The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1877-12-25
WILL ENGLAND INTERVENE ?

When the persecution of tho chris
ilans IN the European provinces OF Tur'
key first commenced, and Russia first
indicated q purpose Of war, the old set'
lied policy of that empire WAS AZ well
understood as II Is now, The hypoorlt' |
ioal ayowal Of a mere defense of the
faithful was understood TO veil the fixed
purpose OF Russia to place her hands
upon Constantlnople in the interest OF
the expansion Of her dominlons In the
direction of the east, and 10 secure the
long coveted outlet by way Of the Black
Sea, the Dardanelles and tho Bospho'
rus, TO the Mediterranean, Every inch
of territory she acquires in this dlrec'
ton Ia direct menace 10 the prestige
Of England's eastern possessions and In
nuence. The fall of Pleyna develops no
new principle in the struggle so lar as
England Is concerned, only this, the
danger to her eastern influence and
commerce is one days march nearer
During the Italian war, when Louis
Napoleon and Victor Emanuel won
Solferino and Magenta, Bismarck said
the Rhine n ust be defended on the
Adige." History is continually repeat
ing itself, and England should have
defended the Indies and her long and
exposed line of communications on the
Danube, or ut least on the Balkans
Now we hear II rumored that she pro-
poses to purchase the sultan's suzrain'
ty over Egypt and pay for 1t in money
After Constantnople has fallen into
the grasp of Russia, Egypt would not
be worth baubee TO either England
or its own local sovereign. England
knew as well when war was declared,
as she does now, that Turkey unassist'
cd, could not contend two years with
the undivided force of gigantic Russia,
Without o powerful diversion in some
other direction, the early fall Of Con-
stantinople and the disruption Of the
government of Turkey were fixed facts
from the first, No new principle
has been developed, and her ST.
lence while these tremendous battles
have been fought and lost by her deN
voted ally is ominous Of subjugation
aud partition, and her move to acquire
suzrainty in Egypt by purchase looks
like bad faith with Russia, if dismemI
berment really had been determined
upon.
England may intervene, but even il
she does now it will not be in time tc
save the European provinces of Turkey
and that power will in all tho future BE-
totally unable to confront the car with
out western help, and it may cost Eng
land infinitely more to maintain M
eastern military establishment for fift,
years than to have met the horaes o
Russia on the south bank OF the Dan
ube as she did in the trenches befor
Sebastopool and the gorge Of Balak
lava.
The ministry have displayed weak
ness and irresolution which is amazing
The queen has called parliament b,
cause she evidently requires its supper
in maintaining neutrality or in declar
ing war. These circumstances do nc
pressage prompt and vigorous actor
and only that will suffice to enable til
Crescent to confront theCross unde
the walls Of Constantinople.
There is something inexpressibl
touching in the situation in which Tu
key has been placed, Ever since tn
star OF Rumanoif first assembled the no
lion, in the person of Peter the Grea
q Turkey has stood on the defensiv
against odds which would bave sta
I glred Leonidas and his Spartans. The
y struggles have been heroic, but it seen
now that they have been,for naught III
less the cupdity of England can |
\ aroused in time, or that her fears
Russian ascendency may become acti,
g enough to set her armies in motion t
}. ward that Orient which has inspire
e her bards in days past, and where,
t the opportunity comes, her soldiers wi
D also win imperishable honors.