New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1877-04-28

| other Powers were then in no condition to In
terfere and the protest OF Turkey evoked no
answer. Meanwhile the insane folly and selfish
ness of Sultan Abd-el-Aziz were rapidly bank
rupting the Ottoman treasury, disOrganizing the
civil government and corrupting the people.
There are able statesmen among the Turks
but if any of them recognized the necessity OF
retaining the goodwill of the other parties 70
the Treaty of Paris, by measures OF economy
REFORM justice, and material development, nc
was powerless to stay the march toward ruin.
The first little spark, which has grown into
fame that may possibly involve all Europe
in contiagration, was kindled in the Slavonlc
province of Herzegovina, on the western
border of Turkey, between Bosnia and Monte
negro. The Christian peasants rose In re-
beliOn against the Moslem landowners, OF their
own race, in June, 1875, and the disturbance
which ensued soon extended into Bosnia. The
people of Montenegro and Servia sympathized
keenly with the desperate resistance OF their
| Christian brethren to expressions which the
| latter declared to be intOlerable. Much secret
| aid was undoubtedly sent into the Herzegovina
and Bosnia, as the rebellion could not otherwise
have been so prolonged; but Montenegro and
| Seryia remained neutral, and Russia entered
into an agreement with Germany and Austria,
| to secure peace. On the 3Oth of December,
| Coul Andrassy, speaking both for Austria and
her two allies, issued NOtep of the reforms
| which the Ottoman Government should apply
to the rebelliOus provinces. Even England
acceded, though not conformity, to the demands
of this note which was, in substance, accepted
by the Porte. But nothing more was heard OF
| - tbo Of tha
gated, the rebellion continued, and by the
Spring of 1876 the insurgents were so en-
couraged by their success that they increased
their demands During all this time, fanatl-
cal spirit which has been spreading throughout
| the East for several years pasta revival OIL
the old, militant MOslcm faith,-was on the
increase among the Turks: the Ottoman Gov
eminent either was unable to control it, or
was blind to the new element OF danger which
it introduced into the situation.
BY the end of ADril, 1876, it was very evil
| dent that the exclUed feeling of the Servians
and Montenegrins, ,whO were inspired by
the gallant resistance of the Bosnians, might
| force their reigning princes to JOIN Ill the
struggle On the 9th of May the murder OF
| the French and German COnsuls at Salonica,
| by fanatical Turkish mob. aroused Europe
| to the necessity of action. Five days after
wards Prince Gortchakoff and Count Andrassy
met Prince Bismarck at Berlin, and agreed
| upon what Is called the "Bcrlin MemOran-
| "dumn II repeated the demands of the An
Grassy Note, but added, that, as the latter had
| been. accepted by the Porte, its provisions
must be instantly carried into effect, with
satisfactory guarantees, failing which, it pro-
posed that the Powers should take " such eff
"cacious measures Us might be demanded"
| II also stipulated for an immediate arm-tice
| of two months. in order that the initial re-
| forms should be carried into effect. France
and Italy were willing to accept the Berlin
| Memorandum, but England refused. As the
| measure required the concurrence of the
| Christian Powers of Europe, it was thus
thwartcd- and the Tory party of England
exulted over Lord Derby's diplomatic triumph
But this was actually the one golden OppOr-
tunity, when an efficient intervention was pos
siblc-when all immediate troubles might
have been adjusted, and the final Eastern
War (Which is among the inevitable things)
| postponed for number of years.
In less than a month after the failure Of the
Berlin Memorandum, Bulgaria was the tlieater
of the most shocking barbarites, the Sultan
was dep0sed and dead, and Seryia and Monte
| negro had decided to declare war against
| Turkey. The atrocities perpetrated by the
| Turks silcnced for time all considerations of
political interest, and paralyzed the efforts of
diplomacy to stay the spread of war. Russia,
thwartcd by England 10 longer hesitated to
| give secret aid and encouragement to Servia and
Montenegro England was in no position to i'll
| terfere, while half her population was holding
| indignant mass meetings and sending help to
the Bulgaiians and the other nations were
content to wait the result Of The Turkish cam
paign against Servia, which assured Russians
| neutrality for time. The events of last
| Summers war will still be fresh in the mem
| orics of our readers. We need only remind
| them that ScrvIa's defeat evident by the
| end of August, at which time an armstico
proposed by England Turkey accepted sus-
| pension of hostities, which lasted until the
| The intermediate month had been spent, to no
| purpose, in negotiations between Russia, En-
gland, Turkey, and the other Powers, in re-
gard to Il basis of peace.
The delay brought no success to tie Servian
arms War on one side and diplomatic cor
respondencc on the other continued until tho
| 31st of October, when AexinaN fell, and
| new suspension of hostilities, followed by an
armstico of two months, wa' brought about.
| BY this time all the Powers had agreed upon
| the plan of conference at COnstantinople.
The representatives of Russia, England, France,
Germany, Austria, and Italy met in that city
! early in December and continued in session
until the 18th of January last, when the plan