The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1878-02-09
Foreign News.
The Eastern War

announcement made in the British parliament
on the lst inst, that an armistice had been
signed between Russia and Turkey at Adrian
oplc on the 3lstult. No explanation is offered
of the long decay in signing, especially as the
conditions Of the protocol are such as Turkey
was known to be ready to assent TO from the
beginning, and the circumstance is made the
ground for suspicion that there are other terms
which Russia has not made public As an.
nounced the terms are rs follows:
/. The erection Of Bulgaria INTO a praci-
pality.
,. \ war indemnity or territory in compcn-
SatiOn
3. The independence of Roumania, Seryia,
and Montenegro with an increase of territory
for each.
t. Reforms in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
>. An Interior understanding between the
sultan and car regarding the Dardancllcs.
q. The evacuation of the Danubian tOrtrcSSeS
and Erzeroum
Along with the announcement Russia says
that other matters relating to the general in
tcreStS of Europe will be left to the decision
Of European conference.
OF course the six points thus announced are
too indefinite to give any approximate idea of
what Russia really intends. BY way of com
mcntaIy on the 81 condition, 1t is said Russia
proposes to take back Bessarabia from Rou-
mania and in lieu of it give her the Dobrud-
sha; Scrvia is to be enlarged by additions
south Of the Balkans, and so on. Then what
is meant by condition 9th about an Interior
understanding between the sultan and car re-
garding the Dardancllcs? OF course all these
are matters Of vital interest both TO England
and Austria; and the whole, as virtually drv-
ing Turkey out of Europe and half of Asia
Minor, are matters of the profoundest concern
ment to all Europe.
Austria proposes that the suggested confer
ence be held at Vienna, to which Gartschakotf
on behalf of Russia demurs, prefcrring Il less
important city in asmaller state, like Brussels,
Antwerp or Geneva. No date has yet been
suggested for the meeting of the conference,
though it is to be composed Of representatives
of the signatory nations to the treaty of Paris
and to which Roumania and Servia, as par
Elephants in the war; already stoutly object.
While things thus look placid on the surface,
however, there is no doubt that all the cabinets
of Europe, and especially Of England and
Austria, are intensely exercised. England is
more than redoublng her warlike prepare.
tons and there is no doubt that the 100000
credit will be voted by parliament, that Eng
land may appear at the conference with a
sharpcncd sword, you know" Then the cX-
citing rumor is mooted that the Turkish fleet
which has been ordered to the Piraeus osten
sibly to intimidate thc Greeks, has really gone
there to escape seizure by Russia, and to be
gobbled up at the proper time by the English
fleet and lowed to Malta.
But in the midst of this under-current I'M
easiness and perturbation, came the startling
news on Thursday that Russia, under clause
Of the armistice not made pubic, mad actually
entered and was in possession Of Constantine
pie Had a Russian trigate appeared on the
Thames and commenced throwing shells into
London the establishment could have been ut
tie greater. How can the British fleet advance
to Constantnoplc now, or even enter the Oar
danellcs :" shrieks the London Post IN dismay;
and the rest of the anti Russian organs in Eng.
land are furious in their comments, the Times
alone maintaining show of calmncss.
Yesterdays dispatches, however, show that
though Russia has not entered Constantinope,
she has compelled the Turks to withdraw their
rarrisons from the outer defcnCes and filled
them with Russian troops so that the city is
as good as in Russian possession, for the army
of the car can enter at any time at their lcis-
urc. 1t is also certain that Gallipoli is in like
manner at the mercy of the Russians, and that
Il Russian army of over 100000 men is gather
ed within "A days march of both cities. All
this, of course, is Il surprise to England and
has thrown the country into the widest excite
mcnt The liberals in the commons have CIV.
en- up their opposition to the vote of $4,000
900, with the concession of their leader that
in such crisis England must present united
front.
The sudden outburst of the Greeks against
Turkey when they found her so badly "chawed
up" by the Northern bear as To be helpless, al
ter exciting general ridiculc, has been allayed
by an lntimatOn from the car that the Greek
christians in Thessily Eparus and Crete will
be duly cared for.
With the signing of the armi>ticr Of course
the understanding is that all army movements
are arrested, though the Turks have been re-
quired to cvacuate all the Danublan fortrcsses,
while there i, no doubt that over two hundred
and fifty thousand Russians are in full march
for Constantinople AID Gallipoli.
General Foreign News.
ENCLAND.-Gcorgc Cruikshanks, the well
known draughtSman and caricaturist, is dead.
The "convcncr' of the Glasgow prcSbyAcry
has tclcgraphcd the pope that an intcrdict will