Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1877-10-08
THE EASTERN WAR.

While VIC are peacefully celebrating
the battles of hundred years ago, Rus
sia and Turkey are engaged in strug-
gle in which single battles bring almost
more men into the field than were ar
rayed during all the seven years of our
Revolution. But the miracles of time
appear in a hundred more striking forms
than this. A great battle is fought to-
day upon the shores of the lower Danu-
be, beyond Pesth, beyond Belgrade, in
the vague Bulgarian regions, and to-
morrow, across continent and an ocean,
thousands of miles away, we read
more detailed account of it than English
men had of Waterloo for many week
a fter tho hattln and dasnite our ciyili-
cation and progress, the story is like
chapter from the horrible Thirty Years.
War. "Later, in the darkness, bale
full sort of Krankentrager swarmed over,
the battlefield in the shape of Bashi-
bazouks, who spared not. Lingering
there on the ridge till the moon rose,
the staff could here from below on the
still night air cries of pain, and entreat-
les for mercy, and the yells of blood
thirsty, fanatical triumph. It was, in
deed, an hour to wiring to sternest heart.
We staid there to learn, if it might be,
what troops were coming out of the val
ley of the shadow of death below, were
there, indeed, any at all to come" If
the imagination broods over these words
little, all the cruelty and horror Of the
worst scenes of wars that belong to
time that we fondly fancy passed forever
are wildly reproduced.
Out of such corruption springs life.
For on one or the other side of the con-
test that shakes the historic Danube
and echoes among the Caucasus and
around the traditional cradle of the race
lies the true interest of civilization and
humanity. The struggle is plainly re-
garded by Englishmen in twofold as
pect-as men, and as Englishmen. It
is, perhaps, impossible for an intelligent
Englishman really to suppose that the
success of Turkey would be gain for
civilization, but he is often persuaded
that the triumph of Russia would bring
her into mortal struggle with England
for the control of the Mediterranean.
AS between Russia and Turkey, the in
telligent Englishman would doubtless
declare for Russia, as upon the whole
having a civilizable, and therefore civ
ilizing, quality, which Turkey has not
and can not have. But he would also
insist that, as between England and
Russia, there was no doubt upon the
subject whatever, and that it is there
fore the duty of England to barricadt
the way af Russia to the Mediterranean
even by maintaining Turkey as an OBJ
: struction.
This is the most plausible and pow
! erful ground that is taken against Mr.
/ Gladstone's position. But he has neve
proposed, nor has he implied, that Rus
sia is to possess Turkey, and advance
unchallenged to the Mediterranean ant
f Asia Minor. He substantially propose
, that the territory of Turkey shall b
E held by Christian European consent ant
s arrangement, and not by brute ant
: barbarous force that slaughters Chris
s tians. His first pamphlet on bulgaria.
: Horrors" was conclusive upon this poin
{ and should shield him from the charg
n of not seeing that in opposing the sin
1 terests" of his country he really oppose
her "duty." This charge could be sui
o statiated only by showing that he virtu
d ally advocated the expulsion of Turke
Il from Europe by Russia, and the surrend
e er to Russia of all the Turkish territory
e The other great states Of Europe al
is equally with England opposed to th
?. enormous territorial ACKNOWLEDGEMENT