The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1877-05-02
Wednesday, May 2, 1877.
EUROPE.
The War in the East,

army at Kischenetf, and the Grand Duke
Nicholas at the head Of the three hundred
thousand Russian soldiers has crossed
the Turkish frontier. The river Pruth
separates Russia from Roumania, a trib-
lt.ry Christian province of Turkey. In
the passage Of the Pruth the advance
guards of the opposing armies met in the
conflict, and the first trnits OF tho mo-
mentous campaign fell to tho Turks. The
Russians were repulsed at Battoun, with
a loss Of two thousand men.
This European war nov iniated IS
one ostensibly between the Crescent anu
the Cross. Ever since the days of Peter
the Hermit and the Crusades, these two
standards have confronted each other in
undving cnmity. The Russian Empire
representing the Christian Greek Church
constitutes itself the champion Of the OPP
pressed and down trodden Christians OF
the Mohammedan Empire of Turkey.
Turkey is, in effect, the Empire OF Mo-
nammcd but while it's Metropolis Con
stantinoplc, is in Europe its stamina Is
in Asia Minor and Egypt. Fol three
hundred wears the dream of European
Christian statesmen has been to drive the
Turk out of Europe and apart from d.
plomacy and desire for territorial aggran-
dizement the incentives..of religious fanat-
ci,m have proved strong enough to
provoke wars with the followers of Mo-
manned. But a new factor in Eu-
ropcan politics has arisen in the desire
of Russia to possess a valuable and strate-
gic seaboard. Russia is an extensive
Empire. 1t extends West and East from
the Baltic Sea to Behring's Strait. and
North and South, from the Arctic Ocean
to the Black Sea. But the Baltic Is
blocked by ice half the year, and the en-
trance to the Black Sea is in the hands of
European Turkey. The Straits of OAR
danelles and Bosphorus constitute the
Kew OF the Black Sea and without the
possession of that Key the Black Sea is
virtually a nonentity in strategic diplo-
macy. Anxious though Russia may pro-
fess herself to be to tighten the burdens
Of her fellow-christIans of the Greek
Church now under Mohammedean doml-
nation it is quite evident that the possess
sion of Constantinople is of much greater
strategic importance to her than would be
the Liberation from Mohammedean rule
of all the christian population of Euro
mean Turkey. 1t is necessary here to
state that, Christians though they be, the
Sclav population of Turkey are as
abiect a race, as utterly unfit for
liberty, as utterly unable to govern
themselves as are the negro population
of IL Southern States. This is evident
from the fact that three millions of Mus
sulmans have for fou centuries held in
slavish subsection nine millions Of Chris.
tan Sclavs.
The war has just begun, and heaven
only knows where or when 1t will end
Fnciful prognosticaters may think that
the Apocalyptic strife of Armageddon is
about to he initiated. It seems inevlta-
bic that Austria, England, Germany and
France, will in due time be involved in
this world wide combat. To preserve
the balance of power in Europe, England
will be forced TO oppose Russia in her de.
signs upon Constantinople. Were Rus
STA to succeed III unfurling her banner
over the dome of st. Sophia, the English
Empire in the East would therein read
her death warrant. England represents
modern civilization. Russia, in spite Of
her aristocratic and super-ref1ned nobility,
is a barbaIic and semi-civilzed power
and it behooves England as the champion
of nineteenth century civilization to OPP
pose her invincible front and hurl back
the e%lephantine force of the barbarous and
uncivilized hordes of the Muscovite.
As to the relative strength of the oppos-
ing armies of Russia and Turkey we
may state that while the Russian forces
are more numerous, the Turkish forces
are more fanatical. Death on the battle
field is to a Mahammedan a passport to
paradise, and under good officers no
soldiery fights with greater bravery and
lOTSetlulleSS u sell lilail W thO 1OA-
lowers of Mohammed. For twenty years
Turkey has been arming for this fight.
Among her officers she numbers English
men, and Americans skilled in the arts Of
war. Our Southern people will recog-
nize under the Turkish turban the faces
Ct Loring, Stone and others; and Mo-
ha,nmedan fanaticism and fire will 60
a long way to counter balance under
such leadership the outnumbering
souadrons of the Russians.
The Turkish feet ranks next to that
of England. Its ironclads are engineer
ed and steered chiefly by Englishmen.
The guns they carry are of the most i'm
proved modern type; and in comparison
with Russia W are safe in saying that
on the Sea the Turks are invincible.
Constantinople which is really the
bone of contention is landward almost
impregnable and should the Russians
VIGOROUSLY cross the Danube and ap-
proach this metropolis by land, their
success would even then be doubtful.
Seward this city Is unapproacha0le by
the Russian feet. The Bosphorus for
fully twenty miles is lined OH both sides
by bristling cannon of the most approved
pattern and its channel has been rendered
impossible by t%orpedoes and sunken
hulks. But should untoward events
and disastrous defeats make the day 90
hard with Turkey, England's feet Of iron
clads will be bound to keep Constantine
ple from falling into the hands of Russia.
The other great powers of Europe will
prefer to see the standard of st. George
floating over St. Sophia to seeing the
Muscovite establishing himself as a pow
or in the Mediterranean: We predict
that should Russia be successful in the
campaign now begun, England, with the
consent of the other great powers will
hold Constantinople as a second Gibral-
tar.