, 1877-07-01
massacres are only too familiar to both OF
these combatants, who stand face to face o0
the Danube anden the Euphrates.

massacres are only too familiar to both OF
these combatants, who stand face to face Oh
the Danube andPn the Euphrates.
And yet the civilized world will be justified
in fahng deep interest in tbs progress and
result Of the conflict now waging. For it is
no strife between unknown parties in IN
known parts. It is carried on in the old
seats of empire It has ultimate reference
to the possession of the finest site on earth
for the worlds metropolis. It concerns the
prosperity or ruin OF wide extended terri
tory, whose natural resources cannot be
developed, or its population elevated, under
the oppression now practiced- 1t involves
the tendencies and destinies o. two long
rival religions and conflicting civilizations.
1t is the coming to final 1ssue Of causes
which have been at work for centuries, and
which soon must produce their legitimate
effects. While the Russian and the Turk can
easily be balanced in the scales OF their COM
parative evil qualities, as judged by past
events, they do not stand upon an equality
M regards their possibilities Of good and
their relations of race and religion to the
future. The Turk ia plainly failure as to
progressive civilization. His whole system
is on fnlse basis, and it cannot be changed
without destruction. Socially and civilly, in
educational, Legislative, and administrative
respects, the civilization is Mohammedar
instead of Christian, and, 81 such, is out Of
connection with the nineteenth century.
For the Koran is statute book as well as
Bible. Needful reforms are impossible to q
AIohammednn race in the face OF their faith.
The ideas, the sentiments, the principles, the
new order of things, under the auspices Of
the present dynasty. If the Sultan aud his
advisers should attempt q change in earnest,
n revolution of the Moslem masses under
the fanatical Softas would dethrone them.
Nothing can pave the way to improvement
but such a thorough defeat Of the Turkish
nrn1ies MS shall convince the people, RS well
as their rulers, that the knell of Mohammed-
an;sm las struck, in political respects, and
that there must be divorce Of that re-
ligion from the StateS Utter humiliation
must precede reconstruction Of the Govern
ment.
And Russia, Notwithstanding its many
faults, is plainly tho instrument Of Provi-
dence to insnre this result, though at cost
to itself which may be partial retributicn
for its own sins. It represents, in general,
the progress Of the age and the religion
which, in one and another form, has nurtured
modern civilization and is linked with edu-
cation It has the ambition and prowess of
n growing power and atnasculine race. It is
itself developing and improving, and is CON-
ing into increased sympathy with the spirit of
the age. It's upper classes ars the peers Of
similar classes in the rest of Europe, while
the peasnntry have been put in position TO
be soon reached by ameliorating influences,
It is not so much what Russia, in its anabi-
ton, intends for its own benefit, as what
Russia, under the pressure Of Christian civil
ization IN Europe, will be necessitated to do.
Forces back of the Czar-forces permeating
modern socie.y-will give the law to him,
whether he be conscious Of it or not. Hence
we must look beneath the surface Of events,
and behind the ambitions Of rulers, and be-
yond the worly disputes of diplomatists, and
consider wider issues. The evils Of the
Turkish rule are inherent, and the tendency
is to decay and dissolution. The evils Of
Russian despotism are separable from its re-
ision, aad its political system is capsule of
modification. Tho .impetfections will be
gradually eliminated, as they l,avs measur-
ably been in the rest Of Europe. What We
watch with interest in the combat is the dy-
ing conflict of decsying and corrupt past
with the incoming fresh and vigorous fu-
ture.