Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1878-09-13
Foreign Correspondence Of Free Press and Times.
Letter from Turkey.
THE EASTERN QUESTION-REvIEw OF The SIT
UATION-TnE WORK OF THE BERLIN con-
CRESs-THE OUTLOOK FOR TURKEY.


UATION-TnE WORK OF THE BERLIN con
| CRESs-TnE OUTLOOK FOR TURKEY.
! TREEIzoND, Aug. 10. 1873.
| To the Editor Of the Free Press and Times.
Now that the European congress i, ended
and peaceful arrangement Is the issue,
many may fancy the 'Eistern Question is
finally settled. do not feel quite SO san
guinc. We may hope that war will not
rccur for another score OF years, and it is
possible the agencies now set in motion will
so far solve existing difficulties that future
wars may be avoided. Certainly Russia can
not feel that it pays. very well to sacrifice
hundred thousand lives and five hundred
! millions Of rOubles OF money IN great war,
and then have half the advantages snatched
away by an European congress, no member
of which had split drop of blood or burnt
an ounce Of powder. 1t seems very unfair,
but brief review of the situation will show
that Russia really has nothing of which she
need to complain.
Let Us go back to the conference of Coz
stantiuoplc in December, ISL Russia then
united with the other European powers in
demanding certain reforms of the Turk
i-h government. Every effort was made 50
to notify the demands of the conference rs
to make them acceptable to the Porte.
Midhat PaSha, the author of the constitu-
ton, was then at the head Of the govern
ment. Midhat's plan was to limit
the prerogatiyes of the sovereign and
bring the people to share in the gov
ernment but. before the world, the govern
ment, made up Of sovereign and people, was
not to permit the slightest interference by
other governments in the internal affairs of
the country. Hence the proposals OF the
conference were haughtily rejected. A
little less haughtincsS at that time would
1t would seem natural course for the
governments represented in the conference
to have eoereed the Turks into SUBMISSION
to their demands. In that ca,e. as the
Turks would not presume to fight all the
European powers allied together, the results
of coercion would have been the pcaceable |
attainment of the object of the conference.
viz the refusing of Turkish mis-goy
crnment. But the English told the Turks
in advance that in no case would they coelce
them. The Turks gathered heart from this.
and were sure, il the Russians went to
war, the English would come to the rescue
and the Crimcan war would be rC-cnactej.
The Russians. however, guarded against
this contingency by getting the other
governments pledged TO neutrality.
But these governments reserved the
right to interfere when their
own interests should he endangered. and also
in the terms of the final settlement And here
is the reason the Russians have been Obliged
to acquiesce in the decisions reached by the
united voice of the European powers. If
Russia did not desire it she should not have
begun the war on such conditions.
1t was rot until the Russians were thun-
lcring at the gates Of ConstantinOple that the
English began hostile demonstrations in op
position. The treaty of San Stciino was
nmed 50 that European Turkey became
an outlying Russian province,
he Russians were to enter 81 far into Asiat-
{ Turkey aS 10 cut oh the European high
way to Persia, and such 4 heavy indemnity
vas thrown on Turkey Is she could never
'ay, ami which would ever prove u lash in
hr hands OF Russia to keep Turkey in sub
ection to her. The inevitable and doubtless
cad to the ultlmNtc entire ABSORPTION of
turkey by Russia.
Very naturally England made a vigorous
rotc~t against all this. She sent her
ron-clad flee. through the Darian-
li>-She ordered up troops from India
D Malta-Shc called out her reserves
she voted six millions for war contingen- ,
ics-and proposed to 60 forward to war
With Russia unless the entire question at :
sue should be unrcserycdlv submitted to /
n European Congress
Space docs not permit the mention of all !
he steps which led to the conference, how
,luctant Russia WIS To yield the lull con ..
.ol which she had 81 well earned hy her j
ard-iought victories. hut how persistent t
as the government of Besconsteld, and ;