The Saint Paul globe., 1897-05-18
RIVER AT s A. M.
RAISED A DEMON.

The powers of Europe appear to have
raised an evil spirit which it is beyond
Their power TO exercise. The answer
of Turkey to the proposition for an
armistice is characteristic of that Sub
lime Porte" whose sublimity consists
mainly in its sublime impudence. The
sultan demands as the price of peace
the annexation of Thessaly and an in
demnity of 10000, 900. These conditions
are to be complied with before even an
armistice is granted. Until they are
agreed to the Turkish forces will con-
tinue to advance. No American can
read this answer without feeling of
delight that the powers have been paid
in their own coin. AS far as Greece
is concerned, it makes no difference to
her. 1t is quite as well that she should
be subject to Turkey directly as to be
subject through the Intervention and
by the direction of the six great pow
ers. It is a more honorable and more
tolerable position to be merged in the
Turkish empire, if need be, than to be
one of those unhappy creatures over
whom Europe pretends to exercise a
protecting care, with no other result
than to stir to activity the sleeping
animosity Of the Turk, and to incite
him to a vengeance from which no
protection is offered. After the exhi-
bition that has been made in South
eastern Europe, we say deliberately
that it is better for Crete, better for
Thessaly and better for all Greece, if
necessary, to remain or pass into the
control Of the sultan than for them to be
at the mercy Of a protection that does
not protect and an alliance whose vic
TINS are numbered by tens of thou
sands.
AS for the problem which this situ-
alton presents to these powers them
selves, it is a serious one. The an
swer which they have received they
must have foreseen. It is not conceiv-
able that men whose business it is to
measure swords with the representa-
tives Of other governments and to
gauge their temper could have
expected that Turkey would ac-
cept the conditions imposed upon her
from without. 1t is contrary to her
past, as it is probably without her
power to do so. When the warships were
lying off Constantinople and explicit
orders were issued by the powers to
the sultan to put an end to outrages
against the Christians, the reply was a
series Of atrocious massacres in the
streets of Constantinople itself That
was the estimate in which the Turk
held the concert of Europe" and such
his reply to demand for submission
If, with nothing at stake, except the
moderation Of its cruelty and the post
ponement Of its qualification, Turkey.
in matter so trifling to the govern
ment, defied the powers, what is it like
ly to do When, after having conducted
q great war to a close at heavy cost
of men and money, and brought it's
fighting machinery to point of high
iperIecllcI, II is aSkcQ TO fCreGO the
substantial advantages of it's conquest
The dcmard which the Porte has
made is a perfectly natural and ex-
spcctcd one, and unless the sultan and
his advisers reverse their whole pol
Hey and change their views, it will not
Ebe Withdrawn or substantially modi-
Filed. The powers, however, are in a
terrible dilemma. They inst:gated and
.authoTiyed this war because they
bagreed unanimously that any changes
jim sovereignty or territory in South
Ieastern Europe were not TO be permit
tied. Even so tri1iing an island as Crete
could no. be annexed to a power so
kiEierior as Greece. The old balance
fOf power Arrangement was aG:vanc-
eG to cover q greed held more
sacred thc.l human life and human ho-
eriy. All this cosby carnage has gone
forward simply because the European
powers have said that the boundaries
Es European states must rsmain as