The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1877-05-10

In spite Of the barbarity Of the Turk.
ish nation, Of the incapability of the
Turk to adapt himself to even the sim.
p est requirement Of modern civilization,
and Of the inherent savagery Of the
Turkish character in spite Of the fact |
that the descendants OF Othman and his |
followers have made n lonely desert Of
the iairest portion Of Europe and the
hottest portion Of Asia, and OF the GER
tainty that under Turkish rule there Is
little future prospect Of better things, it
is impossible to repress feeling Of ADM
ration ut the calm dignity with which
the Turkish government takes its stand
and defes the powers OF Europe to pro-
coed and to do their worst
The ablest statesmen have lab0red in
the closet, in the forum, in the council
hall; dispatches by the thousand have
gone to and iro asking and receiving ad-
vice; IgnaticT and GortschakoR Bis
marck and Count Andrassy Disraeli and
Safvct Pasha have consulted and con
icrred all the arts Of words used to con.
ceal the real meaning of the speakers
nave been brought into rcquisitiOn
drafts without number Of the document
that was TO bring concord to the great
nations OF the continent were made,
amended, rewritten, intcrlincd, scratched
out, rejected, and thrown away, until
one was found that was acceptable TO all,
and the signing Of which was supposed
to be the certain precursor OF peace,
when, presto, Turkey, whom nobody
had consulted, whom nobody seemed to
think it worth while to pay any attcn-
ton to, steps forth, master OF the silua.
ton, stamps the protocol under foot, and
at once utterly destroys the prospect Of
peace,
Even, however, were this consideration
not of weight, the difficulty, not to say
imposslbility, Of sending an army
through Asia Minor in any other direc-
ton than Immediately along the south
coast OF the Black sea will be sufficient
to prevent anything more than faint.
NerXcs' army might easily be lost in the
mountains of Armenia, and the long
stretch Of treee'a, waterless, parchcd,
sandy desert which intervenes between
Georgia and Syria cilectually procludcs
all danger Of serious invasion from this
quarter. Then, if the Russian army
should move along the southern Black
sea coast, its objective point must be
Constantinoplc, and England and Tur
key will fight for that city just as iiercely
against invaders from the southwest as
from the north.
1t is probable, therefore, that Russia,
though attempts may be made in both
directions, will trust to the route through
Roumania, by the way Of the Danube
and the Balkan mountains There will
be serious difficulty in this line Of march
also, since the Turkish fleet will hold the
Black sea, and the Turkish army is now
resting on the southern bank Of the
Danube, behind the works OF consider
able strength, thrown up by the best en-
gincers in the English army. In the last
war, the Russian army left half its num-
Der in the unhealthy marshes of the
Danube, and there is no cause to suppose
that these have become any less MAS
matte, or that the Russians are any more
healthy. Since Russia is now bound to
20 to war, or allow herself to be bullicd
by Turkey, the cars generals will have
to risk the dangers Of the swamps, the
pcriIs of eilccting the passage of II river
like the Mississippi in the teeth of Il de
tcrmned enemy, and the uncertainty OF
forcing the passes Of the Balkans, only,
after all, to find that fighting the Turks
is II small matter compared with fighting
the British
There is little doubt that the Turkish
cabinet have become perfectly desperate,
nor can the fact be wondered at when we
remember the peculiar circumstances
under which they are placed. On the
one side they have Russia, an avOwed
enemy, eager to seize any pretcXt for
complaint; on another they have Austria,
anxious TO annex large share Of their
best territory; while on the third they
have England, an Indifferent friend, only
ready to assist when English interests
are really or apparently endangered.
Add to these complications an army
which they are alike afraid to keep and
to disband, the men of which they can
not pay, and who would desolate the
country if discharged, and n populace
who will not hesitate to demand of the
sultan the heads of the ministers if the
times get out of jCint, and it will be
seen that the Office of imperial c0un-
ciilor i by no means sineCure.
Acting under pressure from dozen
quarters, it is probable the Turkish min
sry has taken what it believed to be
the safest course. Between the chances
of foreign war and those of the riotous
outbreak OF Mussulman fury, there was
TAR less danger in the former, and this is,
doubtless, the reason why it has been
chosen. And now we are to see what
Russia is going to do about it. We
have all along heard Of che mighty pre-.
parations that have been made on the
northern coast of the Black sea, and
within couple OF weeks it will be seen
whether or not so pOrtenOus a smoke ii
to be supplemented by any fire. Tn,
indications are that, during the early
part of the war, Russia will endeavor t
avoid European complications as far a
possible, by operating in Asia, and by
attempting to gain possession Of Syria
Asia Minor and Palestine. But this i
the very step which England would b
most unwilling to see the Russians take
r An advance into Asia Minor is direc
threat to the Suez canal and the Indian
, communications, and will not be tOlera
ted by Great Britain Giobe- Democrat
=. Virtue itself oilrnds when coupled
with forbidding manners Bishop Ma
dietOn.