Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1877-05-10

most kceniy: when sue aSsumes an AR o
indifference, It is time for other nations 10 b
on their guard. She accepted the conditions
of the Treaty of Paris. in 1856, which tool
away the corner Of hes territory reachins
/ down to the Danube, and denied her q nava
force in the Black Sea but it was acceptance
with silent determination to reconquer, al
the first favorable moment, al abe had lost
The war between Germany and France, in
1870, gave her the opportunity: she boldly
announced her repudhtion Of the Black lSes
clause, and began to construst her vessels Of
| war. The other Powers were then in no coz.
dition to interfere, and the protest of Turkey
evoked no ansAer. Meanwhile the insane
folly and selfshness of Sultan Add el- -Azz
were rapidly bankrupting the Ottoman treas
ury, disorgaHizing the civil government and
corrupting the people. There are able states
men among the Turks; but if any of them
recognized the necessity of retaining the
goodwill of the other parties to the Treaty of
Paris, by measures of economy, reform, JUS
tice, and material development, he was pow
erless to stay the march toward ruin.
The first little spark, which has grown into
flame that may possibly involve all Europe
in confagration. was kindled IN the Slavonic
province. of Herzegovina, on the western
border of Turkey, between Bosnia and Monte
negro. The Christian peasants rose in rebel
lion against the Moslem landowners, of their
own race, in June, 1875, and the disturbance
which ensued soon extended into Bosnia. The
people of Montenegro and Servia sympathlzed
keenly with the desperate resistance of their
Christian brethren TO expressions which the
latter declared to be intolerable. Much secret
aid was undoubtedly sent into the Herzego-
vina and Bosnia, as the rebellion could not
otherwise have been so prolonged; but Mont
enegro and Servia remained neutral, and
Russia entered into an agreement with Ger
many and Austria, to secure peace. On the
30th of December, Count Andrassy, speaking
both for Austria and her two allies, issued a
'Note" of the reforms which the Ottoman
Government should apply to the rebellious
provinces. Even England accedcd, though
not conjointly, to see the demands of this
note, which was, in substance, accepted by
the Porte. But nothing more was heard Of it
the terms of the reforms were not promul-
gated. the rebellion continued, and by the
Spring of 1875 the insurgents were SO encour-
aged by their success that they increased their
demands. During all this time, a fanatical
spirit which has been spreading throughout
the East for seueral years, revival Of the
old. militant Moslem faith, on the in
crease among the Turks the Ottoman Gov
ernmert either was unable to control it, or
was blind to the new element of which it in
troduced into the situation. 49,.
By the end of April, 1875, it was very evi
dent that the excited feeling of the Servians
and Montenegrins, who were inspired by the
gallant resistance Of the Bosnians, might force
their reigning princes TO join in the struggle.
On the 9th of May the murder OF the French
and German Consuls at Sslonica, by q fanas-
cal Turkish mob. aroused Europe to the ne
cessity of action. Five days afterwards Prince
Gortchakof and Count Andrassy met Prince
Bismarck at Berlin, and agreed upon what is
called the s'Berlin Memorandum " 1t repeat
he demands of the Andrassy Note, but add
ID, that, as the latter had been accepted by
he Porte, its provisions must be instantly |
,arried into effect, with satisfactory gnaran
ees, failing which, it proposed that the
Powers should take ''eficacious measures as |
night be demanded" 1t also stipulated for
N immediate armistice of two months, in Or
Ter that the initial reforms should be carried
nto effect. France and Italy were willing to
ccept the Berlin Memorandum, but England
efused. As the measure required the con-
urrence of the Christian Powers of Europe,
was thus thwarted- the Tory party of
,ngland exulted over Lord Derby's diplo-
latic triumph! But this was actually the
ne golden opportunity, when anseficient in
,rvention was possible-when all immediate
.oubles might have been adjusted, and the
nal Eastern War (Which is among the inev-
able things) postponed for. q number of
ears. .-,.,. .g.,t
In less than month after the failure of the
erlin Memorandum, Bulgaria was the thea
# of the most shocking barbarities, the Sui.
N was deposed and dead, and Servia and
Iontenegro had, decided TO declare war
,ainst Turkey. The atrocities perpetrated {
Y the Turks silenced for time all consider
ions of political interest, and paralyzed the
forts of diplomacy to stay the spread of !
ar. Russia, thwarted by England, no I
niger hesitated to give secret aid and en- I
engagement to Servis and Montenegro: Eng 9
nd was in no position to interfere, while {
If her population was holding indignant
ass meetings and sending help to the Bull i
Irians and the other nations were content {
wait the result of the Turkish campaign &
,ainst Servia, which assured Russia's neu- c
ality for time. The events of last Sum- !
er's war will still be fresh in the memories (.
our readers. We'need only remind them q
at Servia's defeat wss evident by the end of !
ugust, at which time an armistice was pro- Z
,sed by England. Turkey accepted sus- t
,nsionsof hostilities, which lasted until the
of October, when the war was resumed. (,
he intermediate month had been spent, to !
!, purpose, in negotiations betweea Russia, {
ngland, Turkey, and the other Powers, 10
gard to Q basis of peace. ........+ ......
The delay brought no success to the Servian
ms. War on one side and diplomatic cor
spondence on the other continued until the
Ist of October, when Alexinatz fell, and {
wv suspension of hostiliies, followed by an {
.mistice Of two months, was brought about. !
By this time all the Powers had agreed
pom the plan of a conference at CONSTANT
nple The representative of Russia, Eng
nd, France, Germany, Austria, and Italy
'et in that city, early in December, and con-
nued in session until the, 18th of. January |
vt, when the plan which they unanimously
iopted was presented to Turkey. On the
Oth Saftet Pasha, on the part of the Grand