Weekly Trinity journal., 1877-04-28
GREEK AND M0SLEM.

The long threatened war between Rus
sia and Turkey has commenced at last,
the Russian armies having commenced
the forward movement on Tuesday, cross
ing the Pruth. The Emperor Alexander
has issued his manifesto declaring war
and giving his reasons tor so doing. The
Russian people are said 10 be eager for
the contest and it will not he many days
ere those of the Mosl"m faith and the dis
ciples of the Greek Church will once
more measure swords in deadly com bat.
For, though there may be desire for
territorial aggrandizement, for cominer-
cial advantages and for other interests
which will aid the Russian Empire in its
gta>ping for power and place in the
front rank of nations underlying the
struggle and impellng the Car onward,
yet it is to the religious faith OF his peop .
that the autncrat must look for that sup
port which will inspire enthusiasm in the
hosts sent forth to battle.
Whatever may be tho ultimate ntcn.
tions Of the Russian Emperor, there is
no doubt but his present movement is for
an object which should enlist the sympa-
thy and moral support Of the Christian
world. AS the Pope is the Head of the
Catholic Church SO is .he Car the Head
of the Greek Church. And the Chris
tians of European Turkey, the Christians
of Bos Mo, Bulgaria, Servia and the other
dependencies of the Turkish Empire, are
OF that faith. The atrocities committed
upon these detenceless beings, not only
since the Servian war began but frequent
~ before, were Of II character to Thrill the
soul with horror. The blind ianaticism
of lslamism knew no mercy for those
who did not worsh hiu at the shrine OF
Mahomet, ard for centuries the oppreS-
sion of the Turks has been by word
For centuries Turkey has been permitted
to remain blot upon the civilization ot
Europe, II stain upon the courage and hu
manity of the Western Christian nations.
Jealousy Of the power of the Russian
Empire alone has kept the Turk in his
place, and the same nations which stood
culdy by and saw Poland blotted from
the roll of nations and her territory par
celled out among her cunquerOrs, sprang
To arms when Russa turned her eyes to-
ward the Bo,phorus, for " the balance OF
power" must he preserved. Apparently
Turkey has hoped t@at the causes which
| led other powers to take "p arms IN her
behalf in former years M sht Jtt be pow
ertul, but that hope if 1t was entertained
has proven delusive. Yet it may be that
aS the war progresses, questions Will arise
which will seem to call for intervention
and draw the great powers Of Western
Europe into the vortex of war.
Left to themselves there can be hardly
any doubt of what the result of this war
will be. The religious ianatci-m Of the
Moslems will make them brave and stub
born, but they will have equal ianatici,m.
cquai bravery and stubbofnness tu en-
| counter IN their Russian foes. But they
are weak in point of numbers, compared
with their enemies, and they will have
disutfectiun at home to contend with rs
well. That they are fighting in defence
OF their homes is their advantage, but we
think there can be but one outcome-the
destruction OF the Mo>em power in Eu-
rope, and the ascenGency of the G eek
Turkey. Here, too, in the future will
Russia find her strong allies, when she
seeks to carry out the cherished aim of
her rulers flom the birth of the Empire,
and assert that sovereignty over the Dar
danelles which will give her fleets egress
to the Mediterranean.