New-York tribune., 1892-12-04
BULGARIA'S PROGRESS.
An INTERESTING EXHIBITION AT THE CAP
ITAL OF EASTERN ROUMELIA.
Constantinople. Oct. 5


exhibitions of art and industry that have been
held in recent years not one has been invested
with more real interest to the thoughtful and
rmpathetic observer than that which is now In
progress at Pbilippopolis, the quaint and erst-
while somnolent old capital OF Eastern Roumelia
In magnitude it is insignificant In immediate
commercial results it will perhaps prove mcagre.
I'm point of attendance Of visitors, or Of value,
extent and Importance OF things exhibited, IT. is
not 70 be compared with the great fairs OF Paris
| and Vienna But as a token of national growth,
and rapid progress from semi-barbarism to
| civilization despite most adverse circumstances,
il is altogether unique, and significant in the
! highest degree.
Y Bulgaria, il must be remembered, is by far the
Youngest nation in Europe. II Is only fifteen
years old And this is true not only of its lnde-
pendent political existence, hut of its social and
| industrial organization as well. In ancient days,
of course, it compared favorably with any portion
| Of Eastern Europe. But in the fifteenth century
| il fell under the Turkish yoke and thence
forward for four hundred years it, had no history
| 10 produced no men Of distinction in any de-
partment Of human effort and it took not one
step forward in that march of human progress
| i'll which nearly all the rest OF Europe was
| Joining. II did not even keep pace with the
rest Of the Ottoman Empire in Europe. For the
Turks, from the beginning to the end Of their
sway in BULGARIA.. regarded it az nothing but an
orange to be squeezed to the last drop. Their
! policy was to take everything from Bulgaria and
give nothing in return. So for generation after
generation the history of Bulgaria n blank,
a mcrs mOnotony OF vcgetative existence. The
national spirit wa, well nigh destroyed. The
people were 80 crushed down that their very
sire for freedom seemed lost. They no longer
| dad Tho itpl-g alian hnt
ccp,ed them superior race. to whom Provi-
dcncc had made the BuIgars subject, For nearly
three centuries after the Turkish conquest there
was not an event in Bulgarian history worthy
Of record and when AZ last one did occur IL
was only TO mark the still more complete dcgra-
datlon of the people. Down to 1174 the
Bulgarian National Church still maintained its
independent existence the one ray of light in
the darkness But the Russian armies had
crossed the Danube, and Her Most Christian
Majesty. the Empress Catherine, put forward fhe
principle that She was the natural protector and
head Of all Christian peoples in Eastern Europe.
In'rigucs by the Greeks at COnstantinople fol-
lowed, and the result was that in l774 the
Bul-arihn National Church was degraded from its
independent position and made subject TO Greek
bishop. Tia. date marked the lowest ebb in
the fortunes OF Bulgaria.
Of this century conferred benefit upon Bull
caria but rather the contrary. since they made it
the chief fighting ground Of the rival armies.
From 500 10 lsi2, and again in 1923 and 1922.
tie Russians occupied the country. But they
brought not freedom. but only change Of mas
tc,s sub,itnling the rnc of the knout for that Of
the scimctar True, the Bulgars saw that here
were men who were not afraid Of the Turks but
thcv were ais E.rl who were Just as arrogant and
e poi as the Turi,> aud apparently nothing
:, he gained by the change. The Bulgars conse-
rucnly rcmaircd as Iathctc a. ever, and the oc-
casional attempts NJ rct clon that occurred in the
second qharcr Of thi, century were confined TO the
Greek element Of the population. But great
| light dawrcd at the time OF the Crmcan war. The
Austrian armi.s occupied the country, and the
French and English troops also quartered
there For The Gis, time the Bulgars came into
contact with tho people and powers Of Western
Europe II was revelation to them. They saw
here men who had no fear Of the Turks. and who
were conqucrors Of lie Russians men who repre-
srntcd far higher and more potent civiliza-
tion: and, withal aud above all, men who were
not arrogant aud domlnccrng. but who treated the
Bulgars equals and aS brethren.
New life wls Thus generated in Bulgaria. The
! people saw that Russi' and larkcy were not all
! The world. They began 20 aspire 10 suca freedom
! ard civilization n Western EirOlr enjoyed. 81
| far a. their TrrNish masters would allow. they
cstlhli he'd schools and they sent their Young men
! abroad t. study IN Other lands They strovc also
to regain the Independent" Of their church. y
| systematic campaign begun Dy priests and
! people TO drive ont the obnoxious Greek bishops
which was allowed and even iavorcl hy TIE Turks
who had bc.un to regard with jealous apprehen-
sion the growth of Creek influences in their
n, a., R,t,i. h..
| Bulgars al,o. were g,lG too far IN their national
aspirations 50 in SO? they goIrisoned the country
with Circassan and Tartar merccnaries, who were
10 crush down the rlsns spirit Of nationality.
| Eut this spirit had already risen too high The
Bnigars dcilcd tho mcrccnarics and refused 10 be
| subject 10 them The V, ung men began 10 return
! from foreign lands net only educated. bat imbued
with the spirit Of freedom, and they aroused tho
whole people to Il determined movement for na-
tlona independence. In 1876 affairs reached a
crss The uprising WAS lcprcsscd by the Turks
with unspral,ahlc severity. But then Russia in
! tcrfcrcl drove out the Turks and occupied the
country herself aud nEdlly, in 1872, was forced TO
retire and to leave Bulgaria 10 the substantial III
dependence that she now cnlDyS. II Is, then, only
since 1877 that Bulgaria has had any real oppor-
unity to develop her abilities for sclf'governmcnt
and industrial achievement and the present en-
| hibition shows what has been done since that
time.
The ancient Thracan capital has usually a
nonnlation of about 80 600. and hitherto has been
one of the most sleepy aud backward places mag
Unable Down to dozen years AGO it was a pure
bit of mcdiacvalism. not whit more modern than
some English town IN Tudor or even Plantagenet
times But the advent Of the railroad rcvolu-
tioni2cd it, II has lived n century in each OF
the last five years, and to-day literally possesses
"all the modern improvements" The exhibition
has temporarily at least, more than doubled its
population, and its great park il dotted with
numerous new buildings Of ornate design. in which
are 10 he secn the industrial and artistic wonders