San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1878-02-16
Turkey After the War.

ouitau 10 W Ictuiu ieS PioSo oAioHS tuo
powers of the world. These assured
facts were brought to the public knowl-
edge upon the cessation of hostilities
last week. I. ODD
The Russian terms for the establish
ment of an armistice were not only APP
proved by Germany and Austria, but
they received the acquiescence of Eng
land, and were agreed to by the Turk
ish Government itself. Turkey came to
conclusion upon them, without argu-
ment or renonstrance, as soon as they
were submitted to her; and the Bea-
consfield Ministry acquiesced in them
Immediately after they had reached
London last Friday morning. They
would not have been thus dealt with if
they had involved the tearing to pieces
of the Turkish Empire, or the expulsion
of the Sultan from Europe. Turkey is
PROSTATE, it is true; but she is not yet
so powerless as to submit quietly to
murder. Had Russia imposed intolera-
BILE terms, she could have done more
than demonstrate; she could have given
the enemy another year of war; she
could have withstood him at
Adrianople; she could have led him
through several hard campaigns before
reaching Constantinople; and she could
have brought to the defense of that city
military and naval force that would
have put his army to a severer trial than
it has had since it crossed the Danube.
The Turkish Government could, and as
suredly it would, even by itself, have
made its destruction a costly and dan
gerous business to the enemy. ~ '.
Had the terms been fatal to Turkey,
England would undoubtedly have re-
sisted them. Immediately after the
Russians had crossed the Balkans, the
British Government ordered the fleet to
the Dardanelles, took steps to procure
war grant from Parliament, and other
wise prepared for the approach Of hos
tilities; and, though Lord Beaconsfield
informed the House of Lords that these
measures were not to be regarded as a
departure from the ground of neutrality,
it is very evident that they were not
adopted upon the theory that peace
would be maintained. A change of
policy, immediate and complete, on the
part of the British Government, follow
ed the reception of the Russian terms,
which were thus shown, not only to be
not adverse to British interests, but to
be such as Turkey herself could proper
ly consider.
Turkey, then, yet an independent
power, and holding the place and the
authority which she held before the war,
now enters into negotiations with Rus
STA for the formation of treaty of
peace. 1t is only the basis for an armis-
tice that has thus far been determined,
and found acceptable to all parties. The
provisions of the final tresty have yet to
be discussed and acted upon; but it is
to be assumed that these are foreshad-
owed in the terms that have been agreed
upon, and that Russian exactions will
not go much further. 81, ni. a
Russian menaces against Turkey have
run high during the past year, especi al
ly after Russian victories. The Turks
were to be driven across the Bosphorus,
and Turkey was to be obliterated from
the map of Europe. But there is a
question for other Governments than
the Government s.of the Gar: "After
Turkey, whatP" Are the tributary
to be made independent
powers, and likewise Bulgaria, Roume-
liza, and the other turkish provincesp
Or is Austria to take Bosnia, Russia that
part of Bessarsbia which she lost after
the Crimean war, Italy Albania, Greece
Thessaly, and so on? Or is there to be
a confederation of antagonistic StatesP
What of ConstantinopleP How are the
water lines between the Black Sea and
the Mediterranean to be CONTROLLED
How are the millions of Turks, who own
the land, constitute the fighting popula-
ton, and are the traditional rulers of |
the country, to be dealt with? What is
Germany to have, and how is England
to look at the whole business? These |
and other questions, full of danger and
confusion, rise in the mind of the states
man, when the breaking up of Turkey
is the subject of thought. Turkey could
not be broken up without widespread
war-war in Turkey itself, and proba-