Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1877-12-14

THERE can be no doubt that Turkey is
beaten in the war. The London Times,
whose sympathies are, of course, strongly
with Turkey, says, as quoted by cable
"Osman's surrender is not only loss OF a
considerable army and good stronghold,
but the final collapse of the Turkish cam
paign and the conquest Of Bulgaria. Tur-
key is defeated as completely as was Austria
at Sadowa in 1866, as France at Sedan in
1871 Turkey refused the conditions offer.
ed by Eogand and the rest of Europe, and
now she must abide the consequences and
submit to the loss, not only of her author
itv, bu. probably Of her territory also, in
Europe. No European country, least OF all
England, will interfere. The time for peace
has cone. We hope our government will
recommend this to both belligerents. Any
further resistance by Turkey seems absurd. "
The only question is, whether Turkey can
be made to see this 1t will be Just like the
fanatics and fatalists who rejected all the
recommendations of the allied powers, in
their efforts to avert war, to continue the
contest with blind desperation, till the Car
occupies Constantinople If the war con
tinues, and it. as the Times declares. no
European country, least Of all England, will
interfere, this event is but question of
time. In this connection the views of Mr.
George Washburn, president of the Roberts
College in Constantinople, who lately ar
rived in this country from the MahOm-
medan capital, are of interest. In lecture
in Boston. Tuesday evening, abiding to the
straits in which Turkey is placed. he said
During the past year there have been
twelve especial taxes imposed upon the peO-
pie, which are collected under the names of
gifts to the Sultan. Over 100000 men
have been drawn from the fields for the
army, 0ne-half of the wheat raised last sea-
son could not be gathered owing to she
scarcity OF help. and one-half the land is not
at present under tIllage. which means fam
inc for this winter. The vast amount of
property destroyed during this campaign is
almost inconccyable. and the mention OF the
villages land waste Is enough to melt heart
of adamant. Roberts College, which was 50
prosperous before the war, now contains but
ll2 scholars The schools throughout the
province oil Bulgaria are, with the exception
Of two primary ones, ali destroyed. and
every schoolmaster the Turks could lay
hands upon was promptly hung, not because
they were rebels, but because they were
Christians How long this war will last is,
OF course, impossible for me to say, but. in
my opinion. ruled as they now are,
by fanatica woman, sister Of the
Sultan, the Turks cannot hold out
through another campaign. Whatever other
results ma, happen one thing is certain, that
this war will be the means Of raising the
Christian religion, if not above, to an equal
ity with the Mahommedan faith, and should
the Sultan not be dethroncd, and left, as
some suggest, a nominal ruler, be will fill
the throne of the Caliphs, not at MOslem
depot, but as a civil ruler, and these young
men, educated through the efforts of the
New England missionaries, will handle the
reins of government. and Mahommedan
rule in the Turkish Empire will be forever
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