Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1878-04-27
ROUmANIA AND RUSSIA.

ROUMANIA AND RUSSIA.
Some of our readers request us to
give the true meaning of the misun-
derstanding between Russia and
We will tell them what
we know of it, and it will not take
much space to do it. What is ROu-
mania, is our first question. Ex-
anime a map of Europe made before
the Crimean war and you will find
no such State, but in such a map
you will find two provinces, consti-
tuting a part of the Turkish EN-
pire, entitled Wallachia and Media
via, which occupied the left bank of
the Danube from the Austrian line
to the Pruth, which river was then
the boundary between Turkey and
Russia. On the other side of the
Pruth is the small State of Bessara-
bia, between the Dneister and the
Pruth, then a province of the Rus
sian Empire, which possesses the
rest of the left bank of the Danube |
to its mouth, so that the Pruth and |
so much of the Danube as then eX-
tended from the mouth of the Pruth |
to the mouth of the Danube consti-
tuted a frontier line between Turkey |
and Russia.
After the Crimean war it was the |
main purpose of the nations which |
at the treaty of Paris settled the
terms of peace to prevent any future
outbreak of war between Russia and
Turkey, and, as a means of doing
so, they determined to establish an
Independent principality between
the two countries, separating them
from all contact with one another,
at least in Europe. The new State
constituted for this purpose was
called Roumania and consisted of
Wallachia and Moldavia, coded by
the Turkish Empire, and so much
of Besarabia as lay along the left
banks of the lower Pruth and the
lower Danube to the Black Sea. A
glance at the map will show that
this not only placed an Independent
State between Russia and Turkey
but also deprived Russia of the con-
troll of the mouth of the Danube.
This treaty was severely criticised
by those who were partisans of
Turkey against Russia. 1t was rep
resented that very much the larger
portion of the new State was created
at the expense of Turkey, the ally
of the conquering powers, and only
a very small portion at that of Rus
STA, their defeated antagonist. 1t
was more seriously objected that the
new ROumania would be, by its
geographical position, under Rus
sin influence rather than under that
| Of the States whose victorious arms
created it, thus forming not so much
a barrier for Turkey against Russian
aggression as a point FGppuj for
| Russian invasiOnS of Bulgaria. The
result proved the correctness of these
apprehensiOns. AS soon as Russia
declared war against Turkey last
year, ROumania became for all mil
itary purposes a part of Russia. The
Russian forces concentrated in ROu-
,,,,,;o f,,-,,,OyI Al OF - ~, a rro ,yiy oc barn
established themselves on the ROu-
manian bank of the Danube, and
ultimately crossed that river, MAX
ing ROumania their base of supply
while they were achieving the con-
quest Of Bulgaria. More than this,
when the army of the Arch-Duke
Nicholas was found Inadequate to
the reduction of Plevna, an alliance
offensive and defensive was formed
between ROumania and Russia; the
Roumanian army occupied the
northern and eastern lines of the
besieging army, and, in fact, when
Plevna fell, a lions share of the
glory of its conquest fell to the Rou-
manian hosts.
Now what is her reward? Peace
being made, Russia demands that
all the strong places in ROumania
shall be placed in her hands for two
years; in other words, that the
whole principality shall be placed
helplessly in her power, and more
over that Bessarabia shall be coded
to her by Roumania in permanence,
she receiving the swamps of the
DObrudscha as an equivalent. No
wonder that ROumania concludes
that the hostility of Russia is better
than its alliance, and withdraws her
armies to the Carpathian Businesses,
in easy communication with the
Austrian army of Observation-and
keeps her powder dry.
The old Hsopian fable is renewed.
The horse was at war with the deer
and was hard pressed, so he made
an alliance with man. Man said,
"take this saddle on your back and
l will mount you and we will con-
quer the deer together" The horse
consented and ever after became the
slave of man. Russia is the man,
ROumania the horse and Turkey the
deer; but the horse is getting FESTIVE
and may yet dismOunt his rider.
COLONEL. SYKES ON THE STATE
DEBT.
We have received and read with
much satisfaction an address by Col.
VIM. J. Sykes, of Columbia, to the