Morning appeal. [volume] (Carson City, Nev.) 1877-1906, 1878-01-27
SUNDAY READING.

result what seems imminent as the lnevl-
table outcome of the great war which has been
waged fiercely these FIVE months past be-
tween Russia and Turkey. The origin of Eu-
ro2eeh wars is almost always surrounded with
many antiquities and so beclouded with
the technics and evasions. pretexts and quib-
bles of diplomacy and intrigue as to render
such origin difficult of explanation; and while
nobody pretends to know what was the cause
of the Schleswig- Holstein troubles, and but
few can explain the real cause of the alliance
between Turkey, France and England in what
is known as the Crimean war, we doubt if more
than very few of our most intelligent readers
can explain the reasons for the war between
Prussia and Austria, or the quarrel which re-
suited in the German occupancy of the Capitol
of France. In a vague way we all know that
Russas pretext for making war upon Turkey
was the protection from Turkish cruelty Of the
oppressed Christian subjects of the Sublime
Porte; but the impression is all prevalent in
the popular mind that Russia went to war be
cause she was impatient of being cooped upin
her own dominions and shut off from free in
gress and egress to and from the Mediterra-
mean, and was determined 30 make one grand
struggle to relieve herselffrom what she could
not but regard as degrading imposition upon
her dignity and standing as one of the great
nations of Chrstendom And in this light is
the Russian Campaign in Turkey regarded by
every political power The reported terms of
peace demanded by the Gar and acceded to
by the Porte justify this belief First in i'm
portance among the conditions stipulated for
is Russia right to sail her war fleets at will
through the Bosphorous and the Dardanelles
But for all this, the religious aspect of the re-
sult is of very deep concern. Let us make Il
brief examination of some of the historical
facts relating to the Turkish occupancy of tina.
part of Europe which is popularity known as
the Danubian Provinces. Who is the Turk
How came he in Europe! How long has he
held sway over the Christian and Hellenic
states which lie between the Austrian border
and the Greek Archipelago?
With regard to the origin of the Turks it is
t. be said, in brief, that they are of Tartar or
igen or extraction; and that they, as many
other peoples strangely e1emplify, represent |
religion being an inherent quality of race
temperament and kindred Indeed the Mo |
hammedan religion seems much a part of |
Arabic, Tartar and Turkish lie as the Mosaic |
creed is part OF the life and destiny of the |
Jewish race. In Mr. Archibald Forbes's ad-
nirable paper i'll the " Nineteenth Century
for November last, upon Russians Turks and
Bulgarians, he confirms with emphasis what
Mr.. Edward A Freeman had said so vehe-
mently twenty odd years before in addressing
the English public upon the nature and ten
dency of Turkish government and Turkish
character. Says this most intrepid and intel
. The Turks are barbarians pure and simple
They have neither part nor lot in civilization;
their religion and its injunctions, their origin,
the area of their empire, their conservatism
bar them out from membership in the Euro
pean family circle. 1t may be and has been
contended that this being so, Europe is no
place for them; but with this phase of the
subject, involving as it does argument, [ have
no concern | would merely remark that when
it shall have been conclusively proved that
they are out of place in Europe, there remains
the physical task of acting on the conclusion;
and that task, to the lot of whomsoayer it
may fall, does not quite bear the aspect of a
holiday undertaking. Meanwhile they are
and they are in Europe. As bar
barians and as non aggressives, it would have {
been quite consistent for them, this Spring, to {
hold some such language as the following to
Ill whom it might concern: I'VE do not want :
20 go to war, but if any Power thinks proper 7
% assail US, we give due forewarning that we a
ire barbarians, and sill defend ourselves by !
barbarian tactics. Our religion enjoins on us
he ruthless slaughter of the infidel. If we d
re assailed, We give fair warning that we will b
leither ask nor give quarter; that We will e
more nostro, torture, chop, hack, and mutilate r.
UT wounded enemies cucumber ourselves Il
Nth no prisoners, despis2 such fnicalities as a
ags of truce; our battle-cIr will be deem to IL
he Giour You are entitled to know this, n
ecause the Knowledge may be factor among a,
he considerations which effect your final res Sc
luton If, after this intimation you are bent IL
II assailing us, why, then come on and see :"
ow you like itF This intimation the Turks II
id not make, but they have consistently acted b.