The Portland daily press., 1877-05-17
Russia and Turkey.*

Russia ana turkey
A concise but comprehensive account of
the quarrel between Russia and Turkey, its
origin and its development is put forth under
the title ''The Eastern Question Historically
Considered" by the Osgood publishing house
of Boston.
Since the days of Peter the Great Russia
has cherished the desire for the possession Of
Constantinople, because of its strategetical
and commercial Importance and because its
capture would be the most striking evidence
of complete victory in the long contest be-
tween the Slav and the Tartar. The Rus
SLAMS have long held the van in the cause OF
emancipation. They were the first of the
Slavs to pass under the Tartar yoke, and the
first to free themselves. Since their indie
pendence was achieved they have held it a
sacred duty to make free the men of their
race who are still vassals of the Ottoman
power. 1t was not however until the time of
Catharine II. that the Eastern Question at
tracted the attention of Europe. That able
and ambitious woman formed the project Of
reviving the Byzantine Empire and establish
ing the White Gear On the throne of Constan-
tine. She began the Russian march to the
Bosphorus by the conquest of the Crlmea, a
march which was only arrested in 1857 by
the action of Great Britain and Prussia.
The policy of the maintenance of Turkey
was then first established by the British,
adopted by Pitt in the beginning as check
to the rapid growth of the Muscovite power
and pursued by his successors as means of
preserving the British empire in India.
The project of Catherine has never been
abandoned by the Czars. So vigorously was
her policy carried out that in 1910 Alexan-
der had advanced the Russian outposts to the
river on the banks of which the armies of
Russia are encamped to-day; had annexed
Moldavia and Wallachia, and had declared
the Danube to be the southern boundary of
his dominons. But the French invasion
obliged him to abandon for the time his
southwark march, and he hastily made peace
with Turkey, surrendering the captured
provinces, and accepting the boundary Of
the Pruth. The conclusion of the general
peace enabled Russia to turn its attention to
its ancient enemy, and though war was not
again declared the Gar enabled Servia to
gain its liberty in 1916, Greece its independ-
ence in 1921, and Egypt its freedom in 1882.
From then until 1854 Turkey was tranquil.
In that year the oppression of the Christians
of the Greek rite provoked the Crimean war,
the Gear Nicholas believing that the time
had come for the execution of the project Of
Catherine. He was mistaken, for Turkey,
aided by England and France, forced his
armies back, destroyed his navy, aud cap
tured the great fortress which he had built
on the Euxine. Now for third time within
the century the Slav aud Tartar face each
other in armed conflict.
Such is the thread of the events which
are stated and commented upon in the little
volume mentioned. In addition to the his
torical statement of the nature and origin of
the conflict now going on in the East, the
volume gives an account Of the governments
and resources of the two nations which are
at strife. The reader learns, among other
things, that the administration of the Rus
sian empire is entrusted to four colleges !;
first, the Council of the Empire, entrusted
with many important functions, such as ex-
amining and criticising the annual budget,
declaring war and concluding peace; second,
the Senate, once holding controlling pow
er but now nothing more than su-
preme court of appeal in judicial matters !;
third, the Committee of Ministers, made
up of the heads of the ten departments, such
as war, navy, foreign affairs, etc., the nearest
approach the Russians have to cabinet
and fourth, the Holy Synod, which has the
administration of ecclesiastical affairs. The
empire for purposes of territorial administra.
tion is divided into forty-six provinces (gub-
eranii) and each province is sub-divided in-
to districts (uyezdD, Poland, Finland, the
Caucasus, and the Baltic Provinces have sep
arate and peculiar administrations. In
Turkey the Grand Vizier is the chief of the
temporal administration, and the Sheik-ul-
Islam is the head of the church. The divan
or ministerial council comprises eight depart
ments, war, fnance.&c. For purposes of ad-
ministration the empire is divided into dis
tricts of three classes, the vilayet, the
highest, the saDjak, subdivision, and
the caza, the unit of the political organiza-
ton. This year new legislative body, sup
posed to answer to parliament, has been
formed, but its powers and duties do not
clearly appear.
#The Eastern Question, Historically Considered: |:
with notes on the resources of Russia and Turkey,
and an abstract of their treaties with the United
States. With maps. BY james W. Bugbee. Bos-
ton: j. R. Osgood s. Co, Portland: Loring, Short
& Harmon.