Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1878-02-08
coMsrAN71NOPLE AND THE VAR.

The veil of profound silence and myster
GUS secrecy overhanging the seat of war for
several days past, has been lifted to disclose
to the eyes of England, Austria, and of the
world, the Greek Cross beneath the minarets
of st. Sophia. This is wonderful an
nouncement. It has startled England, and
reused the people to frenzy. The loan bill,
or war measure, to which there was SO much
opposition, will, it appears, pass parliament
unanimously. Austria will move with equal
promptness, and the prospect, at the present
writing, indicates continental war, into
which all the powers may be plunged.
If the latest accounts prove correct, either
Russia Or Turkey, or both, have been guilty
of duplicity. England has been deceived,
and although England has been called ma
ton of shopkeepers, touch her national pride,
or the honor of her people, and swift as the
lightning, the empire, from India to Canada,
will move to avenge the wrong. We may
expect the next step will be orders
from the British Council to the feet in the
Mediterranean to blockade the Dardanelles,
aud then comes the tug of war. Of course,
Russia will endeavor to pacify and explain,
but we much mistake the temper of the
English people, if they do not make Russia's
duplicity casus belJi, and insist on war, and
war to the hilt.
Meanwhile the dream of Russia is in the
way of fulfllment. The army of Alexander
is almost in actual possession of the coveted
prize-the city of Constantine made it
the Roman capital in $50 A. D. 1t was tax
en- by the Turks in 1853, and has been the
capital of Turkey, and the residence of the
Sultan ever since. The city is situated on
the European side of the Bosphorus near the
sea of Marmora, and surrounded by the
most enchanting scenery on the earth. Dis
lance lends enchantment to the view, and
seen from the Golden Horn, the city presents
picture of indescribable beauty. It is the
key to the Black sea, and to the East, and
this is what disturbs England, and excites
Russia to conquest.
What a contrast between Russia with a
victorious army within the walls of Constan-
tinople, and Russia, two hundred
years ago. Then an ambassador of
the Cart was on the 25th of January,
16G8-Mahmoud ~ being Sultan-was con-
Quoted to the seraglio to be received by the
Sultan. Alexis Mikhailovitch, the ambas-
sador, stood upright in the presence of the
Commander of the Faithful. The chamber
lains seized him by the nape of the neck,
and pressed him down, SO that he fell to the
ground. The Sultan ordered the infidel out
Of his presence, and the ambassador, his secre-
tary and dragoman, were driven out with a
cudgel. This was in 1868. In 1873, Con.
stantinople is practically in the hands of the
Russians, and the Sultan is on his knees.
It is impossible, with the imperfect intel
ligence, to foresee the result, or to sift the
exact condition from the cable dispatches.
Russia and Turkey seem to have affiliated,
and one thing is quite certain, if Russia and
Turkey do not understand each other, other
powers are in ignorance. So far as can be
foreshadowed, events indicate the reminding
of the fires of war, and war involving all
Europe, sooner OF later, and the stupendous
results of which may be felt in both hemis-
DhereS