The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1886-01-15
The Fall of an Empire.

From day to day, the cable brings
us news which indicates that the
Turkish Empire in Europe is totter-
ing to it's fall. Even now the Turk re-
tains his hold on Constantinople and
the territory adjacent othe Bosphor-
lis solely through the jealousy OF the
powers who hope to inherit the do
minions OF the Sultan. The bloodless
revolution by which the unionof Bull
garia and Eastern Roumelia has been
effected is proof positive that Turkey
has lost the power OF self-protection.
England, influenced by selt-interest,
and the other great powers, animated
by their boundless jealousy of each
other, may conspire to retain the
Sultan in possession OF Constantine
pie; but it is beyond the power of di-
p!omacy more than temporize on
.he Eastern question, and statesman
ship cannot hope to resist the swift
currents OF the time.
1t is not very long since the Sublime
1 vi W. NJ +" tllSIS ilkS HtIlt DEtStlll,
would have shown 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 onpaper, and Of sorely needed
treasure stolen by Ministers of War.
In those days Turkey would not have
written cringing diplomatic notes to
foreign powers, but would have risen
equal to The crisis and would have
dealt swift, unerrins 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
fantasies in the solitudes of the Ara
bian deserts, evolved from his inner
consciousness a religion whose tenets
appealed with resistless force to the
deepest passions OF the Oriental ma
ture. His small band OF faithful con
verts were the nucleus Of a sect which
ere long grew into conquering armies.
that relentlessly used the sword to
compel nations to accept the tenets of
the prophet. For a time it seemed
doubtful whether Europe was to be
Christian or Moslem, but John Sobi-
eski finally arrested the onward march
OF the Crescent at Vienna, and the
spanlards, after six centuries of inces-
SAINT struggle, freed their country from
the Moor. 1t is now 43O a since
the Turks took Constantinople; II
Is only POP years since thew
were defeated before Vienna. What
changes the intervening a have
seen Europe! In that time England
a risen from a little island to be the
most widely extended and, in MANY
respects, the most powerful-empire
OF winch we have any record. Gerina-
ny; from being agronp of petty and
independent states, has grown to be a
colossus OF military strength and a
t~ofcil-bearer OF civilization; France
has passed through vicissitudes OF for.
tune which make all the fairy tales OF
romance seem tame by comparison.
SPAN has fallen from her proud pre.
eminence; Italy, for many a year
helpless in the depths of degradation.
IS once more, thanks to the
superhnman exertions and self-sac-
rltlce OF ner sons, taking her
place among the nations. Va
another change, more ominous than
all others for the Turk, have these in.
t~ervenlng centuries seen; the CHANCE hy
which Russia has been metamornhosea
rom d barbarous and u~nrecognized
natloh into a most powerful and dan.
gerous member OF the European fam.
lily, Russia has hestrength Of aeiant
n the will touse it like a giant. Rus.
sia is resolved to have onstantinonle.
cost what 1T may. In the policy 81
such a despotism, years count for
nothing. Russia believes that ali
things come to those who wait. and
there are, therefore, no limits to har
patience.
Meanwhile the whole Balkan.
peninsula is aglow with the in.
stlncts OF nationality, and the doom
OF alien rule is sealed. The
Turk may be kept in Constantinonla
ior many years to come, in the canec.
ity OF a care-tnker, but that will he the
boundary OF his province in Eurone
inns race oi''carpet-baggers" willfava
to 60. And it must be confesseI thot
me tall OF the Turkish Erapire lacks
me grandeur and pathos that belongs
to n destruction of other emnires
which though they haveconqueredt ha
world, have also civilized it and he.
queathed to succeeding ages legacies ~
arr whose beauty can never fade. The
uurk has no such claim to our pity.
MS empire was won by the sword
aha ne has given to the world NOTHING
winch the world would not willlnaIS
len die.-New Orleans Times-Demo.