, 1877-05-09

pie, IN the momentum of the enormou
forces to which she gives activity, and in
the necessity OF justifylog great sacrifices
by some show of result, Russia feels
powerless, except to ride the storm, The
course of events has its logic, impossible
to c~0nfute, aud not easy to divine. She
must go on. She has offered Europe a share
III the crusads upon terms more intellicibIe
to piety than to prudence. We might
help her as much as we all pleased, and
engage ourselves to any exten. on her side
but we were to have no voice in the results
should they chance to be such as invariably
happen when the weak have to give place
to the strong. A certain fatalism, excusa-
BILE in proportion as it is blind and sense
less, has urged Russia step by step, on to
the irrevocable, Her Continental neigh
bours, even her allies, scarcely affect to
believe that she really wished Turkey to
make tho concessions insisted on, or that
she has done anything but stop the way Of
peace. At any rate, unless the Turk IS
more easily frigI tened, aud cowed by the
imminence OF q terrible war, than be has
ever been before, the die is cast, aud q
few days will probably see the tidal wave
OF Russian ambition once more on its
southwark cours'.
It is not a pleasant spec acle, either in
itself or in its consequences. The imme-
date effect will be to produce a mass OF
suffering and crime compared with which
the masSacres, burnings, and horrors Of
the present controversy are a tritle. Tbs
beIIigerents viii not spare. On the plea
of retaliation, each will execute what he
thinks a Divine vengeance on The foe and
all his belongings. Before long We who
sit at home will be beginning the dr., airy
old Celebration which side will lose most
by equal losses. At present The arithme-
teal view Of the question is against the
MussulmAn, for On his side there is only a
fighting caste, and on the other q vast and
mixed population OF warlike fanatics. Such
estimates, however, are apt to b. found
uuaccountably faIlucious, and Tu key, no
doubt, hos the advantage OF Russia in soma
elements. She has a better climate, better
ports, even better communications. Yet the
longer the war lasts the worse it will be for
her. A few weeks Of the war will put
the Mo-. ms into the condition Of tAei1
pennlIeSs ancestors, possessing nothing but
the sword, an relying Oh it fot the
ground they stand on and their food from
day to day. Iii aImos; useless to specu-
late upon contingencies in Which fana-
t%ic;sai, despe a'ion, and suicidal frerzg
may be the ruling Ell, meets. There is
hope, indeed, 10 matters coming early to
the wors;, inasmuch as in that case Europe
might interfere. Turkey nigh su-reA1er
to sheer necessity mach moro than she WI
now conlescend to give up when she sits
in the court OF honour, and listens only TO
the %counsels finer wounded pride.
1t is sickeniug, indeed, to find the ques-
ton which EuIop. has laboureI SO much
to treat on the high grounds Of public
policy and mutual respect on the very
point of passing into the material phase.
In a very few weeks we may find ourselves
once more reforming the map of Europe,
not 80 much to our owb satisfaction as in
the late re-arrangements Of the Italian
peninsula and the central continent. That
South Eastern Europe and the neighbour
ing portions Of Asia will submit in their
turns to the universal law Of change, and
fall into the lines Of modern order and cOnve-
n~ience, cannot be doubted but It is vain
to expect these results from a movement
inspired by Imperial ambition and directed
by despotic will. 1t is to be presumed,