The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1878-07-31

statesmen Of Vienna, jealous Of Russian
approach TO the lower Danube, began to
evincc q tolerance OF thor Ottoman neigh
Dor, which grew at last, under Magyar in
nuenoe into something like friendship.
Thcnceforth the Bosniac noble, with his OK
travagant bigotry and his unlimited control
over tenant and serf of different and de-
spscd faith, ceased TO have any
utility and became nuisance to
the Porte. Never had the provcrbial
fanaticism Of roncgados been more signally
attestcd than by those Serb landowners
who, upon the conquest Of Bosnia in 1869,
had embraced tho religion OF Islam i'm order
to keep their possessions. We must bear in
mind that the genuine Osmanlis do not
constitute one-half Of one per cent. of the
Bosnian population, and that the four hun
dred thousand Moslems, including the
landed proprictors. the higher merchant
class in the towns. and their hangcrs-on or
underlings, arc offshoots Of precisely the
same Serb stock MS the orthodox or catho-
lie rayah. Yet IL is the frightful ex-
actions and cruelty on the part Of these
Slavonic Mohammcdans, which during
the last forty years have compelled
the attention OF Europe and frustrated tho
best-intcntioncd efforts OF the Porte. when
Sultan MAHMoup. for instance, began, in
1891, the remarkable reforms which culmi-
mated under his successor in the so-callcd
hiatt OF Gulkhane, decrceing the absolute
equality OF Christian and Moslem before the
law, II was found absolutely impossible to
execute these measures in Bosnia. The
feudal nobility revolted. and under ALI Boy
deficd the authority Of the Sultan for some
seventeen years, until in 1850 the
rebel chief was put to death During the
following twolvcmonth OMAR Pasha sue
cccdcd in abolishlng the organization OF the
Spahis, and In substituting for time OF
toman officials for the fcudal authorities.
Instead OF the old burdens which in Bosnia
amounted to at least a third Of the rayahs'
crops, and which were vastly aggravated
by the method Of collection, the fiscal regu-
latons Of the province were assimlated TO
those Of other parts Of the empire. But by
1864 the liberal concessions of the Porte be-
came dead letter to the west Of the Drina,
and have so remained. Experience has de-
monstratcd the Sultan's incapacity TO en-
force n just treatment Of Christian tenants
and laborers upon the Moslem mobiles OF
Bosnia, and the transfer OF the refractory
province TO Austria may well have seemed
10 the Sultans counsellors the sole accept
able solution OF difficult problem. More
over, repeated prccedcnts had attested the
impossibiltyo restoring expatriated Chris
tians to their homes without foreign inter
vcntion As early as 1880 such measure
was stipulated between Austria and Turkey.
but the latter power was unable TO per-
form it,
Aside from the political bearings OF the
movement. and its possible effect on the
future policy Of Austria, 1t is plain that her
army appears in Bosnia as mediator and
administrator. All that is asked by the
most vehement champion Of the prosecuted
Christians Is that the Austrian officials
shall execute the law proclaimed in 1899 by
ABDuL-MEDJID in the plain OF Gull
khanc. OF course the execution Of re-
forms will provoke now, as hereto
fore. tho most vehement opposition on
the part OF the Mohammedan nobility. Per-
haps too, the orthodox rayahs controlled by
Pan-Slavist emissarcs from Moscow. may
sock TO thwart the new authorities. and that
the only vigorous support on which the lat
ter can rely will come from the Catholics.
who number about 100000, or one-hfth Of the
whole nation. Yet there IS no doubt that In
the end the intorposition Of a strong and a
just government will prove blessing to all
ranks and classes Of the Bosnian popula-
tipu