New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-05-15
THE GREKOFF NOTE.
BULGARIAN LOGIC NOT TO THE TASTE OF
THE SUBLIME PORTE.

| Turkish mind il seems unreasonably So Dld not
the Great White Gar, years ago, forcibly inter
pose in Bulgarias behalf, dispute the right OF
| the followers Of the Prophet to carry Bulgarian
babies about on pitchforks, and compel the Com
mandcr Of the Faithful to grant to that ungrateful
principality the autonomy it now enjoys? Yes
| indeed Then, was not the Great White Gar the
hencfactor of Bulgaria, from Bulgaria's point Of
view? Assurcdly. Then what do the wptched
! ciaours mean by kicking mp such row over the
conduct Of the Great White Gar and his ser
| wants. Is he not their benefactOr? And is IL
| not their fault, anyway, that he has chance to
get at them If only they had been content 70
| let the True Believers harry them at will. they
would not have had all these troubles with the
Russians But having once made their bed
alongside the den of the bear. they ought to
lie in it and not make fuss when they feel the
scratching Of his claws.
This logical process is more convincing in SIAM
boul. however, than in Sophia. Indeed there II
has no weight whatever. The otstreporous Mr.
StambuloT actually takes the ground that Bull
raria has rights which both Turkey and Russia
are bound TO respect; among them being its citl-
| zcns endowment Of life and liberty. Therefore
il objects or Mr. Stambuof objects. most streni-
| ousv equally 10 the ptchforking of bulgarian
| babies by Turkish soldiers, and to the numbering
| of bulgarian statesmen by Russian assassins. In
| this extraordinary contention Mr.. Stambuof Is
| cordially supported by Prince Ferdinand and ny
all the people of Bulgaria who are Bulgarlans
| and have not been, as a few have corrupted ny
Pan-Slav gold. So. prcposterous as Mr. STAN
bulotf,s demands are the Sublime Porte is con-
| strained to give them some serious attention
To understand fully the bearings of the present
| crisis, il is necessary to turn back couple OF
- On in a
| Balkans were in a bad way The Panitza plot, for
the abduction or assassination of the Prince, had
Just been discovered, and happily foied. But
| there was a general feeling of alarm and distrust
throughou. the princpality. In Macedonia, too,
the numerous Bulearians had a serious grievance.
bpnr deprived Of the minis'ratons Of the bishops
Of their church. General elections were approach
ing too and unless the Bulgarian Government did
something to obtain redress for these evils it
might suffer defeat at the polls. So the famous
Stransky Note of June, 1sDG was written and
sent 70 the Sultan. There was mincing mat
tens in IT, II was technically respectful 1t was
not bullying: but il was menacing. If, wrote
Mr. Stambulof. after this appeal, the Sublime
Porte rcf,scs 10 listen 10 the wishes Of the Princi
pality, and 70 grant its legitimate demands, the
Princely Government will. 10 its deep regret, find
itself obliged to seek in lis own resources the
means Of escaping from position replete with I'M
certainty and danger
In every day speech, that meant that unless the
Forte granted Bugaria's demands. Bulgaria would
declare its independence and encourage its people
in Macedonia to revolt against Turkish rule.
Nor was this in Mississippi River speech, game Of
bluff The implied threat would certainly have
been carried out. The Turkish Government knew
this and knew, moreover. that such step would
precipitatc a general European war, in which all
that is left OF the Ottoman Empire west of the
BosphOros would be a grain OF wheat between the
millstoncs. Therefore, il yielded TO the Bull
garian demand. and granted the berats to the Bull
carian bishops in Macedonia.
The present demands embodied in the "Grekoff
note, are from one point Of view far more
serious. But they couched in far different
terms. There Is no menace, expressed or implied
But in the most courteous and resIectful-I had
almost said ob-equious-manner. Mr. Stambuloff
requests the Porte To conform with the provisions
Of the Berlin treaty. There are three parts of
this r.Iu,st The first il that the Porte will
recognize Ferdinand the lawful Prince OF Bull
gnra. The Porte will do. Of course, no such
thing, and Mr. SiambuoI did not, when he wrote
that request. expect that it would The fact is, Mr.
StamboulOh does not care pin whether he Ia
recognized or not, nor does the Prince; nor Yet
lie has hc,n ruling Bulgaria successfully and ac-
ceptably for years. The people devoted to
him, and they have almost forgotten that he has
never secured formal recognition from tho
European Powers. Remind them of il, and they
open their eyes in amazcment: Why that Ii
So isn't il But what OF IL? II recognize
him, that is enough Such is Bulgarian logic.
They think that the consent Of the governed il
the rulers best title ~ his office. and who shall
say that they not right?
But il Mr.. Stamhuloff does not care about this
first request, he certainly does about the second
which is that Turkey shall stop giving asylum to
bulgarian criminals Perhaps it would be more
correct Ia say Russian criminals. but technically
they liulgarians. They are renegade Bull
earians. bribcd with Russian gold and armed with
Russian passports They find asylum In Con-
Stantinoplc. and here plot against the peace Of
that State and against the lives OF its Prince and
Ministers. This is a notorious fact, and IL i a
most dangerous state Of affairs for Bulgaria, and
ore against which it has right Ia protest. Ii
Turkey be the suzeran of Bulgaria. and Bulgaria,
A. dutiful yassal pay its tribute to the Porte il
is certainly not just proper that the enemies
of Bulgaria should be harborcd and protected by
Turkey. This demand Mr. Stambulof has made
in earnest He expects it to he granted And
the probability is thar Turkey will grant it, The
result will be- OF course. to drive these conspir-
ators into the Russian Embassy here or into the
Russian monastery at Galata, and thus fix re-
sponsihility for them directly upon the Russian
Government, which Is one OF the very things Mr.
StambuoiI most desires to 60
The third demand is serious and important in
its nature. but is not likely to be granted Nor
indeed does Mr.. Stambnlof expect il e. lie. He
makes II for the sake of letting the world know
why Turkey is unable TO grant it. What he |
asks j. that the Porte shall secure from Russia, |
by cNtraditon. the murdcrers Of Dr. Vulkoyitch. |
These are Shls,manoT and the two brothers Tu- |
icktchicn. They all three. confessedly Turkish
snh .cni. and Of their nIilI ihcre hle