Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1882-07-22

| the rules of impartial law and equal admnistra-
ton. the less will the Emperor Of Russia find 1t
which his Imperial Majesty has found 80 bur-
densome and incOnvenent, though no doubt
prescribed by duty, and sanctioned by treaty"
The Emperor was defeated In his plans for the
time being but another opportunity soon offered.
This was afforded by the dispute between the
Greek and Latin Churches over the Holy Places
| I'm Palestine
The Latin Church claimed the great church in
| Bethlehem, the tomb OF the Virgin the Sanctu.
airy of the Nativity. with the right to place new
star there Chat which formerly ornamented it
having been lost), the stone of amounting the
seven arches Of the Virgin in the Church Of the
Holy Sepulcher. Francis the First, of France,
had made treaty with the Porte by which
France was acknowledged the protector of the
Holy places in Palestine, and of the Latin monks
vino cared for the sacred monuments and me-
| MORALS. The Greek Church afterwards received
from the Sultan the same recognition; and each
succeeding Sultan granted privileges as pleased
himself. without reference to what his predeces-
| sors had done. Each Church, of course, claimed
tue right to take care Of the Holy Places, and
disputes were constantly arising. France and
Russia took sides with their respective churches
and any advantage no matter of how little inn
portance. gained by the one was regarded by the
other as either an insult or snub.
For some reasOn-it Is said because of the
anxiety of the Emperor to distract the attention
of his subjects from domestic poltics-France
became very earnest in pressing the Latin
claims. While this action doubtless fastened
the Crimean war, war was inevitable. In the
treaty OF Kutchkuh- kairardji made in 1774 there
was Incorporated an apparently insignificant
clause, which was destined to threaten the very
existence of the Turkish empire In it the Sub
lime Porte promised Ito protect constantly the
Christian religion and its churches. and also to
allow the minister of the Imperial Court of Rus
STA to make on all occasions representations as
well in favor Of the new church in Constantine
pie. OF which mention will be made in the Four
teenth Article. as in favor of those who officiate
therein. promising to take such representations
into due consideration as being made by con-
fidential tunctionary of neighboring and sin
cerely friendly power" The Fourteenth Article
alluded to gave permission to the Court of Rus
STA to build public church of the Greek rite in
the Galatea quarter of COnstantinOple in addi-
ton to the chapel built in the house of the min
lister, and declared that the new church "shal
be always under the protection of the ministers
OF the (kussian) empire, and shielded from all
obstruction and all damage" : - -2ss- "a
Under this clause Russia claimed the right Of
protectOrate over all Christians of the Greek
church in Turkey; and an acknowledgment OF
this right was the main object of all the negotia
lions Just preceding the Crimean war. Had such
an Acknowledgement been obtained it would
nave virtually diSpOssesSed the Sultan of vast
portion OF his domniOns and placed it in the
hands Of the Russians But Gladstone and
Lord John Russell in his letter to Seymour.
were the only eminent European statesmen who
accepted the Russian Interpretation of the IA
nous clause.
Tine difficulty about the Holy Places was
finally settled. but the very day of the official
proclamation of its settlement appeared, Prince
Menschikof, the Russian commissioner shifted
his ground took up another cause of quarrel
and sent an official note to the Turkish foreign
minister demanding that the proteetorate over
the Sultan's Greek subjects, eleven million in
number, should be vested at once and COM
pleteiy in the Emperor Of Russia Menschikoff,
the son of Peter the Greats pastry cook friend
OF Moscow, was man of exceedingly naughty
ana lnsO!ent manner. and seemed to have been
selected especially to prevent an amicable settle
ment. He made the most imperiOus demands
used the most peremptOry language to the Sui
tan and the Grand Vizier, and so insulted the
Minister of Foreign Affairs that that individual
resigned his Office He endeavored to entrap
the Turkish Government into a secret treaty
with Russia. and requested the ministers to
promise not to reveal to the English or French
ambassadors the nature Of 1t, with which re-
quest they refused to comply.
May 81. 1853, the Sultan formally declined to
comply with Russia's demand for prOtectOrate,
wherupon Menschkof left COnstaptnople in
real or affected rage. The powers endeavOred
70 orlng about peace. and Vienna note was
prepared which Russia expressed willingness
to accept. Before it was signed. however. it
was discovered to be q virtual concession to
Russia OF all she desired, and which Europe was
unwilling to concede. Turkey Declined to aceHpt
the Vienna note Other negotiations followed,
but without result and In October, 1853, war
began. The Turks were victorious at first, but
In six weeks their feet was destroyed at SnOpe,
and every Turk engaged in the battle was either
killed or wounded. The massacre at Sinope'
aroused France and England, and Russia was
told that If her war-ships again showed them
selves on the Black Sea they would be attacked
by the two powers Nicholas thereupOn with
GREW MS representatives from Paris and Lon
don. The Emperor of the French wrote Nicholas
letter. asking that an armistice be signed, and
intimating that If this were not done, war would
be declared. Nicholas replied that his claims
had been confirmed by treaties, and that he was
willing to treat upon conditions well known to
the allies; but II driven to arms he had no doubt
Russia could hold her own as well in 1854 as she
had done In 1812-the year of the burning
or Moscow and the disastrous retreat of the
French.
England also dispatched letter to the EN-
peror OF Russia, In which she declared that if
Russia did not, by return Of the messenger
bearing the demand, announce her intention
completely to evacuate the provinces of M0lda-
via and Wailachia before April 80, she would
consider the refusal or silence Of the cabinet at
st. Petersburg as equivalent to a declaration OF
war; and would take measures accordingly. The
messenger was ordered not to wait more than
six DAYS for an answer. On the fifth he was in
formed that the Car had no answer to give.
The formal declaration of war followed few
days later.
The invasion Of the Crimea was decided upon
by the Allied Powers, and the war proved dis
astrOus to all engaged in it except the little
Kingdom Of Sardinia. Under the guidance OF
Count Cavour. one of the ablest statesmen OF
modern times. 1t went into the war, not because
OF sympathy with one side or opposition to the
other. but in order to secure a seat around the
council table of the European Powers where she
would have an opportunity to set forth her
grievances against Austria. In this she was
successful, and the unity Of Italy was the re-
suit.
The Crimean war formally ended with the
signing of the treaty Of Paris, March go 1855.
score of years had scarcely passed before the
troubles with the Greek Christians again be-
came the occasion of q Russo Turkish war. In
1875 the Christians in Bosnia and Herzegovina
were driven by the oppression Of their rulers to
take up arms, and SO widespread and powerful
did the insurrectiOn become in few weeks that
the Turks were unable to suppress it, The
powers interfered and the Porte gave pledges
that the religious equality Of all its subjects
should be recognized, the farming Of taxes be
discontinued, and taxes levied in the revolted
provinces expended there. The insurgents put
no faith in the promises Of the Turks, and de-
Ginning to accept the terms were soon Joined by
Servia. Early in 1876 the Turks sought to re-