Litchfield enquirer., 1878-07-18
England's New Departure.

Whatever else may be said of the European Congress, no one can deny the importance ol it's work. It has abolished Turkey in Europe Russia has at least moral vindication. The war she waged is now substantially admitted to have been just and a necessary war. There is general feeling that she has done 6 good thing, and that she has been very poorly paid for doing it. A strip of Bessarabia, on the West-the same torn from her in the Cri. mean war-and the possession of Batum, Kars, and small part of Armenia, on the East, are all left her of the spells of great and com pletely successful war. England, by private treaty, however, obtains Cyprus and a protector. ate over the whole of Turkey in Asia.
 By one of those rapid maneuvers in which Beaconsfeld delights, he has adopted and i'm proved on the policy to which his party has always been most strenuously opposed. Just as some years since he managed to compel the Tories te vote an extension of the suffrage they had always denounced, he now persuades them to consent to England's taking the lions share of an empire they had hitherto sworn should never be dismembered. He comes home in triumph and announces to Tory Parliament : 'sNo doubt have abandoned the principle for which England fought in '53-5, and which she has ever since maintained-but just see what we have made by it {! We have gained by mere treaty ten times as much as Russia has gained by war!" And it seems to be true that Russia has made what her military aris- tocracy consider humiliating concessions to avoid war with England-a fact that leads people to think that Russia ismaterially weak CT than had been supposed.
 Beaconsfeld has won greater diplomatic victory over France even, than over Russia. The victories of Germany have made it impos- sible for France to oppose British projects of aggrandizement in the Mediterranean, which would have never been permitted while she was in any condition to fight. The occupation of Cyprus is no check to Russia. It merely consolidates the British Empire over the Medl- terranean. Even the British protectorate of Turkey in Asia annoys France more than Rus sia. The ambition of the present Emperor has not taken that direction. There are no Slavs in that part of the Turkish dominions to look to him as the head of their race On the other hand the old designs of France on Egypt and upper Africa are further removed than ever from any possibility of success.
 Considered on the broad ground of the gen. eral welfare of Europe, we believe that the ac- tion of the Congress will prove productive Of much good. The Slavs are now for the most part freed from Ottoman rule. If Russia pro gresses, and liberalizes in the future as she has done during the past twenty years, Roumania and Bulgaria will be substantially annexed to that empire; not tied to it by force, but by choice. Should Russia retrograde, Slavic Tur- key will perhaps become the leader of the race. At any rate it will no longer suffer from any barbarian but it's own.
 We do not imagine that the protectorate of Asiatic Turkey will prove an enviable task The Osmanli race which were but quarter of the population of European Turkey number two thirds of the population of Turkey in Asia. Eight of their ten millions are to be found there They are very different breed of Ma hometans from those found in the British East India, and any thorough reform of their gov ernment can only be effected by an exertion of military force that England will not find it easy to make. Moreover, there will be Russia, with the Armenian barrier already in her hands, ready to swoOp down on Asia Minor when a favorable opportunity occurs. Wehope, rath- CT than expect therefore, that the civilizing in fluence of the English protectorate will be con- siderable. Should it @ Asiatic Turkey will probably pass at some not far distant period into stronger hands.