Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1878-07-31
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WEDNESDAY, JULY 81, 1878.
The Eastern Contest and its Results.

the civil and political questions involved in
past or more waged between Turkey and
Russia. And since the war has closed and
the Berlin Conference was called, they have
INDUCED freely in discussion, and not little
in speculation upon the bearings this Con-
ference would have upon European politics
how it would affect the rights of Turkey and
Russia-what would be their loss and gain
also how it would affect England and
Austria, and the other greater or lesser
powers of Europe interested aud engaged in
the struggle. The Berlin Conference has
met and its results in part have been made
known to the world. And now the secular
press is even more rife in discussion and
speculations on the points made and the
stipulations granted, looking at these mainly
in their civil and political aspects. In this
the secular press is true to its mission.
The religious press, while it has by no
means been indifferent to the political issues
involved, has, as it ought, taken quite another
direction. From the first the higher in
terests of civilization, the progress of human
ity, the advance of Christianity, and the
building up of the kingdom of Christ-what
will be gained or lost for peace and good will
among men-these have been the questions
that have been asked with deepest interest.
As the contest has gone on from month to
month"; the interest aud anxiety of the re-
ligious press has deepened in this direction,
so that the present distresses of war have
been quite subordinated to the hope and ex-
pectation that this wrath of man and dash
ing and breaking of the nations should
be made to praise God, work out the fruits
of righteousness and establish the peaceable
reign of the Redeemer in the earth. There
has enough already been secured to justify
the hopes of the Christian world as repre-
sented in the Christian press and to show
that their aspirations and prayers have been
no vain ones. There are provisions made
and guarantees given in the treaty ratified
at Berlin that lie altogether outside of
European policies, and take worldwide
range. They touch the heart and hope of
the Christian church throughout the earth.
These are the guarantees for religious
freedom given by the contracting parties
guarantees ordained in heaven of old and
deeply traced on the human heart every
where also the occupation of Cyprus, the
Chittim, perhaps, of the ancient Scriptures,
hat laag fvttfa 60. Ill
this secured by the constancy, as we under
stand it, of the most Christian state am ong
these parties, England, led by Lord Beacons-
field, Jew-a Hebrew of the Hebrews
The treaty of Berlin is said to contain
more provisions for securing religious free
dom than for any other one purpose. The
fifth article concerning Bulgaria, the hitherto
oppressed Christian province, reads thus
"The following shall form the basis of
the public law of Bulgaria Distinction of
religious belief or confession shall not OPP
crate against any one as a reason OF exclu-
sion or incapacity in what concerns enjoy
ment of political rights, admission to public
employment, functions or honors, or the ex-
ercise of the different professions and indus
tries. Liberty of public professions of all
creeds shall be assured to all the returned pop
ulation of Bulgaria as well as to strangers"
The same article is applied to Montenegro
and to Roumania, and finally to the Porte
itself. "The practice of all religions shall
be entirely Free" This is golden sentence
inserted in article fifty-seven, which relates
to the Turkish empire. 1t binds the en-
feebled Mohammedan power to the great
principle of liberation. And the high con-
tracing powers are pledged as they never
were before to see that the provisions in
these articles are executed. We doubt not
the Christian world will hold the parties to
the bond.
We wonder not at the joy and triumph
with which the Christian press proclaimed
the guaranty of such liberty. Especially we
wonder not that the Hebrews are deeply
moved. For the first time in the history
of man." says the Je,cish Messenger, writing
of Roumania and the other provinces, 4" a
nations claim to existence as state is
made dependent upon its acceptance of the
great principle of religious equality for all
creeds, Thirty years ago but one of the
powers represented at Berlin accorded the
Jew full civil rights; and successfully in
Great Britain, Austria, Germany, Italy and
Turkey have the barriers been swept away
that separated the Hebrew from his neigh
bors, Can Russia long delay the concession
in her own dominions of civil and religious
equality, which her veteran chancellor sus.
tanned as the right of the Jews in Roumania,
Bulgaria and Servia2"
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