The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1877-05-03
The War in the East.-IIs Possible
Results.

The Herald says it should not be
forgotten that however we may regard
the Russian policy or the Turkish,
England's interest or Austria's, there
is civilization on one side the line of
battle and barbarism on the other.
People may have their prejudices
against Russia, and say that she has
shed crocodile tears over the Eastern
Christians only to cover her own
schemes, or they may have English
sympathies, and through these work
themselves into Mysteries of admiration
for the power that it has suited Eng
lands interest to sustain. But what
cannot be rubbed out, and what Meth
err Russia nor Turkey can help, IS that
as the Russian cOlors move forward the
domain of civilization is enlarged, new
districts are opened into which gov
erDment, law, justice and enlighten-
ment may possibly enter; bat as they
recede-if they shall recede-dlstrict
must be relegated 10 all that is evil in
the sway of human creatures over 9th
er human creatures; to tyranny in its
vIlest forms; to blind, brutal, murder
GUS oppression. All this has common
ly been expressed by use Of the
words Christian and Mo,lem; but it
should be understood that these, in this
II hectic n, are not so much religious as
political terms. Christianity, as thus
used, means a form of civilization
that form of civilization upon which all
the governments and political systems
of Western Europe are founde !; the
form of civilization that prevails in
every land under the sun where there
Is an enlightened people or just ad-
ministration of law, or where a man is
sure for a single day of his life or his
property. If it is desirable that the
good should prevail in the world-that
higher type of civilization should DIS
place baser wherever they come in
contacr-then it is assuredly desirable
for every reason that a splendid
triumph should in this war crown the
Russian arms; for Russia lights to put
down the declare and natural enemies
of all the world holds to be good in
government.
That Russia will overcome her foe is
scarcel y open TO doubt. Precisely how
capable the Russian commanders NAV
be for directing great operations only
the future can tell. Biunders will be
committed, as they are in all wars, and
they have ever been especially costly
In Russian wars. But the resources of
this enormous empire are such that it
is scarcely possible for the great
est conceivable series of blunders
to put its cause in danger in
this conflict. How great q force
Turkey can really muster in the
excitement of desperation is doubtful.
Il has been said that for a war like this
the people would give ''the last man
and the last dollar" but the admirers
OF the Moslem should not say too much
on that subject while men remember
the experience of the voluntary con-
tributions" made by the Turkish peo-
pie last year to enable their government
10 defy the world in arms. All the
SultaH's dominions were threshed and
hatchelled to gather these voluntary
contributions, and what was the stu
pendOus resultsl Less than two mil
lions of dollars. From this il appears
that the Ottoman does not become so
utterly lost in his fanaticism as to for
get his individual interests; and If the
last man does not come out auy more
readily than the last dollar did on that
occasion be may come too late to be
useful. II the Turks should gather q
very large army the greater part Of 1t