The herald., 1897-03-31
GAN EUROPE LONG UPHOLD
TURKISH P0WERP


ish power is one of the strangest in his
tory. All human sympathies all sense
of honor. all the ties of race and religion,
would array all these powers on the side
of Greece. So would all the nobler sem
timents of the human heart.
On the other side there are but two
influences that tend to array these pow
erful nations on the side of tyranny and
wrong. These influences are sordid and
mean. They are the money the Turk
owes England and some other nations Of
the Occidert. and the jealousy these So
called Christian powers entertain one
toward the other. If the unspeakable
Turk is driven ou. of Europe, who will
get the abandoned territory? If the
sultan's throne 10 overturned. what will
become of the bonds he has given Eng
lish bankers to secure payment of the
loans they have made him?
1t is a remarkable fact that men have
seldom gone to war for money consider
ations alone. Wars are almost always
fought for abstract principles. The SOL
dfer who fights for pay is usually very
sort of a fighter. while he
who battles for great principle. whose
roots are deep in the human heart. is
always a dangerous antagonist.
1t was not the amount of money In
volved in the payment of the tax levied
on tea which nerved the poorly armed
and inexperienced patriots of Massa-
chusetts to brave the disciplined and
we'll armed regulars of the British army
at Lexington and. on Bunker Hill. Eng
land sent hired Hessians to subdue these
rebellious colonists, but thess paid ruff
fans were very poor soldiers. They were
valiant in burning villages along the
Connecticut shore, defended only by
boys and women. When 1t came to fac
ing washington's army at Trenton the
hirelings made a most sorry showing.
Anthery Wayne waded overfowed
swamp LOO miles in extent to recapture
vincennes from the British. The water
was often up to the armpits Of his men,
and It was In the depths of winter No
consideration of less potency than
great and vital principle ever nerved
mems hearts to endure hardships like
that for the sake Of getting within range
of an enemy's guns and possibly dying.
There is no principle behind the Euro
pean powers who are upholding Turkey.
Every principle the human heart holds
dear would lead those powers to espouse
the cause of Greece. Armenians and
Cretans as a rule might be little better
than their Turkish neighbors. That
would cut no figure In the controversy.
They are the wronged, they are the op-
pressed. Their condition Is In the main
the direct result of Turkish tyranny and
misrule. The Armenian and the Cretan
cannot emerge from the condition now
existing SO long as Turkey oppresses
them as she does. The Armenian may
take crack at Turk when he gets the
opportunity, and doubtless the Cretan
sometimes steals Musselman's sheep
or pony. But at the root of the Moham-
medan heart lies the cruel teaching Of
the Koran, that he who will not have
the book should get the scimitar.
For thousand years this teaching
has been bearing bitter fruit wherever
the follower of the Arab prophet has
been brought face to face with the fol-
lower Of. the Teacher from the shores Of
the lake of Geneseret. 1t Is an unequal
conflict wherever the Mohammedan can
put his creed in practice. The Turkish
government Is rotten to the core. as q
natural result Of. some Of the teachings
Of his creed.
Here is great principle Of human ma
ture at the bottom Of the outbreak in
Crete. The teachings of the Hebrew
Messiah are In accord with theirrprinci-
pie of humanity. The teachings Of the
Arab are in discord with their best i'm
pulses. The revolt In Crete is against
oppression and tyranny. 1t is a, strug-
gde for the right to worship the God OF
the Armenian and Cretan, for the right
to enjoy the fruits Of their labors. ard
to govern themselves in accordance with
their own views of justice and BY laws
in accordance with the civilization of
their own race. :.
For while longer the petty jealousy
of the 0reat powers and the small inter-
ests Of Ienden bondholders may stand
between the awakened conscience Of
their own people, But It cannot be for
lnnp The-s -sgeat heart Of humsnity'Aea