New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1879-05-31
THE NEW EAST ROUMELIA.
THE REAL CONDITION OF THE PROVINCE.

u,nuANTs-TUF TRUTH SUPPRESSED IN LONDON.
lFRoM A REGULAR CORRESPONDENT OF THE TRIBUsEI
CoNsTANTINoPLE. May 6.-The vouminous
labors of the Commission charged by Europe under
the Berlin Treaty with the preparation of laws for
East Ronmelia are at last completed. Bat it APP
pears as If the difficulties met at every turn by TINS
Commission were barely the beginning of troubles.
The Bnlgarians were 90 be concliated. They have
been in so ungracious a mood that the agents OF
the commission have led a miserable existence from
the hour OF their appointment. They have watched
and criticised every step of the lawmaking process
They have published i'll the bulgarian paper,
the Mqritsd, of Philippopolls long series
of attacks the Commission and its views. In
order to make their remarks clearer to the Commis-
sion they have caused them to be printed IN French
in the midst of the Bulgarian columns OF Their
paper There were the minorities to be protected. .
the Greeks and Turks and Jews of Roumeia. These
have been so surly that they have constantly offered
the Bulgarians excuses for violence Ihey nave
been so intractable that from the first 1t has been
evident that nothing would satisfy them. There
was the imperial dignity to be supported OF the tot
tering structure known as the Ottoman Empire
This. like all doubtful dignity has been exceedingly
difficult 10 define, and phenomenally thorny to
handle 1t demanded proper respect in the method
of acquiring the surplus taxes of the East Rcame-
ians II called for special laws for the protection
of the sacred estates belonging to the Mosques.
Even where. in one city, there are
twenty-six Mosques and only seven wor-
shippers 1T required eternal protection FOR
the whole II asked tho acknowledgment IN
some way Of the sovereignty of the Sultan In the
manner of appointing bishops of the Bulgarian
Greek and Catholic churches Of Roumelia. III re-
ouired special means to secure the perpeuation Oh
the Turkish language as one of the official tongues
Of tha
natural and indigenous with which the Commission
has had TO cope 1t now remains to be seen what
is to be done with the complicated system elabor-
ated by so many powerful minds. Six months OF
dclberation have been required for its preparation
Will the book of laws of East Roumelia endure the
shock of the attempt TO put 1t In execution In
other words the question still is can the Treaty OF
Berlin be carried out
One serious difficulty may early present itself in
the change of elements which has taken place In
the population of East Roumelia while the Commits
sion has been sitting. Moslems have a deep-Tooted
dislike for living under Christian rule. This feel
ing combines IN the MOslem mind with fear OF
retaliation on the part of the Bugarans. The
result has. been q very general emigration OF the
Turkish population which had not been frightened
away during the war. The Commission has TO the
very end acted on the principle of the protection of
mnorIties. On this principle its ponderous laws
ale based But now that the work Is
done there are no longer any minorities to
protect. East Roumelia is practically bulgarian
territory although one year ago only half OF It's
people were Bulgarians. The Commission seems to
have refused 10 see this. Europe has no means OF
seeing it. The England of Lord Beaconsteld does
not wish to see it. The correspondent of The Lon
don Times here is Mr.. Mackenzie Wallace, the writer
on Russia. He has devoted himself to obtaining
original and trustworthy information concerning
East Roumela. He has visited the Bulgarians at
home He has talked with them in all the freedom
begotten of his knowledge of the Russian IAN
gnage. He has fingered in Turkish villages,
and has drawn out the condolences OF the peo-
pie in ms character as an bnglsiiinali rec
commended to them by Turks. But ms letters
based on these Investigations have not often seen
the light / have the best reasons for believing
pressed letters which could be used against the
Treaty Of Berlin. The principle on winch me Times
publishes correspondence seems to be that letters
from COnstantinOpe must be turkish IN tone III
allows ITS correspondent i'll Bulgaria plenty OF no
eTty in the matter of giving items favorable to the
BuiGarians. The result of the change in Roumea
NAV prove 10 be that the law OF the Commission Will
be unduy OdiOus to the BGlgaTians. No one llnag-
ines that the Turkish emgran's from that province
will ever return to 1t TO claim Their rights
Another serious danger to the organization OF
East Roumeia on the basis of the Treaty of Berlin
is the attitude of the Bulgarians They have de-
clared in all possible ways their desire for union
with Bulgaria proper The proposal to place Turk
sh garrisons in the Balkans sets them wild. Every
thing Turkish is hateful to them. They Will not
allow Turk in all their domain to wear his red fez
can in peace. They seem TO be organizing for
armed resistance TO even nominal Turkish author
lty All over East Roumelia the male population
between the ages of fifteen and fifty has been
registered on the rolls of "gymnastic clubs" These
clubs are ostensibly for physical development, but
the exercises are manly marchings and counter
marchings. The muscles of the arms are deyel-
oped BY handling rifles. Apparently. no Rus
sian official has any connection with the
gymnastic clubs Yet the clubs control the people
i'm all matters connected with their own Organiza-
tion They have even levied tax upon All prop
erty and no man can escape payment OF the tax by
appeal to the Russian authorities. Moreover Cen
eral Scobeef has allowed these gymnastIc clubs to
muster with the militia TO be reviewed by him at
PhlippOpolis and other chief towns. lie put them
through all the evOlutons Of a field day. and used
them for sham fight. He expainedthat he thought
il would do them good TO smell gunpowder.
Now at first sight, the fact of the military organi-
cation of these Bulgarians would appear to make
conflict with Turkey inevitable. The prospects of
the new laws prepared by the Commission do not
look bright. There are plenty of men among the
Bulcarians who have grievances against Turkey.
There are men who have been imprisoned and
exiled to MesOpotama. There are men who have
lost their houses and their families. There are men
who have seen their fathers and their brothers
hanged in the public streets of PhilippopoIs,
and they all THIRST for revenge. Then there
are the men who fought in the Bulgarian
Legion during the war. They are mainly resi-
dents of foreign lands driven from Bulgaria long
ago and have no property interests at stake. Then
there are all the mixed multitude of fiery young
fellows who are always ready to join in movement
which promises adventure while satisfying patriot
ISM All these classes doubtless ready to take
orr,s to-day in The face of al Enrnne to resist the