The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1886-08-24
THE ABD1cArroN OF ALEXANDER

In our dispatches, this morning, will
be found a complete account of the alb
dication of Prince Alexander, of Bulga-
ria. The principality of Bulgaria is sit
uated south of the Danube river and
north of the Balkan mountains, COW
ering an area Of 1890 English square
miles, and containing population of
about 2 100000. The territory out Of
which this principality was formed orr
ginally belonged to Turkey, but at the
close of the Turko- Russian war, which
ended in disaster for Turkey, the Sultan
by the terms of the treaty of St. Stefano
consented to give up sovereign control
of the territory out of which Eastern
Roumanis and Bulgaria were subse-
quently organized by the, Berlin confer
enee. in 1878.
Article one of the Treaty of Berlin
says: Bulgaria shall be con-
stituted an autonomous tributary
principality under the suzerainty of
His Imperial Majesty, the Sultan OF
Turkey, but shall have a Christian
government and a national militia"
Article three of the same treaty says:
''The Prince of Bulgaria shall be freely
elected by the population, and con-
firmsd b. the sublime Porte, with the
consent OF the Powers. No member OF
any of the reigning houses Of the great
European Powers can be elected Prince
of Bulgaria. In case of a vacancy in the
princely dignity, the election OF the new
prince shall take olace under the same
conditions AID with the same forms. .
Under these regulations the abdicating
prince, known in Bulgarian history as
Alexander the I, was elected under very
suspicious circumstances in April. 1879,
and the June following assumed the
government. He is a son of Prince
Alexander. OF Hesse, and brother of the
Empress of Russia. He is a
young man, not yet having
seen thirty summers. he has
served both in the German and Russian
armies. and the skill and courage be
exhibited in snatching victory from the
very jaws of defeat in April last when
at war with Servia, gave evidence that
be was possessed OF military ability Of
no mean order. Indeed even now his
people acknowledge his ability as a
military leader. And in the govern
ment's proclamation of his abdication it
is said: "He rendered great services on
the field OF battle; but politically he had
too little regard for Bulgaria s position
as slave state, and the maintenance
of relations with Russia"
This lifts the corner of the curtain OF
this question, and gives us a glance at
the causes that brought about the abdi-
cation of Priace Alexander. OF the two
millions of population of Bulgaria 20
per cent. are christians-members OF
the Greek Catholic Church; 1878 per
cent. are M&hometans; and or rer
cent. are Jews. Bulgaria there
fore is a Christian State, and
has never reIished the idea Of being put
under the watchcare Of Mahommedan
monarch, the Sultan OF Turkey. The
people of Bulgaria being Christians and
belonging 70 the same branch of the
Christian church as the people OF Rus
sia-the Greek Catholic-they have
eveF-ielt like revolving from the i'm
perial control OF the Sultan and seek
ing protection under the powerful pol
iticaI wing of Russia. Prince Alexan-
der was not favorable to Russian ideas,
and his electisn gave much dissatisfac-
ton 20 Russia at the time it occurred.
The prince and his people then were
not in harmony on this great issue. and
at the demand of the people the prince
the throne.
The chief interest in this matter does
not centre in Bulgaria itself, but arises
from the fact that the state was created
By the united voices Of the great Pow
srs of Europe, who have a voice In
the princes that shall be
elected to reign, which, together with
he well-known ambition Of Russia to
control absolutely in the afTaifs of Bull
yaTia, and the willingness of the people
If Bulgaria to allow her to do so, may
cad to serious European complications