New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-01-20
ARAIK1N HIR.CLOED.

The insurrection in Herzegovina must have
acquired formidable proportions, II an army
corps has been already dispatched to suppress
# The latest reports from Vienna state that
reinforcements are rapidly moving south-
ward, and that the impression Is general III
military circles that the entire Austrian army
will be modified in the spring men tho
sharks of revolt have once burst INTO biaze' u
fanatical population is like dry finder through
which the flames will spread in every direction
The progress of nsurrcction cannot DC
checked by such artificial barriers rs newly
defined frontiers The boundaries OF Bcsh'a'
Dalmatia. Albania and Montenegro are so
intIicatclv interlaccd that herzegovina Is me
natural centre Of wild spread diSaticction' Inc
task imposed upon the Austrian army IS eN-
trcmelv hazardous owing to the dluculty Oh
coYfning military operations to that quarter
where the Government is ut liberty under the
Treaty of Berlin to assert its supremacy ana 10
restore order 1t is, moreover. a. undertaking
rs unwclcomc as it is hazardous, for Austro-
Hungary is an Empire of many NATIONS ana
races. swaved hy antagonstic impulses ana
prciudccs, and separated by the sharpca; divl-
sons of sentiment respecting the newly &C
mircd Sav provinces.
The direct cause of revolt was the Austrian
law enacted last year by which compulsory
military service was introduced into the PROV
inccs of Bosnia and Herzegovina This was
most convincing proof that, whatever SHhter-
fuges had been employed Mt the Berlin Con-
grcss. and Whatever formalitics had been OK
changed between Austria and the Porte Ill the
Convention of April, 1879, the territory han
passed under The absolute sway OF the Northern
Power. Not only had the financial aHmlnls"a-
ton been established on Nicnncsc principles
bur the imperial conditions of military service
had been imposed. Pains were taken to MAKE
these new obligations rs elastic - possible
Tho wealthy Christians OF Bosnia were known
TO dislike barracll life and military tactics, ana
tlc privilege of furnishing substitutes III easy
terms was accorded to them. The Mohamnr-
dams. on the other hand. were soldiers by birth
and trade, but were unwilling to render mill
tary service unless they could be allowed to
choose their own arms, drill and fight III thcir
own way. and practise their own religious rites.
The AustrianS who have acquired by long eH-
periencc a reputation for fair dealing with ma
tions Of mixed blood and diverse crccds, appear
70 hive administered this law with caution and
discretion, and to have succeeded III oVercom-
ing race prciudiceS in Bosnia. In herzegovina,
where the mountainccrs have many OF the
sturdy traits OF the heroic MontencgrnS, Il gen
cral instruction has broken out. and the garrl-
sons have not been strong enough to preserve
order Charges Of foreign intrigue are freely
made but the inherent dislike OF an arbitrary
military code which these mountain warriors
have shown adequately accounts for this Tor
midable uprising. The Aastrians had an ardn-
Gus campaign before they could take possession
of what was prize of diplomacy rather than
the spoils of war, and new they must fight
again in order to keep what they have won.
The gift horse which they would not look in the
mouth at Berlin proves to have been of the
Trojan type, filed with fanatical soldieIy.