The Wichita daily eagle., 1895-09-20
porary Review. would be glad of sn,

! Russia. who was supposed 10 have
eaten sour grapes in her acceptance
Of that treaty, turns out TO be the
only power whose interests are prOmot-
ed by it. The Russian treaty OF San
Stefano was iusufferable TO Lord Bea-
consfeid's government, and the repre-
sentatives of the great powers were
! assembled at Berlin TO reform ii. Lord
BeacopsfieId and Lord Salisbury Were
the plenipotenriaries on the part Of
Great Britain. and the treaty of Berlin
| supplanted the treaty of San Stefano.
as the outcome of their labors, in con-
! junction with the labors mainly of the
| Austrian ministers. They returned TO
London, having. as was proudly pro-
| claimed, secured peace with honor.
| And what has been the result? Let
| The Contemporary Review answer:
Macedonia, as part of Great Bulgaria.
| was at first freed by a stroke of the
Russian pen from all Turkish misgov-
| ernment or government, and endowed
with degree of independence which
would have resulted in such prosperity
and progress as the history of Mace
donia never yet recorded. This would
have been the work of the treaty Of
San StefanO. But instead Of this the
Macedonians were erased from the list
Of the autonomous peoples by stroke
of the Anglo-Austrian pen, but COM
rod %I,aiy ips hx-
promise of wide-reaching reforms.
excellent laws, and a large measure of
self government This was the theor-
etical outcome Of the Berlin treaty,
which was drawn up On political as
opposed to humanitarian lines. Last
ly, and as a matter Of mere fact, the
inhabitants Of Macedonia were taken
in hand by the Turkish Wallis, Kaima-
from producing more than was neces-
sary for the bare support of their lives,
compelled to deliver up the most even
of this, to the representatives of Islam
and the law, and forced TO divide the
remainder among bloodthirsty brig
ands whose profession of MOhamme-
danism not only entitled them TO
heaven in he next life. but allows them
thing like hell in this. Such was the
practical outcome Of the treaty of Ber
lin. as it was understood by the Turks
and apparently approved by the pow
erS.
''The treaty of San Stefano would
have emancipated all the Christians
who inhabit the extensive territory |
that lies between the Black Sea and |
the Adriatic TO the south of the indie |
pendent Balkan States and to the north !
of what is still the Turkish empire, !
raising to the level of an autonomous |
principality tributary to the Porte, and |
thus practically resuscitating the great |
Bulgarian kingdom of eight hundred |
years ago"
But the treaty of San Stefano was
the work of Russia, and English jeal- !
Ousy of that power and traditional po-
litical sympathy with Turkey frustrat-
ed its purposes and substituted the
treaty of Berlin. which has proved Il
thing Of great and intolerable wrong
and injustice. If the treaty Of San
StefanO had been permitted to stand.
the land of Philip and
would be now an indepen-
dent state or perhaps, part of Greece,
and thus united with Christian pop
ulatiOn, and adding to their strength.
Besides, that treaty. says The COntem-
pOrary Review. would have set the
whole Oriental question at rest for
decades to come. and accomplished an
act of common justice toward millions
Of Christians which would have glad
dened all men whose hearts are not
encaSed in an impenetrabie crust of
politics. AS it is, that historical land.
beautiful in its scenery. and of great
productive capacity. is full of scenes
Of cruelty and slaughter. that shake
the very foundation of mans belief in
good and God" We hear much of
Armenia, but it is doubtful if the
Christians of that country suffer the
horrors and the moral anguish that
sears the SOUL" which are the portion
Of the Macedonian Christians, who
were delivered. helpless victims. TO the
lncovenanted mercies Of the unSpeak-
,ble Turk.