, 1877-03-03

cnOuIQ O6 QISATkuSuS l. I1dIIJ Gu6 IGOCI
chiefs showed how much they distrusted
the Porte by demanding that the money
tor the compensation of the Christians
should be paid to an European Commits
sion. Count Andrassy at once set aside
these terms. Prince Gortchakof, on the
other hand, thought that they might have
been discussed. Meanwhile the rebellion
spread from one district to another. Ser
VIA and Montenegro grew more threaten
ing. The Porte, which on the 9TH of Oc-
tober, 1875, had announced that for FIVE
years it would pay only half the interest
OF It's debt in gold, betrayed further en-
barrassment by "postponing" the pay
ment Of the April coupons even for that
half. On the 9th of May 9 new and dan
gerous turn was given to the disturbance
by an outburst of Mahomedan fanaticism
IN Salonica, and the murder of the French
and the German CopsuIs in that town.
Ihe excltem mt had spreal to Constantine.
pie, where the Mu~ ~sulmans, as Sir Henry
Elliot announced, were buying arms Of all
kinds. The Christians were also armiHo
themselves. Thus it was feared the Mus
sulmans would rise and massacre the
Christians. Sir Henry Elliot was so
alarmed that, as he told Lord Derby on the
9th OF May, he had t~elegraphed to Jaf4,
where the British Squadron was lying,
urging Admiral Drummond to bring the
ships to Besika Bay. The Government
ordered the Fleet to proceed to Besika BAv
on.the oath. Fortunately there was no
actual outbreak in Constantinople. But
on the 10th Of May the effects OF the ex-
element were seen in tho dethronement
of Sultan Abdul Aziz by a few ruling Pa
shas, who obeyed a general belief that he
was running the Empire. Succeeded on
the same day by his nephew Murad, he
put an end to his life on the Ath of June.
Murads own reign lasted only till the 3lst
OF August, when he in turn was dethroned
on the ground of hopeless mental incapa-
city, and was succeeded by his brother,
the present Sultan. A fortnight after the
deposition o. Abdul Aziz, tvs OF the Pash-
as who had led the conspiracy against him
-HusseIn Avni, the Minister Of War, and
Raschld, the Minister of Foreign AAairs-
were assaSsinated by an officer who was
supposed to have been prompted by frien1s
of the late Sultan. In Hussein Avni the
Turks lost the man who was supposed to
NC Tic eOul OIL IHe WarlIK0 Rarty OUT
events have shown that he left many
Pashas as ready as himself to accept the
risk Of battle.
Diplomacy had not been idle during
these stirring events. The Andrassy Note
having absolutely failed, the three Impe-
rial Courts made another and holder
attempt to restore peace. On the 18th of
May, Prince GortschakofF and Count
Andrassy met Prince Bismarck in Berlin,
and then was framed the Berlin Note. On
the 18th the German Chancellor gave q
copy OF it to Lord Odo Russell, and urged
England to join the three Empires in pres.
sing the terms Of it on the Porte. In
brief and peremptory words it stated that
as the Sultan ha given the Powers a
pledge to execute the reforms specified ia
the Andrassy Note, he had at the same
time given them a moral right to insist
that he should keep his word. The Chris.
tians could not trust the promises of the
Turks. 1t is most essential, therefore, ="
said the Note, " to establish certain guar
antees of a nature to insure beyond doubt
the loyal and full application of the mea-
sures agreed upon between the Powers
aud the Porte. The Imperial Courts
demanded suspension of arms for two
soonkbc Ao n hooio of disouas;on 4bou