Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1878-02-02
THE TERMS OF PEACE.

piled by them to the denOuement of
the struggle now terminating in
Europe. Were we to select ourown
words in defining it, we should say
'the terms of capitulatiOn," not
those of peace, thinking that this
phraseOlogy better describes the con-
ditions imposed by IA powerful State,
backed by two other equally power
full Governments, upon feeble, sub
jugated nation isolated from all pos
sibility of alliance with any helping
power.
The conditions preliminary on
which negotiation has been COM
menced and on the signing of which
an armistice was granted are, by
agreement between Russia and Tur-
key, not to be disclosed until the
ratification of the peace treaty which
is to be signed by the Grand Duke
Nicholas in COnstantinople. While
these conditions are not officially
announced, their leading provisions
eeem to have leaked out, and the
following is the statement of the
London Telegraph;
The Turkish delegates have been
ordered to sign the peace prelimina-
ries. The armistice will probably
be concluded to-day. The peace
conditions are stated on excellent
authority to include the following /:
Servia to be independent without
compensation. Montenegro TO re-
ceive Antivari, Nicsics and Spuse,
and the portion of territory border
ing on Lake Scutari. Russia to hold
BatOum, Kars and Erzeroum until
a war indemnity of twenty million
pounds is paid. The Dardanelles
10 be opened to Russian men-Of-war
Bulgarian autonomy TO be conceded
rather on the principle of the Leba-
non than on the plan of the Constan-
tinOple Conference, and Turkey to
nominate Christian Governors for
long forms of years, subject to ratifi-
cation by the Powers. Bulgaria is
not understood TO include Thrace,
but only to extend to the line of the
Balkans. Part of the Russian army
tOembark at COnstantinople for their
return home, and the final treaty of
peace to be signed at COnstantinOple
by the Grand Duke Nicholas. This
arrangement will satisfy the Russian
military honor without involving
the occupation of ConStantinOple.
There Is no mention of ROumania
in the dispatch.
The London News gives a SIMILAR
conjectural statement with some
points Of difference; such a. that
Bulgaria is to have some accession
of territory south of the Balkan, and
that the accession of BatOum, Kars
and ErzerOum is not simply in the
way of mortgage TO secure the pay
ment of the indemnity, but absolute
and in permanence.
Assuming that these cOnjectural
statements are somewhere near the
truth, we will risk a few remarks on
some of the conditions. No intima-
ton is given Of any CessiOn of terri
tory to Austria. There have been
those who supposed that a partition
Of the conquered provinces, with the
assignment of a portion (Servia and
Bosnia, for instance,) to Austria,
was one Of the conditions which held
that empire to the tripartite alliance.
We have not been indiSpOsed to en-
terrain tie opinion ourselves at
the same time we have always
thought that such a cessiOn would
have been a fatal gift for Austria.
A passage in the history of that
Empire of quite recent occurrence is
calculated to throw light on the
present position.
During the latter years of our war
"a iunctureOfaffilirs took place which
called into activity the passion OF
both Austria and Prussia for terrific
rial ACKNOWLEDGEMENT. A Duke Ot
Schleswig-HOlstein died leaving NJ
heirs in the direct line. His two
duchies of Schleswig and Holstein
had long formed 81 portion of the
kingdom of Denmark but ut the
death Of the Duke, Austria and Prus.
STA raked up some old documents on
the strength of which they declared
that, in defect of heirs in the direct
line, these provinces reverted part
to Austria and part to Prussia. Den.
mark, always n spirited little State
resisted the claim, and the two great
Empires declared war with the
smallest State in Europe. Such {
war could not last long, and Den
mark soon had tc submit 10 the
terms of the ConquerOrs, a. Turkey
has now. Schleswig and Holsteir
became the prize of war and, thai
being settled, Austria and Prussia
We're at once at odds about the diVis
ion Of the spOils. Prussia proposed
90 simplify matters by taking it all
She alleged that Schleswig and HOl
stein were both situated i'm Nortf
Germany, region in which Prussia
had important interests while Aus
tria had none. The Prussian diplO
matists proposed that Prussia, there
fore, should take both, proposing
some indemnity To Austria pecuni
AIRY or territorial for heretfOrtS in the
war. Would Austria consider tha
proposition? Austria was averse t.
considering it, Then followed /;
dense cloud of diplomacy which
mortal vision has never penetrated
and never will, and then came Prus
sia's ultimatum; "thus it will have
10 90 with or without indemnity :
and then came the AustrO-PruSSiaT
war so fatal To Austria, in wheel
SadOwa Was as disastrous To Austri.
as Pievna To Turkey or Sedan 4
France; and Austria had to retire
not only from her claims in SchleS
Wig-Holstein (Which were never re
ally worth a cent, nor those of Prus
sia either), but from all Imperial
pretensionS among the German