The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1877-04-28


That war in Europe is inevitable
seems to be generally conceded, even
by those who best understand the
tortuous workings of diplomacy and
the limited faith to be placed in the
assertions and movements. Ever
since the days of Peter the Great,
Russia has firmly believed that she
had a mission in Europe-one which
has continually developed itself in
schemes looking towards an addition
to territory, in plans which, although
made Ostensibly to preserve the bal
ance of power, have been ingeniousIy
constructed so as to strengthen her
own influence and in trying to fur
Their reforms in other countries,
while carefully abstaining from fol-
lowing them up in her own. There
is an old proverb, "Give dog bad
name, and you may as well hang
him." which might safely be applied
to the condition Of Turkey for the
last twenty years. That there have
been abuses in her government, that
her Christian subjects have been ty-
rannized over, and all of her people
placed under a taxation which COM
pletely impoverishes them and Grip
pies the industrial interests of the
country, are matters of history. But
! that heransn nf- the eXistepce of these
Europe is conclusion which might
with equal propriety be applied to
any one Of the empires which are
clamoring for her destruction. Eng
land has long constituted herself a
sort of knight Grant monarchy trav-
cling around the world like some
belligerent visitor at Donnybrook,
and feeling the canvass of every tent
for skull to practice upon, And so
Mr.. Gladstone, by his invective and
phlllipl"S, succeeded in enliSting one
feeling in favor of the outraged
Christians in Turkey and two against
the Government which had ousted
him from power. Exeter Hall, that
stronghold of evangelism, came to
the rescue, and the public sentiment
was judiciously tiattered by stirring
appeals and discussions in Parlia-
ment, until at one time it almost
seemed as if, alone and unaided,
England was about to rush on the
Turk and annihilate him. But this
impulse soon became tempered with
caution; craftsmanship took the place
OF sympathetic outbursts, and the
slow Windings of diplomacy gradu-
ally led to the conviction which now
seems to have to have possession of
her Government that she would not
take any part in the conflict until her
influence could be decisive. Were
the same light brought to bear upon
he internal condition of Turkey to
De turned upon Russia, whose phi
who are so ready to
weep over human wrongs would find
'qual cause for tears there. When [
We consider that for the last fjttv
ears there has scarcely been one :
art of Russian domain in which t
ghting has not been carried on, we |
re OF course inclined to believe in |
N
ne efficacy of the army . but if we |
tudv over the nature of that warfare |
re can see that it has been devoted t
)ntinuously to the suppression of e
tending towards either O
or political freedom, The is
lXation which is placed upon both 0
ne peasantry and the mobiles is of h
re most excessive character, and the r
which inevitably follows k
he attempt to tie people down to n
lie dictates of one belief has, in eff Fl
rts at its suppression, engaged the le
tention of thousands of soldiers. 70
early there are numbers of Arme- q,
an Christians who are driven bv n,
e military far into exile in Turkes- III
n, or who find refuge in the des- k,
is of Ispahan, and from every part III
the vast empire there come up p,
gularly tales of cruelty and op- If
ession which go far towards disa- or
sing our minds of the idea that the in