The Norfolk Virginian. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 186?-189?, 1897-04-25

undeniaDe. Among those OF high slu.
thority l may quote Dr.. Lipseus, Of the
University of Berlin. who began q care
tul personal examination, with a preju-
| dice in favor Of Turkey, and concluded
by stating the following startling facts:
Armenian Christians rrassacreed. So, 900
Towns and villages laid waste ~. $500
Churches and converts destroyed 6SS
Villages forced to adopt NIoham-
H1cdlsm ............g... .......... $50
Christian churches turned into
mosques 1879. $50
Christians without chelter or food SOC, 900
Number murdered, or who per-
ished in unregistered villages, or
In eTdeavoring to escape ........ 1000
Total massacreed ......... -. 100000
And yet, oh, my countrymcn, what
| permanent impression has been made by
| these astrocities upon the enlightened
| judgment of our time? OF all the men
Of our own and other enlightened lands,
who, except Gladstone, the Great Com
moner OF England, has had courage
enough to summon this cowardly be-
sotted despOt Of the Orient before The
bar Of enlightened Christianity and pill
lory him there, while holding up to
shame and confusion the rulers Of the
| nations whose seliishness makes them
condone IL not approve Of the crimes
that appea! from man TO God fer redress.
My official residence for three years
in Greece. Roumana and Servia gave
me exceptional advantages in studying
the chara cter and history OF these peo-
pie and their environment. Frequent
visits to Constantinople. while journey
ing between Greece and Roumania, en-
aIbled me to learn not only of the con-
dition OF the people residing In Turkey,
but OF the Government under which
they live. For generations the Western
powers have taken more or less inter-
est In Turkey. and the municipalities,
provinces and States connected with or
! adjacent thereto. The almost constant
wars between the invading Turk and
the inhabitants Of Modavia, Walachea
and other Ea!kan provinces, with their
oscillating results, have especially en-
gagged the attention Of Austria and Rus
| sia, on account Of their territorial proX-
! unity and the Importance of all changes
in the Government of these countries
would have upon their interests.
SELFISH AIMS OF THE NATIONS.
II Is clear that the chief concern Of
these uutiOnS has not been to terminate
the rule Of the Sultan in these non
Nlohammedan countries, nor to free the
people from the deadening and destroy
ing influence of Turkish DONNA ton, but
TO promote their own selfish ends The
aggressive tendency Of Russia long since
aroused the jeN!ousiy of the other now
ers. and, about a half century ago, they
began an active, diplomatic campaign
TO prevent the Car from enrching him
self on the spells of the Turkish Empire,
| and especially TO prevent his securing
ConStantinople or the free navigation OF
the Dartla nelles.
The prOprieties of this occasion pre-
Vent even 4 brief presentation of their
! intrigues. all having one definite pur-
| pose. Sufficient to say that from 1859
| all the great powers have concentrated
their diplomatic genius in endeavors to
outmanoeuvre each other for position
against the time when the dismember-
ment Of the Ottoman Empire occurred.
| The war of 1877, inaugurated by Russia
| for the aHowed purpose Of affOrtling pro-
, lection TO the Christians OF Belgrade,
! who were suffering from the cruetics
inflicted upon them by the Turk, alarm
ed all the powers. and although Con-
Stant.nople lay proctratc at the feet of
the conQucring Car, the conference
| hastily summoned at Berlin called 4
| halt. Russia gained but little from the
| loss Of blood and treasure expended In
! the war! except the liberia ton OF Bu-
CARA: While gallant Roumania which
had saved the Russian army at pleVna,
| had her territory decreased rather than
| increased; and Austria, which did not
| spend a douar or lose n man, secured
the valuable provinces of Bosnia and
Herzegovina. England's share was The
Island OF Cyprus, q rather costly APP
pendage to the crown. It's annexation
t!ckled the vanity Of the nation at the
t. t.iht, ana iIal Is ABOUT al the advantage
resulting thcrcfrom.
THE TURKISH STATUS QUO.
! Since 1877, the efforts OF all the g?ea;
powers have been to preserve the Turk
ish status quo. coch power hoping that
some event may give 1t some special aG-
vantage, and all the other powers labor
ing to prevent Russia from rcaDlng adj
vantages which, from her proximity to
Turkey and her troll OF the Black
Sea, she is likely TO obtain in the ban
ishment Of the Turk to Asia. The DOW
ers are in constant dread OF an uphcaval
. in Turkey. or that the recently enamel
pated peoples Of Roumanih. Scrvia and
Bulgaria and the doWn-troddcn Chris
tians OF Macedonia may Coalesce in an
onslaught upon Turkey, that might and
doubtless would. involve all Europe in
great war with consequences. so far
reaching that no ono can fairly estimate
them.
1T Is difficult 10 clearly define what
each Of the six great powers hopes TO
gain, or prevent others from gaining IN
the ultimate overthrow Of the Turkish
Empire. Russia desires first the free
Of her territory In Asia--nnd IL pcssi-
bic. the possession OF Constantinople
and approximate territory. The great
dream OF the Musovitc Is the occupation
OF both sides OF the Danube and all The
territory now embraced in European
Turkey and the kingdoms OF Rouma.la,
Servia and the prlHcipaity OF Bulgaria
rms would cover vast extent OF fertile