The morning star and Catholic messenger., 1878-02-10
FUTURE OF TIE CHRISTIANS IN EURO
PEAN TURKEY
London Tablet, January 10.

- -pz0YlnceS-- Ii Wonld- be INoree-tbea prem eture
to speculate as to their fate. Bstween the inn.
possible extremes there almost an linden.
mite number of posi- BILE solutions, some of them
however, most unlikely. Up to the present we
arc Justified in assuming that NO fl nal arrange.
mentH Will be concluded without the concur
renee Of the Great Powers. Their influence If
Judioiously and firmly employed, ought to be
certain safeguard sgsinst results which
would be vastly more calAmitous for Europe
and for civilization than that Turkish domipa-
tion which the war is profeessdly waged to de-
stroy. We may take it as beyond question that
the Sultan g authority will not again be exer-
cised north Of the Balkans. But the authors
o4 tine Berlin Memorandum in the first place
ano the other powers only in less degree of
responsibility, are bound to see that the re-
settlement of the provinces to be with
drawn from the control OF the Porte shall not
be the source of fresh roGbles and still more
humanity.
Snat some honest means could be found for re-
Heving the Chrstian populations now subject
70 tne turkish yoke-without any distinction
of races, Slevs, Greeks, Armenians etc, alike |
from the grievances which weigh upon them |
bat this wish has Ueen combined with the do |
eire that their enfrauchisement MIGHT he |
wrought out in Christian manner, SO as to |
insure their o vn progress in Christian civiliza-
tion. There must, no wevsr, be sonie limit put
TO thls wish for the liberation of those subj act
races: The mere Dannmissiou of slave, un-
associated with a reliable prospect of improve
ment, would be 10 5Iessir tor him, but more
probably curse both for hmself and his
neighbors. The enfranc hisemeut of these sub.
1ect Christian populations must not be effected
TO the detrinen5 of their higher interests
Iherefore they must not be allowed to fall
bodily under the influence of Russia. Russia
ls the Empire of Injustice, Cf despotism, of in
grained and traditional hostility to the Church.
ANY arrangement consistent with natural ius- {
5lce Is preferable to the aggrandzsment of q 8
rover which in everything aims only at the
extension of it's material forces and is | O
absolutely Indifferent TO the higher interests
and well-boing Of her people.
On the other hand, it would be difficult to
narIn
Europe s5an chat these frantioral populsticns &"
wholly destitute of education aud training | .,
and unused to law and freedom should be left y
to themselves. Domestic excuses aud mutual Io
-qnarrels- -Wonld-be- -aRaFeieab4e- these tot
would DO sore to entail implications that
must disturb the neiRhboring States. If they y,
are to be released from subjcction to the Porte F.
the first benefit which freedom mu st bring to ~
them Is the restraint of firm Government, 81
winch shall bride their law lessness and enf force IL
Civilized practices among them. 1t wonld be w
great misfoTtune for those populations them | or
selves If the new arrangements ts should bring | Dr.
them within the range of the Pan Siayist aui- | -
tation. This would be only another form of W.
them into Russian subjects, and ~
making them the vanguard of an attemp5 to vi
break Cp Austria. These balfcivilizsd oom- .:
munities have never rendered any considerable tb
service to Christianity, to morality to human so
progress. That they should have been subject sb'
ed to Ottoman domination may have been a | fer
colsmity. But the continuance of this cslami- ter
y would be far less misfortune than that the
reign of mere force should be still further ex no
la
oe created for European civilization. nv
1t is an undeniable fsct that the Church na,
las less cause of complaint under the soeptre of
II the Sultan than within some European tho
States calling themselves Christian Tho NOS
'Orte did not interfere with the ecclesiastical bet
arrangements the spiritual concerns of it's | Tre
christian subjects generally, and it's Catholic Gan
nes in Particular. Some years ago it was cat
induced by q Power unfriendy to the Holy 9th
zee 70 ineetere In the aHalre or tne CATHOLIC al O
y rHSnia6s, ana support among tnem species and
4 Old Catholic schism. Eut this has been we
ince rectifed, and the Church is we believe, thr,
9Slensu "lIn Tne PresenE oon9iGon OF aHalrs' prof
bor. Iong W1I luis snd IHsS ohs peo
1to existence in those regions, or should the that
ew arrangements only result in change of Cau
lastersf 1t is worth recalling to mind that nov,
hose very countries have been already the faitI
'ene OF an unpleassnt experience IN tn,s very dali
abteE. 90 !ong as SerVlS was under Iurkish and
lIe Gbe Catnohcs were on I0oGlDg OF eqoalt- dene
at as soon as Servian autonomy was secured in h
le schismatical majority at once adopted Ar
easnre of the most extreme intolerance. of a
Aney introduced clause IN tne SefVIAn time
institution excluding the Catholic Church fund
'm the entire Servian territory. Surely it in th
not wonderful that should think more
ghly of Tnrkish tolerstion than of ServIan TT
" sobso,;cs nonss."tS Oh %ho ~ @ bega
y St;. 70 tI Ut'So @ M So 'JohiUy VI Tle lasts
ey too may follow in the footsteps of Servia 4, an
q lest n RusSia, S, as she has bounded them on SUI
&inst the Turks, may similarly exotic them and !
ainst their Catholic fellow-countrymenf Al
All the recent reports OF Ghe Cathonc clergy p ~
European Turkey represent that Catholicity ntes
s very much revived of late years in Bulga- '00'
}, Bosnia Turkish Croatia, and the Herzego. Co
ma Under the shelter of equal liberation, 'O
Q poor Catholic people seem to have taken known
nTaoa tn remember that there was something D ters
,e to care for besides the preservation carrIai
their wretched daily life. Education was side OF
reading among them, and was insensibly at by him
'ting even their non'Chrisisu neBnoo TO the
10 patient self.sacr6Ce of the Franciscan to the
aaionaries, their exclusive attention to re- .on+
BUS Affairs aud the spiritual concerns of their -.
cks the austere life and shining example of ~ on0e
9 Trsppsts at Bapjsluks, were beginning 10 iuuela
~ 30 heavy oloud ia hanging over all this gents
nefG prospect the husbandnb bn has reason Coroner