The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1877-02-03

an infusion OF Finnish blood, EDWARD FREE
MAN, on tho other hand, thinks the former
were Of Turnnian stock, although grated
with Slnv elements We may add that the
classic or heroic age of the Bulgarian ma
ton was very brief, for, since the kingdom
which IL founded IN Macedonia during the
tenth century was conquered by BASIL IL,
1t has remained the obscure, tractablc and
inufrcnsve vassal OF the Byzantine and OF
toman Empires.
OF all the peoples In the Balkan peninsula
the Bulgarians are, at present the most uu-
mcruuS, tho most industrious and pacific. the
most moral, and perhaps the most intclli-
gent, at all events the most wlshful of cdu-
cation. In this respect, indeed, this nation,
which was formerly the most backward in
the East, and indeed n by-word for stoidity,
now yields but little TO the Greeks. At the
Franco-Turkish Lyccum or College Of Con-
stantinOplc, where the several races aud
religions of the empire compete with one
another seated at the same forms, the Bull
garian has OF lato years held the highest
rank. Strenuous efforts, moreover, have re-
Gently been made throughout Bulgaria on
behalf OF primary instruction, and numer-
Gus schools, supported by voluntary contri-
buttons, have been established in their viii
lagos and II Is to be noted that these schools,
next to the churches, were the principal OBJ
jcct of the fury OF the Crcassians and
Bashi- Bazouks in tho late disturbances.
Schoolmasters, and often schoolmistrcsscs,
were among the earliest victims. Thus the
region Of the Balkans, which, thanks TO its
hard working. patient inhabitants, had be-
como tho richest province Of the Turkish
Empire. has been devastated both morally
and materially, and In order to retrieve
themselves the Bulgarians require guaran-
tees which the Ottoman Treasury, whose
chief purvcyor they arc, should feel special
ly Interested in securing to them. OF all tho
rayahs too, tho Bulgarians could most cas-
lily ba satisfied, and II the Porte has any
Christian subjects whom adroit concessions
might win over. Il is this people.
1t would Soon unreasonable to refuse n
peaceful and Industrious province, at least
that measure of local independence which
is claimed for the turbulent Bosnans. But
the difficulty, in the ease OF the Bugarians, Is
to fix the boundaries of the region to be on
dowed with some functions Of sclf-govcrn-
mcnt This people, in fact, is not only the
most numerous in European Turkey, but it
Is the most widely scattered. There Ia no
close relation between its limits and those
Of the district between the Balkan and
Danube which on the maps is designated
as Bulgaria Beyond the frontiers Of this
province, which the Turks call the rildyot Of
the Danube, the settlements OF the Bulgarian
race stretch far TO the south and west. On
tho other hand the Bulgarians are I'm u
minority IN the eastern part Of the territory
which bears their name for Mussuman
Turks AMI Tartars lately colonized form
/ almost the sole population Of the peninsula
/ between the elbow Of the Danube and the
! Black sea. This section of the country in
the event Of new local organization might
have to DO cut of from the Christian prov
ince. Curtailcd on this side new Bulgaria
might be enlarged on another, but n con-
siderable extension southwark would cncoun-
ter opposition from the Greeks, who would
not willingly see their dominance impcrilled
in Thrace and Macedonia.
Tho road which sooner or later may load
the Bugarlans to local Independence was
thrown open few years ago with tho con-
sent OF the Porte. This people, confoundcd
for centuries with the Greeks in the great
Byzantine church, and plunlerei by the
I luullhIloJ tl'tENs DlN' oIldll''l II Nn ll'
Dvan the privilege Of national church,
uncontrolled by the Patriarch Of CONSTANT
noplc, and presided over by Bulgarian Ex-
arch. This measure. little regarded at the
time Of its PRONUNCIATION. Is now esteemed
| one OF the most important acts NJ the Porte
since the Crimcan war; BY it the Bulgn-
rans cmancipated from the yoke of the
orthodox hierarchy have been erected into
distinct community or nation Of the en-
pirc, on the same basis as the Armenians
and the Greeks. The question Of the terri
torlal limits belonging to the now church
hns naturally provoked vehement debate
since Greeks and Slays thoroughly under
stand that the frontiers of the eXarchat'
will determine the future framework 81 AZ
independent Bulgaria, and mark out Tho
share OF the Ottoman inheritance destincC
to each of the two races