New Ulm weekly review. [volume] (New Ulm, Minn.) 1878-1892, 1886-01-06
The FAN of an Empire.

81 rom Gay TO day, the cable brings
us news which indicates that the
Turkish Empire in Europe is totter-
ing to its fall. Even now the Turk re-
tains his hold ON Constantinople and
the territory adjacent to the Bosphor-
us solely through the jealousy of the
powers who nope to inherit the do
minions of the Sultan. The bloodless
revolution BY which the union of Bull
garia and Eastern Roumelia has been
effected IS proef positive that Turkey >
has lost the kowfrsof self protection. !
England, inf sIeencsd by seif-interest,
and the ether great powers, animated
by their boundless jealousy of each
other, may conspire to retain the
Sultan IN possession of Constantine
Pile; but it is beyond the power of di-
plomacyto do more than temporize on
.he Eastern question:, and statesman
ship cannot hope to resist the swift
currents of theItime.
1t is not very long since the Sublime
Porte, in a crisis like the present,
would have shewn spirit and resources
more worthy of the defendants OF
the conquering race which bore the
victorious Crescent to the gates OF
Vienna. There would then have been
no disgraceful story of armies existing
only on paper, and of sorely needed
treasure stolen by Ministers of War.
In those days Turkey would not have
written cringlng diplomatic notes to
foreign powers, but would have risen
equal to the crisis and would have
dealt swift, unerring blows. Those
days are past, never to return.
The story of the rise of the
Moslem Empire is assuredly one
OF the strongest in the annals
of the world. Mohomet, dreaming /
dreams and swayed by strange 4
fantasies IN the solitudes of the Ara
bian deserts, evolved from his inner
consciousness a religion whose tenets
appealed with resistiess force to the
deepest passions of the Oriental ma
ture. His small band of faithful con !
verts We're the nucleus of sect which |
ere long grew into conquering armies,
that relentlessly used the sword to
compel nations to accept the tenets
the prophet. For a time it seen. J
doubtful whether Europe was to
| Christian or Moslem, but John Sd +,
eski finally arrested the onward march
of the Crescent at Vienna, and the
Spaniards, after SIX centuries of inces-
SAINT struggle, freed their country from
the Moor. 1t is now 43O years since
the Turks took Constantinople; it
is only 2o2 years since they
were defeated before Vienna. What
changes the intervening years have
seen Europe! In that time England
t mas risen from a little island to be the
most widely extended and, in many
respects, the most powerful-empire
OF which we have any record. Germa
ny, from being a group Of petty and
independent states, has grown to be
colossus OF military strength and a
torch-b bearer OF civilization; France
has passed throues vicissitudes OF for
tune which make II the fairy tales Of
romance seem talae by comparison:
Spain has fallen from her proud pre-
sminence; Italy, Tor many a year
helpless in the depths OF degradation,
is once more, thanks to the
| superhuman exertions and self-sac-
rifice or her sons, taking her
place among the nations. Yet
| another change, more luminous thar
all others for the Turk, have these in
tervening centuries seen; the change by
which Russia has been metamorphosed
| from a barbarpus and unrecognized
/ nation into most powerful and dan
gerous memberiof the European fam.
lily. Russia has tbestrength of giant
and the will to use it like a giant. Rus.
STA is reso ived to have Constantinople
cost what it may In the policy Of
such a despotism, years count for
nothing. Russia believes that al
things come to those who wait, AND
there are, thersfore, nc, limits to herI
patience.
Meanwhile the whole Balkan
peninsula is aglow with the in
stincts of nationality, and the doom
of alien rule is sealed. The
Turk may be kept in ConstantinopleE
for many years to come, in the capac
| ity of care taker, but that will be the
boundary OF his province in EUROPE
This race Of carpet baggers" will have,
to 60. And it must be confessed thats
the fail! of the Turkish Empire lacks
the grandeur and pathos that belongs
to the destruction of other empires
which though they have conquered thfs
world. have also civilized it and be
queathed to succeeding ages legacies Of,
art WHOSE beauty can never fade. Thes
Turk has no such claim to our pityl
His empire was won by the sword J
and he has given to the world nothing
which the world would not willingly
let die.-New Orleans Times-Demo,
T crat.
How Burritt Studied.