The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1878-03-17
SOME WIZ HOOKS.
The Life OF the Prince Consort.

II is Of singular use and interest to rotrarc in
the Hight Of fresh materials the record Of the
cvcntful years 1854 SO The mass Of ma
terinls which has been placed at Mr. Martins
command is very largc-thc Princes papers on
Oriental subjects covering no fewer than nny
folio voumos-and he has shown much skill in
selection. compression and arrangement. Tn
der the circumstances it was inevitable that til"
nuthor should bc tempted in this part Of his
work to leave the sphere Of the biogrnrhcr for
that Of the historian. but although his book loses
somewhat Of artistic unity the artists loss Is
the readers gain.
AS We follow ia the Princes diary and letters
The attitude II the several European Govern
mcns and the state ofpullic feeling the points of
contrast and the points Of likeness to the existing
situation are equally instructive. Then. "a now
Turkey cvinccd u capacity for resistance with
which neither enemies nor friends had credited
hcr-thcn. rs now Austria wavcred unwillngto
witness SlavOnie aggrandizmcnt on her south
eastern frontier. yet reluctant TO take overt and
vigorous mcasurcs- then. a. now. the rrussian
Government was at little pains to Disguise the
fcrvor Of it, Russian sympathics. There il
reason to believe. however. that the Turks in
1851. although greatly inferior to their
enemies in naval power were some
what stronger on the land than in 1877.
II is not TO be forgotten that with only
The moral support Of their allics-without the
nctual cooperation of n single regiment in the
Gcld-the Ottoman forces under Omar Pasha
compelled the Russians to raise the siege OF
Siistria and achieved unaided the fundamental
object Of the war. the evacuation Of the Princi-
paltics. From the study Of that remarkable
campaign. and II the obstinate resistance main
fained in Bulgaria throughout last summer the
inference seems unavoidable that. supposing
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each other quiet tho presence Of two English
army corps and the equally material assistance
Of English loans would have sufllccd to turn the
scale in the late contest.
II is curious. too. to note the absolute identity
with the language heard in our own day Of the
prccNts and arguments put forth by the Rus
sian Government and by Russian sympathizers
in England twenty-five years ago. Then. M
now. much was said about the Cars holy mis-
sion. and about the iniquty Of siding with the
enemies of Christianity against the Muscovitc
champions Of the orthodox faith. Like his sue
cessor. Nicholas professcd his readiness to
pledge himself not to hold Constantinople us
proprietor. although rs a mere trustee" he
might be called upon TO occupy Il temporarily.
Like Gortchakoff. Nossclrode made no secret Of
his resolve that a Byzantine empire should not
be reconstructed. nor Greece extended SO as to
broken up into little republics. asylums for the
Kossuths. MaDinis. and other revolutonists OF
Europe. In the schemes Of the Russian Chan
cellor the purpose Of absorption wore the same
cloak In 1884 that II wears now. that. namely OF
a semi-independent Bulgaria under Russian
protection. On the other hand. We seem to hear
the voice OF Mr.. Gladstone and Mr.. Freeman,
and other friends Of Russia to-day. in the re-
hohstrahces OF MI Copdeh ana Mr.. Bright
VINO III lspi' represented the small peace party
III England Inc indispensable Turk was
portrayed with no less scathing and lurid
'loluenre' ana the majestic role of the
northern empire in the civlizng OF
inc East was set forth with the same lofty in
difference to the facts Of her domestic history
ana 10 the plain interests Of England and Of
EUROPE M Golden contemplated with COM
Ilaeen'y the possession Il Constan'inoplc bv
inc hnsslah7' Whii' Mr. Bright declared that
turkey was a de."ying nation. Russia an al
'ahelhg ono. anu mat hut Tor English Interior
ohee WIN mo natural anu righiul course oil
thihSs' '+le uln'rch,' n'iWeeh inc TWO peoples
Wo"ld nave h''h se'tled lohg before by the con
c'ssiohs OIL lh' weaker parry
"A5 lS " thal the l'r"-hu--lan' or peace party.
WINCH "ih"Gfh lhrluding some oi the most
prominent sum 'rieis ol the Ministry thcn ~
-" e. Was lmpoirhi ~ 1871 a. hold back Ing
ANA p arm "hd yet lia- 7i'Wn itself able IA the
i'-' 'N.' Dbl HlN i' nlNi'' luNl' ntmcni,
"'''"' 'H' H''-' III p"rl 'S' - lriinf Minis
'T 81. -'Hl' ih' Royalty al his parliamentary
lN0, 'i"}' "n' ,oi"i. lAe loss 81 Opportunities
WHICH, III an li"hANiIliy' can never Toe
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