New-York tribune., 1878-06-24
TUE YEW TRIPLE ALLIlNCR.

The Sick Man is 20 be proppcd up on his
throne, and renvested with authority as the
tenant of Europe. This seems to Oe the real
significance of the agreement reached by the
plenipotentarics of Great Britain, Russia and
Austria. The outline which we have received
from Berlin is vague, and yet intelligibe 1t
is clear that a state of vassalage to the Porte,
which has always been the main cause of war
in the East, is TO be restored south of the
Balkan.
BY the Treaty Of San Stefano the Balkan
peninsula, with the exception OF the south
eastern corner. was practically emancipated.
The reorganization of the provinces on
either side OF the mountains was in
trusted to imperial commissions with troops
at their back. BY the Anglo Russian
memorandum this huge principality was
cut in half and the blessings of emanci-
patton were restricted to the northern section,
which was converted into a tributary State.
Great Britain consented to the withdrawal of
the Ottoman troops from Bulgaria-not the
Bulgaria of the Treaty of San Stefano, but
the ancient province north of the Balkan
but reserved for herself the right of
discussing in the Congress the conditions
of its occupation By the Russians. The
province south Of the mountains, with
its frontier pushed back from the Hgean,
was to have a Christian Governor in place of
o prince, and the superior officers of the
"militia were to be nominated by the Porte
with the approval of Europe" We now
pass to the new agreement between the same
Powers which has received the sanction of
Austria. Of the two western ranges Of the
Balkan the northern is made the frontier be-
tween the two provinces, and Sophia with the
outlying district, which formed part of the
old-tme Bulgaria, is cut off from the princi-
palIty, or tributary State. The valley through
which the Russian forces after scaling
the EtrOpOl Passes, descended so easily
upon Philippopolis, will be in the do
main Of the Christian Governor and the
northern frontier of European Turkey will be
a continuous mountain line from the Black
Sea to Servia. The Turks, moreover, are to
have the right to fOrtify the entrances to the
passes and to place garrisOns there. This will
involve the withdrawal of the Russian troops
from Roumelia. COnstantinople will no longer
be menaced with attack from the valley Of So
phia and the open plain of Adrianople. It's line
of defence will be pushed back to the Balkan, and
ing territory will virtually be restored.
In the west, moreover, the frontiers
of Montenegro and Servia are to be
hedged in so as to widen the narrow lane of
Turkish territory leading to Bosnia and Her
zegoyina. Altogether the Sick Man is put
upon his legs again. In the absence of bet
ter tenant his lease of European Turkey Is TO
be renewed The Northern nation that fought
for an idea contents itself with slices of
Bessarabia and Armenia and the establish
ment of a tributary State between the Dan
ube and the Balkan. ROumelia is left TO the
mercies Of christian Governor" and the
discipline of Turkish Pashas.
We fervently trust that the terms of this
agreement between the Powers have been in
correctly outlined in the cable dispatches,
When the COnstantinOple Conference met
early in 1877, it demanded that the
Mohammedan soldiery in the Balkan prov
inces should be dsarmed, and that National
guard with Christians as well as MOslems in
its ranks should take its place. IL Roumelia
Is TO be restored to the Porte under a Chris
tian Governor, and troops are to be stationed
along the northern frontier, National militia
ought to be organized on this plan. IL is true
that vague promises have been made of in
"stltutions modelled after those of the Eng
"lish colonies" That is among the stipula-
lations made by Lord Salisbury and Count
Schouvaoff. An English Civil Service in
a province where thrOat-cutting is an element
of military discipline is a delusion and
snare. 1t will be wiser and more humane to