Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1886-01-28
Wilmington, ] hursdaY, Dan %. 1886.


toutnoilh ~ buuuchi9 uAtteu thoA AoA- |
unes with Bulgaria, the peace of Europe
nas been in state of tension. It has
besn stated that this unexpected alliance
Of Bulgarians and Roumelians was
brought about indirectly by the machina-
hons of Russia--that IL was really
the result of the premature ex-
plosion of mine which Russian agents
had fired with very different end in
view. Be that Us it may, the consolidation
of these two semi-independent provinces
was AN infraction of the famous treaty
of Berlin, and ii had become generally
understood among the powers that
none Of the little fellows ought to be
allowed to kick out of the traces in which |
this treaty had placed them. Russia had
manifested very little respect for the |
treaty on more than one occasion, but |
that was very different matter Russia
Ia big enough to be exceedingly dangerous.
However, after great deal of palAver,
during which little Servia undertook to
alice of from Bulgaria a strip of disputed
territory and got soundly thrashed in
very short order, the powers practically
resolved TO wink at Bulgaria's coup de
main, with the understanding that this
kind of business must go no further. And
the strain ON the peace Of Europe seemed
about TO be removed.
But now Greece comes in and says, in
effect, that since Bulgarian aggrandize-
ment has been allowed, it is only fair that
she should, likewise, be permitted to do
something in the same line. And, what
is more serious, Greece proposes to take,
by force Of arms, the coveted territory,
without asking the leave of the powers.
The congress of Berlin assembled in
the summer of 1878. AT that gathering
the great powers, Russia, Germany,
Great Britain and two or three others,
proceeded to fix the metes and bounds of
the various municipalities making up
European Turkey, and the line of demar-
cation between that country and Greece.
Greece claimed to be heard before that
congress and, after some delay and some
difficulty, was allowed to plead her cause
there. "As regarding Greece" says JUS
tin Mccarthy, sit was arranged that
the Sultan and the King of the
Hellenes were to come to some under
standing for modification of the Greek
frontier, and that, if they could not ar
range this between themselves, the great
powerswere to have the right of offering,
that is to say in plain words of insisting
on, their mediation" Profound dis
satisfaction" he adds, twas caused
among many European populations, as
well as among the Greeks themselves, by
the arrangements for the rectification OF
the Greek frontier. Thus, speaking
roughly, it may be said that the effect Of
the Congress of Berlin on the mind Of
Europe was to make the christian popu.
lations of the southeast believe that
their friend was Russia and theii
enemies were England and Turkey
to make the Greeks believe that
France was their especial friend and thai
England was their enemy and to create
an uncomfortable impression everywhere
that the whole congress was a prearranget
business, transaction with a foreigi
conclusion, dramatic performance care
fully rehearsed before in all its detail
and merely enacted as pageant on tn
Berlin stage" At the same time Lor,
Beaconsfeld, in opposition to Mr.. Glad
stone, declared it to be the cardinal prin
ciple of his policy that England above al
was concerned to maintain the integrit
and the independence of the Turkish en-
pire that in fact the security of Turke
was as much part of the duty of Englis
craftsmanship as the security of I'll
Channel Islands or of Malta. So thu
Lord Salisbury, in SO promptly preparin
TO send feet to prevent Greece frol
attacking Turkey by sea, is following d
rectly in the footsteps of his great Tol
predecessor.
The upshot of the Berlin arrangemei
as to the Greek frontier was to secure
Turkey the old Greek states of Thessal
and Epirus, territory which the Greel
yielded up very ungraciously, and which
the cable reports, they are now d
termined to have back, upon the grour
that Greece has as good right to reb
against the authority of the treaty of BE
lin as had Bulgaria, Servia, and Easter
Roumelia. If Greece and Turkey wei
allowed to fight their quarrel, for, strict
speaking, it is their own quarrel, withol
interference, there is little room to doul
that it would soon end in the restoratic
to the former of the disputed territor,
But, if there is to be actual fighting,
seems almost certain that England al
Germany will be drawn in and tn,
every eye will be fixed on Russia. II
Russian bear still covets Constantinop
and is going thitherward at the fiji
favorable opportunity while the soil
tude of England and Germany 1
Turkey is founded not upon any spec
love for that decrepit empire but frc
a determination TO keep enough of
from Acknowledgement to serve as q perm
nent buffer against the southwark 6
vance of Russia.
The PhiIade1nhia committea of n