Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1877-06-20
NEW SERIES--VOL. IS, NO. 25
GEOGRAPHY or TURKEY.


The contest between Russia and Tur-
key will naturally attract some at.
tention to the seat of war. For those
who have not access to larger works
Of reference we give the following alb
stract of the geography Of Turkey.
The province of Turkey as repro
sented on the map of Europe in our
school geography embraces territory
lying on both sides Of the Danube. All
that part, however, north of the Dan
ube, and bounded by Austria, Russia,
and the Black Sea, is called Roumania.
The name is derived from the language
spoken, which was originally the Ro-
man or Latin, as We shall see hereafter
The population is OF a mixed charac-
ter consisting of jews, Roman Catho-
lies, Armenians and Protestants. The
mass Of the people, however, are mem
bers of the Greek church. There are
only about l 300 Mohammedans in the
principality. The entire population is
about 100000.
Roumania includes the Decia of Ro-
man history. Here the legions OF
Trojan fought, and when he had de-
stroyed the native population, he is
said to have peopled the country with
colonists from the whole Of the Roman
empire. Hence the character of the
language. After the Romans had held
sway for somewhat less than two hun
dred years they were expelled by the
Goths. Subsequently other barbarous
tribes invaded the country, until, at
last the Turks, having captured Con-
stantinople in 1854, acquired a nominal
title, though practically the country
continued under its own Christian
rulers. At present Ronmania enjoys
all the rights Of sovereignty, can nego-
tiate treaties OF commerce and peace.
She makes, however, an annual contri.
button to the Porte. The chief ruler
is styled prince regent and inherits his
title. Liberty of conscience, and free
dom of press and of public meetings
are guaranteed the people. The legis-
lative branch of the government is
elected, and consists Of two houses.
Roumania possesses railroads, lines
of telegraph, postotlice department.
schools and universities Education is
obligatory for both sexes
The language is Of mixed charac-
ter This is necessary consequence
of its history. All the races, nearly,
which have found home on the soil,
have left some words. The Roman
alphabet is used and the pronunciation
resembles the italian.
South OF the Danube, extending from
where the Danube leaves the Austrian
frontier westward, with the Morava
river dividing it nearly in the centre
where it joins the Danube, lies the
principality of Scrvia It's civil admin
istration is modelled after that of Aus
tria. Every Serb is a soldier. The
Turks hold the fortress of Belgrade
and several other points. The Servi-
ans belong 10 the Slavic race, and thus
in religion and nationalities are in
sympathy with Russia. The language
is more like the Russian than the Po-
lish these, with the Bohemian and
the Servian being the four great divis.
ions Of the Slavic language. The popu-
lation is o little over q million.
The third principalty is that OF
Montenegro, to the southwest of Servia
and nearly midway on the west frontier
of Turkey. The inhabitants are of the
Servian race and members of the Greek
church. These are under special obli-
cations TO Russia, receiving an annual
pension for harrassng the Turks. The
population is somewhat over hundred
thousand. But what they lack in
numbers they make up in their temper
and the nature of their mountain home.
Twenty-Five thousand men can be sent
into the field at short notice
But tho rest of the territory known
in our Biographies is by no means
united. West of Servia and north OF
the fierce Montenegrins is Bosnia, whose
inhabitants consist of Bosnians, Croats
Morlaks, Turks, Illyians, Jows, Gypsies
&c. These with the exception of the
last four are also Of the Slavic race
And then, south Of the Danube, from
Servia TO the Black Sea, enclosed on
the south by the Balkan mountains
are the Bulgarians. These number
about two and quarter millions and
belong to the Slavic race, and are mem
bers of the Greek church. Sophia is
an important city South of the Bal.
kan mountains lies Macedonia, a part
of the old empire of Alexander, whesc
inhabitants are descendants of the old
Greeks.
Thus we see thatth present conflict
involves in it three races. There is
the Russia or Slavic, the Greek and
the Turkish. And the religious aspect
is no less interesting, for three different
forms of faith are struggling for the
mastcry,-ihe Greek church, lineal
descendant of those TO whom St. Paul
wrote his epistes, and among whom
he preached the sister church Of the
West, one with her in her earlier ltur.
gies and formularies and lastly the
Mohammedan II is impossible to say
how this thing is going to end 1t
may be in the extension of the king
dom of Greece northward TO the Dan
ube, with Constantinople for its capital
The rise OF modern Greece is q wonder
ful fact in the history of modern
Europe, and may yet assume an impor-
tance altogether unlocked for. There
may be u concordat in q Greek empire
to which Western Europe, England