The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-09-16
rnE xAsrEnS QUESTION.

empire was divided in I'D ailsf DiiA0s Gnu
ConstantinopIe was the capital OF the
Eastern empire as Rome was OF the West
ern empire. When the 6aracens crowded
upon Constantinople II would have fallen
had IL not been for the crusades. which
gave Constantinople along breathing spell
until the Turks invaded Europe. and after
repeated efforts finally, under Mohammed
the Second, captured Constantinople in
1853. the last Of Byzantine emperor
diving In battle In lie defence. Since 1853
Constantinople has remained the capitai
ofthe Ottoman Empire. The Turks were re-
sisted in their further progress by Hun
gary, aided by all the rest OF Southern
Europe.
The Christian who forced the Saracen to
stand ON the defensive against the cross in
the 10Th. 18th and 18th centuries was COM
pelled himself rostand on the defensive by
the Turk in the 18th, 10th and 18th cen
turtles. In the latter half of the 18th GEN.
tury the Turk pushed his victorious
armies up TO the gates of Vienna, which
was only Saved from capture by the ar
rival of the famous warrior, Sobieski,
king of Poland, who defeated the Turks
and rescued the city. Now Peter the
Great of Russia rose upon the scene, who
made it the traditional policy of Russia to
champion the Greek church, drive the
Turk out Of Europe and possess Con-
stantinopie, which Peter knew was indis-
pensable 10 develop Russia's marine
power. since Cronstadt. on the Baltic,
was ice bound six months Of the year.
From the rise of Peter the Great
dates the decline of Turkey from an Of
sive to defensive power. Russia's en-
peror, Alexander the First, proposed to
Napoleon Bonaparte the partition of
Turkey. but they could not agree on the
possession Of Constantinople; for Ma
poleon had too keen military eye to
tempt crippled ally to become foe by.
making Russia great naval power, and
he wanted Constantinople himself as
point from which he could threaten Rus
STA, or the Indian empire of England. Had
Napoleon once held Constantinople he
would from the Black sea have sent forth
his fleets, swarming the Mediterranean
with French cruisers manned by Greeks,
among the best sailors in the world.
On the fall Of Napoleon, Russia secured
another slice of Turkish territory, and az
ter the Greek revolution in 1927 she secured
ratification Of her old-time protectorate
over the Danubian provinces and the
Greek Catholic subjects of the sultan. In
1888 the Russian arms compelled Turkey
to close the Dardanelles to the commerce
of France and England, while always open
tothe Russian fleets. This act alarmed
all Europe, and by the interference Of
England, France and Prussia, Russia was
compelled to renounce this treaty and
Turkey to make the Dardanelles neutral
to the commerce of Europe. In pursuance
of her new Eastern policy, England in 1889
saved the sultan of Turkey from subjuga-
ton by his revolted vassal, Mohammed
Ali. pasha Of Egypt. This great man. by
aid Of his adopted son, Ibrahim Pasha, in
1883, conquered all Syria, defeated the
armies Of the porte, and in 1889 defeated
the Turkish army so fearfully that Con-
stantinople was only saved and
the sultan secured his throne by
the interference of the powers of Europe.
The policy of England was then what it
IL today, to maintain the Ottoman empire.
The policy of Russia was to take care that
no other power got anything out of
Turkey, SO sometimes she assaulted Turkey
and sometimes defended her, just as she
continues to do today. England was
steadily bent on preserving Turkey as a
rampant between her own assumed inter-
ests with the East and those of Russia.
Austria was disposed then, as now, to go
with England, while France then, as now,
suspicious that England was moving to
absorb Egypt, was sulky neutral, as was
Prussia. England acted promptly and
fleet Of English, Austrian and Turkish
vessels bombarded Acre, the famous city
that successfully resisted Napoleon Bona
parte. and an allied army defeated and
dispossessed Mohammed Ali of his Syrian
conquest, and the treaty of London was
signed July IS, 1871, by the powers of
Europe, under which the sultan stipu-
lated that no foreign ship of war was TO
be admitted into the Dardanelies and the
Bosphorus, with the exception of light
vessels under special permit.
Russia went to war with Turkey in 1854
In order to cut with the sword the treaty
of ISL which had wrested from her the
freedom of the Dardanelles, which she had
extorted from Turkey in 1888. England
in pursuance of her Eastern policy went to
the rescue of Turkey and secured France
and Sardinia as allies. Russia was beaten
and sgsi" ~~-ked mp in the bottle
sae Nca sea- In iS77-Ts
siassia aSala pushed her arms
to the gates of Constantinople and Eng
lands ironclads went to the rescue of Tur-
key, and. backed by Bismarck in the con-
ference of the powers of Europe, Beacons-
field forced Russia, under the treaty of
Berlin. TO retire with nothing but Bessa-
rshia for her blood aud treasure, and leay-
Ing her warships still eorked mp in the
Black Sea. just as they were left under the
treaties of 1871 and 1856.
Thus for the third time in forty years
England had discounted Russia and pre-
vented her seizing Constantinople and OBJ
tanning Mediterranean outlet for her ma
rine power that VI as ice bound on the Baltic.
Then Russia began n new and dangerous
policy OF retaliation upon England. She
pushed her arms from the Caucasus
vigorously against Turcomanla and con-
quered the whole of what used to be
known as independent Tsftary clear up 10
the Afshanistan frontier. Russia has