Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1877-05-30
Gladstone's Essay on 'Montenegro." !"

One Of the most notable contribu-
tlons to the May number of the new
periodical, the Nineteenth Centuyv. is
MIR. Gladstone's essay upon "Monte-
me- ro," which is written in the form
OF review of two recent works upon
that country. The story of that coun-
try,of its continual struggles with the
Turks, Of the victories of mere hand
fuls of these hardy mountaineers over
the legions of Islam, OF the stern, de-
voted manner in which have preserved
freedom on their mountain heights for
4oU years, is as thrilling as romance.
After an alusion to the size Of it's
country and It's population at various
epochs, Mr.. Gladstone refers to the
various abortive attempts Of the Turks
to overpower this little band of noun
talneers with overwhelming forces and
by sheer weight of numbers. In 1712
the Turks with 100000 invaded Mon
tenegro, and DANILo assailed their
camp with $4,000 men, and routed
them. With loss Of 3lS men, he
slew at the lowest estimate 10000.
In 17l3 the Turks catered Montene-
gro again with 10000 Of their best
troops. and, although they carried off
many women and children into slavery,
could not hold the country. In 1922
the Turks, with 10000 men under
HUssE1N PAsHk, were defeated by
1000 Montenegrins. In 1727 anoth-
er Turkish invasion was similarly sup
pressed In 1872 TopAL OsMAN PA
sha marched against them with 10000
men, but had to fly with tie loss OF
his camp and baggage. In 1853 the
country was invaded again with an ar.
my variously estimated at from 100000
to $50, 900 men, and again the little
Montenegrin army of 12,OvO men
"efected the scarcely credible slaught-
er of 10000 Turks with 5000 horses
and WOE an incredible booty of col1rs,
arms amunitions, and baggage" In
1882 PETER the Saint came to the
throne, and for torty-eight years car
ried his country safely through almost
constant struggles. In 1876, by his
authority, code of laws was promul-
gated; in 1913 he appointed body OF
Judges; and in 1903 be added a sup
plement to the code He was succeed
ed by his nephew, RADAToMoRo, a
giant in stature, an incorrupt,ble Prince,
and cultivated man. At the head
of 500 men he defeated Turkish ar
my of thousands, and under him ten
men iu 1885 sseized by coup de main
the old Castle of Zabliak, once the
Capital of Zeta, held it for four days
against 5000 Turks, and then surren-
dered it only by order of the Vladika
Cor Bishop, who was anxious to avoid
a war. Nearly all his battles were
victories" Ia 1851 ended the dynasty
of Bishops on the accession Of DANILo,
the nephew of the deceased Vladika.
The change was effected by his attach
ment for young girl in Trieste whom
he could only marry by avoiding Epis-
copal conservation, which entailed the
obligation Of celibacy. The Senate
supported him in his determination,
and thus ended the line of the Vladi-
kas, "who had done work for free
dom, as we'll as for religion, never sur
passed in any other country of the
globe" In his war with OMAR PA
sHA QS52!53) he maintained the
military reputation of his predecessors
with inferior arms and numbers, and
in May. 1928, defeated the Turks in
the remarkable battle of Grabovo, in
which, without artillery, and with very
inferior arms, the Montenegrins swept
down the hills and destroyed the Turk
ish gunners. The Great Powers of
Europe then came to ''tbe help of the
Porte and its huge Empire against the
liliputian State that is scarcely speck
upon its map In return for some
small accretlon and access to the sea,
they demanded that Montenegro should
definitely acknowledge the suzerainty
of the Porte, which she positively re-
fused. DANILo was shoiloy an assassin
in 1860, and was succeeded by his
nephew, NIKlTA, the present Prince
With his record since the outbreak Of
the Herzegovina II revolt last summer,
our readers are familiar. Bulgaria
has been devastated, Servia has been
defeated, Bosnia and Herzegovina have
been overrun, Montenegro has been
constantly victorious with inferior
numbers. The entire Turkish force
directed against her was 10000,
while she brought into action, all told,
$4,000 men. The slain are reckoned
on the Turkish side at 10000 men;
on the side of Montenegro at 1000.
Such record as this is unparalleled
in the history of the world. The pop
ulation of Montenegro does not reach
100000 The Empire Of the Porte
numbers 80, 900 5000, and for years it
has been unable to conquer this little
Switzerland of eastern Europe. Such
record justi6es the tribute of Tenny-
son:
Great TsernagOra! never since thine own