, 1880-09-04

while nothing has been done or attempted
to sustain the authority OF the Sultan 10
the remainder OF his dominiOns. Behind
the Greek Question, the Turks say there
are nnmberless other questions, which In
turn will be brought forward and made
the pretext for fresh exigencies. The
Bulgarians are agitating for the annexation
of East Roumelia to their brand-new
principally !; Aleko Pasha will probably
not return to P~hilippopolis, and the Porte
has serious cause to apprehend a PAINFUL.
garian movement, perhaps to be extended
even beyond Eastern Roumelia, and all
mented it ia believed, by foreign aid: The
mobilization at Adrianople Of the Second
Army Corps by the Turkish Government 10
intended to guard against the Bulgarian
danger still more than against the realiza-
ton of the Crack ambitions. But the
Turks, from the Sultan to the lowest OF his
subjects, feel that whenever . Crisis may
arise-and besides the two urgent ques-
tions we have mentioned, the disputes of
the Albanians with their Greek and Monte
grin neighbours, and the jealousies of
Bulgarians, Roumanians, aud Servlaos. not
to speak OF the rivalry of Russia and Austria
are full of possibilities of conflict-the pen-
atty will be, 10 the long run, exacted from
Turkey. Nothing, they allege, is done for
Turkey /; her rights are left unasserted by
Europe; she gets no help !; she obtains
no respite by conceding this point or that.
What, it is asked, is to be risked. or at any
rate, is to be lost, by making ii stand once
for all The Turks believe that they
have no longer any friend or protector
among the great Powers--for the singular
specuIotions about a Turco-German ALL
ance, though confirmed in some degree by
Count Hatzfield DIS importation of German
OFFICIALS to aid in reforming Turkish finance
can hardly be taken as s~eriOus--and since
the change of Ministry in this country their
last hope has vanished. Mr.. Gladstone
some time ago warned them in plain Ian
guage that Englaud had no concern in the
maintenance of the Ottoman Empire and
the Turks are inclined to take him at his
word. 1t ia in this mood-in bewilderment
and de~speration-that the Porte will re-
ceive the Collective Note to-day.
It nav be- that if the Powers proceed
with skiliul and persistent pressure with
out immediate menace or violence, the
Turks will once again deter, as Mr..
Gladstone says they always do to the Will
of Europe. But behind the Greek ques-
ton, as We have said, there are other ques-
tions with which not only Turkey, but the
European Powers, will have to deal oy
and by. Even if he present difficulty be
escaped, the situation may be soon repro
duced, and it is important to enquire
whether there is any chance of making the
Turks feel that it is their interest to yield 20
the c~ounsels or commands of European d.
plomacy. The Turkish Government
stands 10 the midst of q chaotic entangle'
ment of ambitions, and is coming to be.
!ieve that whenever the Intervention O.
the Powers is invoked the decision Will De
in favour of its enemies. After the treaty
of Berlin the Turks partially consoled
themselves tor their misfortunes with the
belief that the Powers, or, at any rate.
England would set them on their feet
again. Their hopes were vague. and were
founded on untrussworthy specuiations,
but the extinction OF them has been not
the less disappointing. 1t was expected
that, somehow or other; the Emplia
would be helped out of its political and
financial difficulties. To this expectation
was certainly due the inf uence which Sir
Henry Layardlat one time exercised over the
Sultan and the leading politicians at the
Porte, and which vanished when 1t was
soon that moi hing was TO be done.