Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1877-05-11
The Causes of the War.

Vi the connlct arc chtcuy interesting as IT.
Illustrating the general tendencies which have
brought it about. These undoubtedly are
the peculiar circumstances and character
istic designs of Russia, and the even more
peculiar position and characteristic Of the
Turks. While it is obvious that tho FINAL
result of these conditions could only have q
warlike character, the time for its full de-
velopment has necessarily been matter Of
uncertainty. That the result, however, has
been fastened by the mastery diplomacy Of
the cabinet Of st. Petersburg, must be OBJ
vious to any careful observer of the situa-
ton. Given, nation like the Turks, alien
in race, in language, and in religion, from
all others in Europe, with institution repug-
nant not only to the morality but to the
economic conditions Of modern civilization,
it is obvious that permanent peace between
such discordant elements would be impossi-
Bile. This condition Of things goes far to
justify the belief Of those who maintain that
the Ottoman rule is cancer, which can only
be extipated by the knife. At all events,
the ''sick man" who has been the subject Of
so much warlike surgery, has never had his
wounds fully healed by diplomatic poultices
and other peaceful agencies. When Mo.
manned III battered down the walls of Con.
stantinople, four hundred years ago, he
brought with him none Of these assimilatinp
characters which have enabled other invad'
ers Of Europe to become, like the Magyart
or Hupgarians and the Bulgarians, one with
the people among whom they settled. Thi'
alien race with whom polygamy and slavery
go hand in hand with political and financial
excavation, occupy one Of the fairest coun
tries in Europe. The Turkish capital is OF
the shores of an inland ocean which receive:
the waters of the Daunbe, the Dnieper, thu
Don and the Cuban. When we remembe
that these navigable rivers drain the vas
territory Of Russia, and that the empire for
merly had its foreign commerce restricted
for large portion Of the year by the posses
sion of the Bosphorus aud Dardanelles b,
a foreign power the causes Of Russian hos
tility to Turkey becomes clear. The trutl
is that the traditional policy Of Peter tn
Great is largely based on the sound Gem
mercial reasons, and the advance Of the lie
gions of the Car into Central Asia finds it
best justification in the substitution Of the or
derby rule of civilization for the arbitar
exactions of barberic power.
As long ago as 1851 the Princes Of Servi
and Bulgaria were vanquished by AmarantI
l., and the completion OF the conquest of tn
former was signalized by Mohammed L
about hundred years later. The cours
pursued by Russia towards Servia 10 1901
was much the same as that recently adopted
The invasion of Turkey by the C1ar in 1885,
illustrated the aims OF the Muscovite, whic
were thwarted by Napoleou's march on Mos
COW. For half dozen years subsequent t
the Greek revolution Of 1921, the Bulgaria
atrocities Of to-day had counterparts anon
the Turks, and these outrages led to the in
reference Of England and to her allianc
with Russia in 1921, the understanding be
ing that neither party should have any terri
torial or commercial advantage. Five year
later Russia secured through her power owe
Turkey, not only the ssmi.independenoe G
Moldavia, WalIachia and Servia, but tn
passage of tho Dardaneles to her merchan
vessels. The loss Of Greece and Of he
military power in Asia was at this time
serious blow to the Ottomaus. But the in
vasion Of Turkey by Russia after tho battl
Of Navarino awakened England to her dau
ger, and the march on COnstantinople wa
averted, though the Gar again showed hi
strategy in the peace Of Adriauople, whicl
gave him the command Of the navigabl
mouths of the Danube aud the eastern cOal
OF the Black Sea. When Turkey had
struggle with the Pasha of Egypt in 1873
she was ost9ntatiously protected by Russi
for her own purposes. The subtlety wit
which the cabinet Of st. Petersburg veile
its aggressive measures under the guise O
amity was shown in the professions of 1856
when even the crossing Of the Pruth by tn
forces of the Gar was held To be in the 10
terests Of Cancellation, though Lord Clareu
don wrote that "the court of St. Petersbur
proceeds under the name Of peace to Obtai
all the advantages Of war; 1t is now a,
knowledged that the conflict in the Crime
was entered upon without recognizing II
need Of obtaining conditions from Turke
} asd the state OF affairs to-day is strikingl
similar in some respects to that Of aboI
twenty-five years ago. PalmOrstOu the
made the mistake of thinking that the TrcaI
of Paris in itself was sufficient TO effect r
forms in Turkey.
The Herzegovinian instruction 10 the SUI
mer Of 1875 was caused by the same discol
I tents which have produced the recent gu
! breaks. The grave complications thu
J threatened 10 Servia, Montenegro and RO
, mania led to an Intervention by the power
the concessions offered by Abdul Aziz beiu
( regarded as inadequate. The Sultan wi
: obliged to accept the mixed commission
, M......I..... IL 1k.s.k;... A. .u.Na.f,,ta.