, 1877-08-22
THE WAR.
(Froan Times of27Ih July)

At almost every stage Of a great war
we are sure 10 hear hat one c0mbatant or
the other is ready to treat for peace, and
for the last few days the gossips of the
Continent have been ascr.bing such a wish
to the Pore Il the d2misSal Of Redif
Pasha they have seen 3 preparation Tor the
submissive work Of Diplomacy, aud il the
resignation OF Sayfet Pasha they have
noted the removal Of a Minister who was
peculiarly responsible for the intatuat.on
with which the Porte spurned the helping
hand of its best friends at the Conference.
But these IRE merely f%ancitul irferonces
drawn from the recent progress OF the
Russians, and, perhaps, from the personal
desires of the Sultan himself. We may
easily believe that he has been amazed by
the ease with which the Russians have
crossed tho Danube and the Balkans. BY
this time be must turn a deaf ear TO those
counsellors who have lured him TO ruin by
assurances that England would help him
in .he end and he himself might be real
dy to treat for peace long before the Rus
slams could catch even o distant glimpse
OF the Bosphorue. Were they TO reach
Adrinuoplc he wou'd, perhaps &c: os his
grandfather did atloc thcy bad captured
that town. Personally he l. -at be ready
to ask the Russians wh8t terms they would
grant if they should gaia even ole great
victory north or south Of the Balkans.
But these are, nevertheless, the ,dI,8t
of snecuIati0ns. Che Car has yet to gam
such a victory q, would give him night
10 assume the airs Of a master, and, ever
il he had, he must count with the Turkish
people as well as with the Sultan. 1t
was the tanalicisn Of the Nah0medan
ruling class which made war inevitable,
and that caste will be prone TO resi,t after
mere stratesists haya lost all hope. 1t
will be tempted to d.ht q losing battle
for the simple reason that the prize at
stake is the very existence OF It's political
and religious supremacy. There would
be no room for surprise if it should resist
after such a sage OF defeat as that which
the French held 10 be final In their war
with Germany. The French could reflect
that military glory c u!d be regaioed.
Provinces recorqucred, aud the heaviest
indemnify paid. Time could heal all
these wounds. France would remain,
and they would remain. But 10 tn Otto
man caste the consequences of Russian
victory would, so far as it extends, be final
for both the reality and the symbols of
power would have TO be shared with the
Christian ma jority. Such a change would
be of immense importance to the compare
lively small class which has hitherto had
. monopoly Of honour and authority.
Unless it should be cowed into passive
stoicism by some crushing blow. as ORR
entail races sometimes are, it is quite like
Iy to demand that resistance Should be
prolonged beyond the time most tavoura-
BILE for saving substantial portions of its
authority. 1t is nat enough, therefore, to
ask what is The mind of the present ruler.
Were he as powerful IN individual as
Sultan Mahmoud himself was, be would
have to be guided by the will of Constau'
tiHople, and his influence has been brought
to an almost unexanpIed state of weak
ness by the ease with which two rulers
were dethroned in the course OF a few
months. As yet the Mahomedan popuIa,
ton hassDet made the slightest sign OF