New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1878-04-05
THE TEXT or THE TREATY.

led TO the Crlmean war, was approaching HIS
end, he called for writing materials and traced,
with trembling hands, political testament
for his master "When this writing is placed
"before the eyes of your Majesty he wrote,
90 shall not he in the world. You can, there
" fore, listen to me without distrust, and
"yOu should Undue yourself with the great
"and grievOus truth that the Empire OF
"the 0smaulis is in danger An intestine
"dissension in Europe and Bismarck i'll Rus
" sin, and the face of the world will be changed"
The intestine dssension in Europe" broke
out in the next year, when Germany was
placed under overwhelming obligations to Rus
sian diplomacy, while France was Frustrated
and renewal of the alliance between the
Western Powers was rendered impossible.
The IIohenzollern who telegraphed to the
Gar from Versailles on the day the peace
was signed, PRUSSIA will never forget
"that it owes to you that the war has
"not taken extreme dimensions" has
shown his gratitude by enforcing the
neutrality of Austria. while Russia was ex-
haustng the military resources OF Turkey.
Ignateff, moreover has been as successful In
conducting the negotiations OF San Steiano as
Bismarck himself was in debating his own
conditions of peace after Sedan. The empire
of the Osmanlis is now falling to pieces, and
the face of Southeastern Europe has been
changed. Fuad's political testament reads like
a prophecy fulfilled.
While the main outlines of ne Treaty OF
San Stefano have been clearly traced III our
cable dispatches, the full text, which has been
received this week by mail, shows how COM
pete and overmastcring is the triumph of the
Northern and Southern Slavs. Ten years ago.
when NJ Katk0fs journal was regarded as the
first power in the Empire after the Gar
three groups of nationalities were described
as gradually forming under the pressure of
Ottoman tyranny. These were tine Roumanian,
the Hellenic and the Slavic groups, and under
the protection Of the Northern Slays they were to
be welded together just as the Germanic
States were united under the leadership Of
Prussia. But when we sean the articles OF the
treaty we find that the Slays are getting
nearly all the plums. The independence Of
Roumania is recognized and the way Is opened
for the presentation Of an uncertain claim for
an indemnity which will have the force of II
third mortgage OH the Porte, all the prior liens
being held by Russia. BY the exchange OF a
strip of Bessarabia north of the Danube for
the marshes and sand dunes of DObrudja
the principally will lose q good deal oil
her own pudding and get in return n
very poor plum. So far as Crete, Eprus
and Thessaly are affected by the treaty,
the Greeks are thrust aside with lukewarm
assurances Of reorganization on a new basis,
concerning which Russia is to be consulted.
While the Rouman is shabbily treated and the
Greek is snubbed outright. the Southern Slav
profits by the success Of his Northern brother
in the field and in the Cabinet. The heroic
mountaineers Of Montenegro and the rustic
pig-keepers and cattle-drovers of Seryia have
won their independence and enlarged their
frontiers, and iii Bulgaria and Roumelia are
laid the foundations of a great State with
long coast-ine on the Black Sea and
a seaport on the Kgcan and even in Here
govina and Bosnia arrears OF taxes are TO be
RENTED, and refugees and sufferers are TO be
Unidentified and relieved. From the Iron
Gates to the suburbs of Adrianople and Sa-
lonica the ambition of the Slavic races has
been stimulated while the interests of the
Roumanians and the Hellenic element have
been sacrificed; and the way is opened under
the treaty for race discussions and anarchy.
We are not attempting to Justify the attitude
of the British Foreign Office but are merely
pointing out the inevitable tendencies of the
conditions of peace.
We have been surprised, moreover, in read
ing the text of the treaty, article by article,
to find Russian commissioners appearing at
every turn Of the process OF pacilication and
reconstruction. a Russian commissioner is to
assist the representatives OF Turkey and
Servia III arranging the frontier line Rus
sian is to be associated with a similar conf
mission in settling the claims of Mussulman
landowners another Russian commission, in
connection with a colleague from Vienna, is
to settle all questions which Montenegro and
the Porte cannot regulate in common an as
sembly of Bulgarian deputies is to organize
the new principally under the supervision of
Russian commissioner, and the introduce
ton Of new regulations and the supervision
of their execution will be intrusted for two
years to an Imperial Russian Commissary,
who is to have fifty thousand troops under
his command as n permanent army OF occupa-
ton, to be supported by the new administra-
ton; and numerous commissioners are au-
thoIized to verify Mussulman land claims,
to dispose of State property and to sell
unclaimed estates, but i'll every instance
they are TO act under the supervision of
members of the Russian Civil Service.
If the new principally is not converted
into an outlying Russian province within
two years, it will be because there is no adj
ministrative faculty in commissions supported
by troops. While it Is possible that as soon as
q. mill Irovru Rulratin ma
bine with Roumania, Serva and Montenegro
TO resist pressure from the North and that
Europe may ultimately gain vigorous na-
tionality, it is far more likely that under the
nominations OF the commissioners and the