The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1877-07-12
Bishop Marvin and the Eastern
Question.
From the Nashville Christian Advoeate.l

use of it we please-and we pleas,
to let our readers peruse the mos
OF it. They will be interested K
know what such a man as Bishol
Marvin thinks of the Eastern ques
ton, after seeing the Turks a
home. The Bishop writes:
My DEAR DoCToR:-I have jus
been spending four days in Con
stantinople. Never until now did
understand the magnitude of the
Eastern Question. The Importance
of it grows out of several facts
In the first place, there can never
be settled peace in Eastern Eu
rope while the Turks hold it. The
presence Of the Ottoman power IL
Europe is an intrusion. Besides
that, it is the intrusion of barbar.
ism upon Christian civilization
Whatever may be said to the con
trary, the Turk is essentially bar
barian, and this shows itself more
in his public than in his private
life.
To make matters worse, he dis
pleases the Christian as such, and,
as the Druce massecres of 1860, and
the Bulgarian atrocities of last year,
prove, the only safety of Christians
in this empire arises out of the
dread the Turks are in of the great
European Powers. But the Chris
tians are numerous in some parts of
the country, and, what is more, they
are increasing, while, in many re-
gions, the Mussulmans are decreas
ing. The Christians increase not
by conversions, for they rarely or
never occur, but by their great
vigor and enterprise. 1t is the nat
ural increase Of the Christian popu-
lation. But this increase of num-
bers and population is vexatious to
the Turk, and is the occasion Of
animosity.
The government of millions of
Christians by an inimical and bar
barous power is, then, one factor in
the Eastern problem.
Another factor is the great mum
ber of subjects Of the Sultan who
are of the Sclavic race, and it is
they, especially, among whom the
misgovernment of the Turk is felt
most. They are cultivated above
the average peoples of the empire
and are becoming more and more
so. Then they are on the very
frontier of the Christian nations, so
that the wrongs done them are in
the face of Europe. No doubt
Russia has political ends to serve,
and that the interest that Govern
ment expresses IN the Christian
SclaY is little more than a pretext;
but this rather adds to the gravity
of the situation than otherwise. 1t
is a plausible pretext, one which
excites her people, and, therefore,
one which will be used as long as
the occasion serves.
Then there is the British interest,
which is twofold-first, the jeal-
ousy between England and Russia,
and the danger of interests in the
Eastern possessions of the nations;
and, secondly, a heavy financial
stake which England has in Turkey.
This financial interest, again, con
sists in two facts. The first is that
England has very advantageous
commercial treaties with the Porte
which are of incalculable value to
her; and, for the second, the bonds
of Turkey are held in England to a
fabulous amount, some say nearly,
or quite, 81, 900, 100000. For these
reasons England cannot well afford
to see Turkey weakened, especially
if it is Russia. The question of the
Turkish bonds is become desper
ate, for she has paid no interest for
two years,
The account OF the Bulgarian
atrocities published in Europe and
America. were not exaggerated. /
have access to the most unpreju
diced sources of information. Men,
women and children were butchered
in cold blood to the number of not
less than $4,000 and more than sew
enty villages were utterly destroyed.
Hundreds OF Vomen were outraged
in the most horrible way, and then
cut to pieces. The Turks at first
denied the facts; but, when the
proof of them became irresistible,
they disclaimed responsibility, and
charged it upon the Bashi Bazouks,
a sort Of irresponsible militia, or
Home Guard. But the officers who
ordered the massacres, and super
/ intended them. have been decorated,
/ honored, rewarded, promoted, and
are to-day in important posts, while
the few Turkish officials who took
a stand against them have been laid
! aside So the Government makes
itself responsible for the greatest
crime of the nineteenth century.
Is shis var "the beginning OF the
endY' 1t begins 30 be apparent
that the Turkish Government is
too corrupt to exist-that it must
perish of It's own moral putrescence'
To a man who has had much to do
with the principal officers of the
/ Government at Constantinople, ]
| said. ''Do you believe tRe officials
are as generally corrupt as is re
| -, s.T ,,o,-ar beartl Of huf