The record-union., 1895-11-21
THE TURKISH CRIsIs-A REMARK
ABLE SCENE.

of the peoples it has subjugated, is due
to the selfish desire of the Powers to so
cripple and involve the Sultan that the
dismemberment of the Turkish Empire
will be more apparently justif1able, and
the partition of the spoils easy and
general That is to say, massacres
must go on, tortures be inflicted, ex-
termination of peoples be winked at
and intolerance overlooked, that the
driving of the Turk out of Europe may
be justified in the eyes of the world.
Evidently Mr.. Gladstone, in his letter
to Olga Novikoff, entertained some such
belief, when he said that the Sultan had
''been given by God a curse to man
kind. and that the Turkish ruler had at
his feet Russia, France and Great Brit
ain. AS to the division Of shame among
them, I care little enough, but 1 hope
that my own country will, for its own
good, be made conscious and exhibited
to the world for its own full share
whatever that may be. May God in his
mercy send a speedy end to the govern
ing Turk and all his doings; as l said
when I could say, and even sometimes
do, I say in my political decrepitude
or DEATH
That Russia would be careless Of the
sufferings of others if thereby her own
saying, but English-speaking people
will desire to abhor the thought that
Great Britain would conserve political
purposes at such cost. The Russian
politicians are as far-seeing and as
sharp, as they are supposed to be care
less of others rights. They are not
above encouraging revolts in Armenia
and in adjacent provinces in Asia
Minor, if thereby they can hasten the
hour when the Car may don the er-
mine in Constantinople. But we wish
to think better of England. This COM
mon desire of civilized people concern
ing England has just been given signal
emphasis by a remarkable proceeding
reported in yesterdays dispatches, the
scene of which is laid in England and
the chief actors in which were the
English Prime Minister and the Sultan
of Turkey.
1t happened at the annual conference
of Colonial Agents held in London
Tuesday evening. To the astonishment
OF the assembled people, Lord Sails
bury arose in his place and proceeded
tc read a letter addressed to him by
the Sultan, beseeching the Prime Min
lister to seek early occasion to make a
public speech that should negative or
explain a delivery by Salisbury made
On the 9th inst, in criticism Of the Sui
tan, expressing want Of confidence in
Turkeys ruler to carry out the reforms
demanded by the Powers. The Sultan
then proceeds to say that Salisbury has
misrepresented him and cruelty mis-
judged him. That is matter of fact.He
the Sultan. will carry out the reforms
resolved upon to the letter, and with
such vigor and dispatch as is possible,
and he pledges his honor for the truth
of the statement, concluding with the
suggestion that Salisbury has been i'm
posed upon by the intrigues Of persons
with axes to grind, and who do not balk
at the making of false statements.
The reading of this letter must have
created profound astonishment. 1t has
awakened an interest in the Eastern
question throughout England that Is
evidently intense. But the response OF
the Prime Minister is more significant
than the letter of the Sultan, who ig-
oring his Secretaries Of State, and
pushing aside all customary usage, ap-
pealed In person to the Premier Of the
Queen. Lord Salisbury's reply gives IT
to be clearly understood that too much
is expected of Great Britain in this mat
ter. That it has not the right nor the
power to act In the Armenian difficulty
independently and alone. but that
whatever is done must be by unanimity
of the other nations of Europe concert
ing with Great Britain. That such con-
cert has been had, he plainly states
But the most important portion OF
his speech of comment upon the letter
is that In which he complies with the
request to excuse the Sultan by saying
that the difficulty is that the ruler OF
the Turkish Empire has about him as
advisers and ministers only men OF
incompetency; that in all the Turkish
Empire there are no men equal to the
occasion; that the last man who would
have been able TO save the Sultan from
tie inevitable results of years of mis-
rule then lay dying. and that there are
none to take his place; that there are
laws in Turkey to rise level with the
needs of the hour. He concluded by
saying that THE result Of long years
Of error must be paid for and the crue
law is that those who will pay are not
those who were originally guilty of the
ofrense."
There can be no mistake about the
meaning of this language. It is as
clear as the tones of a bell that Eng
land has no confidence whatever in the
capacity of the Sultan, and does not
believe that there are now in Turkey