Russi
interiected (prohably at the appeal @
Milan) her ultimatum, and the discus
sions ending in the abortive conferenc
of Constantinople was precipitated
There was a diplomatic duel betwee
England and Russia in which Gortscha
kotf decidedly remained victor. Eng
lands position was that the treaties {
1856 and 1871 Chat after the Crimca
war and that after the Franco-Prlssia
war amending it, continued to be til
basis OF her policy, and that, if it wer
necessary, she would see them respec
ed the czar maintained that he had Il
sinister intentions toward Constant
nOplc, but wished guarantees for til
Z tstern Christians, being prepared to az
alone, even in arms, to secure thes,
Austrias position was one of neutralit
SO long as her interests should not i
menaced by the creation of new autonc
nous states. Italy and France took L
direct interest in the dispute. German
declared her willingness to let Russ
act within the bouLds Of non-interfe
enca with Prussian OF German interest
! We recapitulate the positions of IL
great powers at the conference of Coz
, stantjnOple as of interest now. The col
: ference ended in the powers agreeir
{ upon recommendations which the sults
rejected as wholly incompatible with h
! dignity or even existence. He, howeve
, ordered analogous reforms, prepared
. constitution and called a parliamen
! After this it became only a question
. time when war would break out, Russ
! complaining that Turkey either cou
not or would not carry out her reform
for the benefit of her Christian subject
Turkey that Russia was fomenting il
surrection i'll her provinces and makir
Gov, i,,i,,,ionl i,,+n pnI