The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1892-09-18
An dissatisfied Nationality.

It Is q fortunate thing for England, and
for tho peace Of Europe. that MI. GLAD
STONE has found it necessary to leave Lord
RosEBERy II free hand in tho Foreign
Office. The new Secretary will need all the
discretion and all the liberty OF action he
can command. il no Is to steer safely
through tho growing complications OF tho
political position. While the Egyptian
question is coming up for settlement. and
the Moorish question is assuming trouble
some proportions. and tho Bulgarian ques-
ton Is taking on an acute shape. through
tho visit OF the Bulgarian Premier, STAN
BULoFF. to Constantinople. and the Indian
question begins to burn with the camp fires
Of the Russians on the Afghan frontier. a
new and somewhat unexpected question
threatens to %aggravate Mt an early day
the already serious difficulties with which
European. and especially English. diplo-
macy has to deal in the east Of Europe.
When. nearly forty years ago. the Emper-
or NAPOLEON III. first startled the elder
statesmen of the Continent with his new gos-
pei OF Satisfied N%ationalities." he openeda
fountain OF political thought which has
never since ceased to flow. and which. in
u time. Is not likely to run dry. France
has already paid a pretty serious tribute to
the dreamy genius OF her ruler in the re-
annexation Of Alsace and Lorraine to the
German empire. The first installment Of q
large score long running against her was
exacted OF England a quarter Of q century
ago. when the Ionian Islands were surren-
dered to Greece. The second was conceded
to Germany on the accession Of WILLIAM
II. by the restoration OF Heligoland. Ire
land is now demanding q third and much
more serious installment. When tho armed
peace upheld by the Triple Alliance gives
way. Italy will have something to say
about Malta. md Spain about Gibral-
tar. Turkey. however. has suffered
more severely than any other European
State from the Napoleonic doctrine. The
serious blow inflicted by 1t upon Austria in
the loss OF Lombardy and Venice, has been
in part made up to the empire OF the HAPs-
BURGs at the expense Of the Sultan. Bosnia
and tho Herzegovina are still nominal depen-
denotes of the Sublime Porte. but for all
practical purposes they have become Aus
trian provinces. The independent king
doms OF Roumania and Serbia. though each
OF them may perhaps bo called q "dissatis-
fed" rather than q " satisfied nationality.
have won their independence ut tho cost OF
tho Ottoman dominions. More than semi
Independent Bulgaria has helped herself in
spite Of Russia and the treaty 0: Berlin to
another large slice of the Inheritance Of the
"Sick Man Of Europe"in Eastern Roumelia.
which is now officially known at Sofia as
Southern Bulgaria.
And now. to tho west OF Bulgaria. to the
north OF Greece, and to the south Of Bos-
MIA and the Herzegovina looms up the
shadow OF another coming nationality.
Exceedingly formidable BY the natural
military strength Of the regions which they
occupy. rs well as by tho hereditary quail
ties OF their race. the Albanians down to the
present day have been treated by the
rulers OF Turkey and by tho statesmen of
modern Greece as q people over whose
allegiance Turkey and Greece might
quarrel and even como to blows. but
who were not likely to interpose them
selves as m independent political force
between the decaying empire OF the
Ottomans and tho rising kingdom OF the
Hellenes. BY the rest Of the world 1t seems
for many years to have been utterly for
gotten that the Albanians are q race apart
and different from the races with which
they have lived In u political relation more
or less close for centuries; that they havo
a history. a language, and traditions Of
their own: that they have not become
Greeks by living under the Greek flag. nor
Turks by recognizing in a general way the
suzerainty Of the Turkish sovereign.
But II all these things have been forgotten
by the rest OF the world. they have not
been forgotten by the Albanians. SO long
as the imperial authority OF the Sultan ex-
tended to tho Danube and almost to the
Adrlatic. tho Albanians. who have no greater
affinity with the Slavs nor liking for them
than they have for the Hellenes or the Otto
mans were content enough to manage
their own affairs In their own communities
under the immediate supervision of their
own chiefs or captains. without making
any particular trouble for the Pashas who
were sent down to "disigure or present -
the majesty OF the Padishah at Con
stantinople. A fierce. fighting people. not
1 wanting In industry. D~assionately loyal To