, 1877-05-26

the sword continued tier retreat, and
western Europe was %relit}o. Il ever from
any further apprehension q l1ager from
the Turks.
The decline Of the Turkish power from
that time has been rapid, and its weak
ness is now such, that it has been said
with truth that tie Turkish empire only
exists on the euferance Of Europe. When
it is asked what are the causes of this
decline, we may fist direct attention to
the small proportion Of Turks compared
with the other races which occupy
European Turkey. Out Of a total popu~
lation Of sixteen millions little more llIau
one million are Ottoman Turks the la-
moindcr being ScIavs, Roumauions,
Greeks, Albauians and others. In point
OF religion only about three millions are
NOLAN medaus while cle'cu millions
belong to tie Greek Church, the remainder
Including Other Christian stcts and Jews.
When we now consider how different ale
the religion aud mode Of life Of the COVER
nors and the governed, and hcW oppressive
a merely military government must be, we
cannot lie surprised that Turkey IL Europe
has been Tie scene Of frequent rcbcIlions
amopg the subject populations. Some Of
these TebCili0re, aided from without, Lave
been go successful as to crcourCee alcpeli-
tion OF thtm among these who arc rot
yet free. Thus SeIyja acquired Virtual
independence in 1915, and Greece was
erected into an ind pendent kingdom as the
result Of a contest commenced in 1921.
Besides being internally weak, Turkey
has had to contend with o powerful.
foreign enemy in the great empire OF Rus
Si9, which occupies the whole eastern half
Of Europe. Russia is an enemy of Turkey
on two grounds; the first, or al least that
which is kept most prominent by tho
Russians themselves, is the religious
ground. The Russians were early con-
velted by missicrerios Of the Greek
Church, that Church TO which, as we have
seen above, nearly three tourlbs Of the
European subjects of the Sultan be'oug.
It is rot therefore to be wondered at, that
these Christian subjectsof the Potce ould
look to their powerful neighboUG Il .ro-
tect them under tie oppression ar r~rse-
cution of the Mohammedans. But second
~, such requests for protection are not
unwelcome to Russia, whose rulers have
always made the destruction of Turkey
and the appropriation OF the spoil the
most cherished objects Of their ambition.
The wars between the two Powers take
a prominent place in modern History.
The great Peter himself attacked the
Turks, but was singularly unfortunate.
His army was surrounded, and he only
escaped by treating for peace and giving
up the ports which he had secured on the
sea OF Azoff. Against this temporary
failure the Russians can set of their great
triumphs under their empress Catharino
II, who reigued trcm 1862 to 1896. This
ambitious ruler attacked Poland in 1868,
and on the patriot Poles being defeated
they fed across the frontier to a small
Turkish town, where they were well
received by the commandant. The Rus.
slams followed, attacked the town, burned
it to ashes, and maSSacred the inhabitants.
When the news reached ConstaptinopIe,
war was declared, For some time the
result seemed doubt full; but foally the
Russians triumphed, and after the war had
lasted six years, and the Russians had adj
vanced their armies to the Balkan, the
Sultan was compelled to sign the treaty of
Kainardji, by which he ceded to Russia
the country lying between the rivers
Dnieper and Bong, and The ports in the