The Saline County journal. [volume] (Salina, Kan.) 1871-1893, 1879-01-09
18th Spec'a TO London Times.

Pesth spec al 70 London Times
1t must have appeared remarkable to
many that after so much talk about the
Bulgarian instruction in Macedonia, it's
increasing extent, and the military meas
ures taken by the Turks against it, the
NOV ement should have suddenly become
silent, and for a considerable time now
nothing should be heard about it from
any quarter. At last, however, some au-
thentic intelligence reaches us from Sofia
which goes to show that the Turkish for
ces have been getting the better of the
rising in the districts of Melenik, Djuma,
and the Upper Struma Valley; the ac-
counts reporting large number Of Bull
garians fleeing from those districts and
taking refuge in kustennil. Dubnitza, and
Samakov, the three Bulgarian places
nearest the frontier of Macedonia. 1t
may be remembered that some time ago
nmors came from Sofia Of the destruction
by Bashi- Bazouks of a number of Bull
garian villages In the Struma Vally. The
information, however, being derived from
those who might be supposed to be in
terested in accusing the Turks, implicit
reliance was not given to the news. Now,
however, we are told that the British
Consul at Sofia has from personal obser-
walton confirmed the fact that about
1000 Bulgarians have fled from the Val
ley of the Upper Struma to Bulgarian
territory, alleging that they had been
driven to flight by Turkish forces, of whom
they reported, only few were regulars,
the bulk of them consisting Of Bashi-
Bazouks. The latter, they said. had at
tackled, sacked and burned their villages
to the number of seventeen, committing
also all manner of atrocities on the in
habitants. Such wholesale emigration on
the part of the Bulgarian population
seems to leave no doubt as to the fact that
the Turks have got the upper hand IN the
Upper Struma Valley; and that the tide
of instruction which had been rolling
down towards Sores has been successfully
urged back towards the Bulgarian from
tier. Satisfactory as this must be, TO all
those who desire the fulfilment of the
Treaty OF Berlin and the avoidance OF fur
Their complications, such multitudinous
Bulgarian emigration is, nevertheless, a
rather awkward circumstance, whether it
should turn out to be merely the effect of
senseless panic like that of three years
ago, which drove thousands of Bosnians
to the Austrian territory, or whether it he
the result of reprisals takenE by the Turks
on their return to the districts they were
compelled to abandon IN October last.
after the defeat of the small Turkish gar
risons in the passes. Notwithstanding
the systematic way in which Bulgaria
and East Roumelia were cleared of the
MaOhmetan element, whose possessions
were given over without further Formally
to the Bulgarians, the above atrocities
may, perhaps, be adduced as an argu-
ment against the repatriation of the Ma
hometan refugees. Ii Is, however, not
much to be wondered at if the Turks
should have been stimulated to follow the
example given by the Russians themselves
and had endeavored in their turn to get
rid in the summary way above reported of
the Bulgarians in Upper Macedonia. Or
simpler explanation may be
retaliation. When the insurrec-
ton got the upper hand in those
parts the Mahometan villages were at
tackled and burnt. and the inhabitants fled
to Seres Now the Turkish refugees hav-
ing returned and got the upper hand of
the Bulgarians, they have forced the lat
ter to leave