The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1877-01-04
The Coming War IN Turkey.

tory OF this question:, even when things
looked most pacific, have we varied from
tins opinion; and If we allude to the fact
that we have been able to foretell with
tolerabc certainty the issue OF events, IL is
-ather for the purpose of pointing out
why anybody else might have done the
mne, than OF taking any special credit
TO ourselves The polfic Il lesson COW ycd
IN nm episode of such great diplomatic in-
toresi is one too valuable to be overlooked,
rs Illustrating the dangers of popular de-
mons,rntions Of feeling IN questions where
intrica' q and delicate international issues
are involved.
The great desire of the British public
throughout these complications has been
To avoid war. The g ,veruinent was
thoroughly ut one with the people IN this
object--but they differed Fundamentally
rs TO the policy to be adopted by England.
A Government has always this advantage,
that IL Is in possession Of Information
through its agents which is inaccessible
TO the masses, aud holds the diplo-
matte threads which connect the pres
ent with the past history of any spe-
cial question. The present British Cab
met remembering the story of tho Crime
III war, and the evidences which II afford
cd that Rus ia would never have engaged
In it had she known that Engianl aud
France were to be her antagonists. know
ing also that there was IA point heyol "A
which Turkey would not be driven, de-
cided. and decided correctly, that the
only way of averllng "A war was to Let Rus
sia clearly understand that if she did not
accept the solution for the government of
the Christian provinces which England
and Turkey should agree upon, she must
be prepared To go TO war with both those
powers.
Lord BEACoSsFIEID knew when he made
the alluson in his Mansion House speech
to England's power OF sustaining pro-
tracted war, that this was exactly the
quality in which Ru-sli was deficient. aud
there can be no moral doubt that had he
been supported instead o. howed M from
one end of England to the other for giving
Russia TO understand that T. gland would
go to war under certain conditions, the
Conference even now would have ended
pacihcally; Tor there Is nothing more GER
tain than that Russia was not. and is not
now, III II position To enter upon another
rrimeau war; The British public, how
ever, entirely ignorant of tue local condi-
tons, and completely m experimenting tho
character aud policy of the Cabinets of the
Gar and the Sultan, rushed violently into
afnnatical opposition TO the Government.
The policy of Russia has invariably been
to blustcr at first, aud ut last to yield. The
policy of Turkey has always been AT first 10
seem To yield, ana then suddenly and uneX-
pectedly to turn saNagcly. The public of
England was mi-led Into thinking that if
they thu eatenod rurke with isolation, that
threat alone would force her to consent TO
any conditions which the Conference mig Int
impose The London Times, whose igno-
rance of the diplomatic bearings of this
question has been rs conspicuous as the
vacillatlons of ITS utterances, harped on
this theme al ndasedm. The Ddtiy Nc,cs,
which has used the Bulgarian atroc-
tiles rs profitable advertisement,
followed suit Mr.. GLADSTONE rush
ed ut the chance of gratifying his
political spite under the mask of re-
lipiou and philanthropy, and placed him.
self IN the unprecedented pos ton tor an ex-
Prime Minister, 81 heading an agitation Of
the masses against the Government durlus
tie recess; ard finally Il meeting of poets,
author, architects, priests, and painters
WAS summoned in 81. James, Hall TO protest
against the Government adopting the only
policy winch could avert war, aud
all the speeches ended with the iu-
variable refrain, Let Turkey know
that England Will abandon her. and She
Will yicld;' whereas to avert n war IT
should nave been. Let Russia know that
If she does not accept the solution which
satisfies England, she must fight
1t Is u sad thing TO say, but events
have proved conclusively that 10 Mi
GLADSTONE Mr. joins BRIGHT, the Times
DdUy N,rs and other leaders OF pub
he opinion. the impending war is di-
rcctly due. Posterty viii hold these
philanthropists responsible for all the
blood which will delugc those Bulgarian
plains they lave sought 10y their ignorant
and gushing scntmentahty to preserve
from the very scOurge they have provoked
The result will inevitably be n reaction, foi
the whole nation has not been the victim OF
the dclu-i N which for the time has depriv.
ed large section Of it of its common ,euse
The DdUy Iolc9dIh ana ran Mdlt GG.ottt
have been loud in waruina the public that
their blind and unrcasoning agitation
would ultimately involve England III dsas
ter; and though, in his recent speech at ST
James, Hail. AR FREENAN shrlcked in u
paroxysm of philanthropy, "Let mdla
perish. when abiding TO the MOhamme
dan population Of that country, there are
persons rs humane as himself who take q
different view oi their duties toward those
who depend upon the Government of Eng
land.
When foltymlllions of the subjcct Of tn,
Empress Of Iudia learn that her first act n
her imperial capacity has been to abandon
the head Of their religion, ana murinur
are heard swell ing N India just in proper
tion as the Russian armies advance vic
torou,y toward the Balkan, Their,
Will be quite another agitation start
ed MP IN Eusinnd MIR. BRIGHT and
Mr. GLAp,roNE win then he hol
upto puJlroNeo'ation 10y the very papers
that are now supporting them, and be
Missed ID, hy lh'm lbs Fat are now cheer
lug ihew' ""i' D. -,.uI VIII be placed in