Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1885-09-24
The Revolt III Roumeiia.

Hardly has the public mind settled
down to an acceptance Of the fact that
England and Russia have arrived at an
amicable understanding regarding the
Afghan boundary, and that that ques-
ton will not be cdSus 6eHi for some
time to come, at least, than news is re-
ceived Of revolt in Eastern Roumclia
that threatens to open up the eastern
question in a new form. A re-
volt in a Balkan province embracing
only about $4,000 square miles of terri
tory and having population Of some
thing less than 100000 souls would be
small matter were it unprecedented
and local. Every Turkish province has
a grievance. With Eastern Roumelia
the grievance is particularly deep
seated. 1t may be said that its very
soil cries aloud for vengeance. During
the Russo-Turkish war it was at the
mercy Of the most ruthless and cruel
of the Turkish commanders, and
in its fertile plains and its viii
lagos scenes of rapine and murder
were enacted that are certainly without
parallel in modern history. Nothing
was held sacred from the lust and
ayaricc of the " unspeakable Turk" BY
the treaty Of Berlin, which recognized
Roumanias independence, Bulgaria was
constituted an automatic principality,
with mere tributary connection with
Turkey, and, says the thirteenth article
of that treaty, "there is formed to the
south of the Balkans a province which
will take the name of Eastern Roumelia,
and which shall remain under the
direct military and political authority
of his Imperial Majesty the Sultan, SUBJ
ect to conditions Of administrative
autonomy. 1t shall have Christian
Governor General" The province is
bounded on the north and northwest by
Bulgaria and on the east by the Black
sea; and it was further provided by
the Berlin treaty that the Sultan should
have the right to provide for the de-
fences Of the province, and that internal
order should be maintained by a native
gendarmerie, assisted by a local militia,
but that the Goyernor-General should
have the right to call for Turkish troops
If the internal or external security OF
the province should be menaced. Blu,
despite the fact that this condition Of
affairs was calculated in itself to breed
insurrection--despite the fact that the
Eastern Roumelians were no less
fretted by the knowledge of the
progress of their Bulgarian neigh.
bors than by the consciousness
that they were virtually slaves of the
hated Turk-the Instruction cannot be
considered local and unprecedented.
Deny it as she may, it is evident that
Russia is at the bottom of the whole
affair. Nor is evidence wanting that
her part in il is conniyed at by Aus
tria, if not by Germany also. II
is an open secret that Russian Of
fieers have been drilling aud Or
ganizing the Roumelian militia, iust
as they drilled and organized the
militia of Roumania and Bulgaria i'm
mediately preceding the Russo Turkish
war. II is well-known fact that the
Prince Of Bulgaria, though nominally
under the suzerainty of the Sultan, :"
is really the creature Of Russia, and it
is stretching credulity too far to believe
that n the Roumelians had not had the
assurance that Russia would, to say
the least, condone the instruction,
no would have been ready at the
first sign Of disturbance to cross
the frontier with troops and become
ruler Of the province. The claim that
the Prince Of Bulgars acted indepsnd-