The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-12-06
OBSERVATIONS OF w. T. STEAD
WHAT ROBERT COLLEGE HAS DONE
FOR THE BULGARIANS,
And What other Educational Institu-
lions and Missions Are EOing
in Asia Minor.

ish has made mighty little return for
prodigious expenditure, compared with the
returns already realized and to be realized
from the peaceful campaign which Amer
lea is waging in the Ottoman empire. BY
an expenditure of hundreds of millions of
dollars and the sacrifice of over 1000 men,
the United States has succeeded in ousting
the moribund sovereignty of Spain from
couple of islands near her own shores,
and Of raising question as to her con-
tinued dominion in the Philippines. The
results achieved by the infliction of hideous
suffering upon the unfortunate islanders,
whose relief was the main object of the war,
small though they be, represent probably
the best and quickest dividend earned by
modern war.
Compare this result with those achieved
by the Americans, who for the last thirty
| years have been patiently, silently labor
| ing for the regeneration OF that vast COM
| post of wrecked kingdoms, principalities
| and nationalities called the Ottoman en-
| pire. Thirty years ago a couple of Ameri-
| cans, Christian men, with heads on their
| shoulders, settled in Turkey and set about
| teaching on American methods the rising
! youth of the East in institution called
the Robert College. They have never, from
| that day to this, had at their command
greater income than thirty or forty thou
sand dollars a year. They have taken no
| hand in politics. They have abstained
| from identifying themselves with any sect,
| nationality or party. They have stuck to
| their appointed task, and they are still
| sticking to it. They have insisted that
every student within the walls shall be
thoroughly trained on the American prin-
cipIes, which, since they were imported by
| axdoy haUQ
made the tone of the world. They taught
all these students five languages, but they
| never hesitated to proclaim that, though
| they spoke with all the tongues under
| heaven, it was but foolshness. unless the
moral and spiritual character of the student
was trained and nodded by religious men.
| Moral development spiritual discipline is
the more essential part Of education. The
| true object of college education is the de-
velopment of the faculties and the forma-
ton of character. That was their line and
! thew have stuck to it now for thirty-four
| years.
STATESMEN OF THE FUTURE.
with what result? That American col
lege is to-day the chief hope of the future
| of the millions who inhabit the Sultan's do
minions. They have two hundred students
In the college to-day, but they have trained
| and sent out into the world thousands of
bright, brainy young fellows who have car
ried the leaven of the American town meet
ing into all the provinces of the Ottoman
empire. Robert College men are turning up
everywhere. If the good work goes on the
alumni of this American institution will be
| able to supply the personnel of the civilized
| administration which must some day super
| sede the barbaric horror that is at present
| misnamed the government of Turkey.
THE one great thing done in the making
| of states in the last quarter of the century
was the creation of the Bulgarian princi-
! pality. But the Bulgarian principally, the
| resurrection OF the Bulgarian nationality,
| although achieved by the sword of the
| avenging hordes of Russia, was due pri-
marily to the Robert College. 1t was the
| Americans who sowed the seed. 1t was the
men of Robert College who took into Bull
| garia the glad news of good time coming
when Bulgaria would be free When the
| Turks, scared by the propaganda of liberty,
| descended in savage wrath on the helpless
people with sword and flame and worse
| than beastial lusts to eradicate the new
| born national aspirations it was the Ameri-
| cans who brought the whole horrible truth
! to the light of day. Mr. Disraeli, then
| premier of England, lied about it in his
| place iii Parliament not even scrupling to
| falSify dispatches and betray the confidence
| of his own country in order to shield the
| Turk All was in vain. Robert College men
were on the spot. Their chief was in con-
| slant communication with the ambassadors
| found in Mr.. Pears, an English barrister of
| high standing. a correspondent of the Daily
| News, man fearless and capable enough to
stand the brunt of making the awful ex-
| posture. What followed is a matter Of his
| tory.
| the traditional policy of England. Mr.. Glad
stone sprang into the field. The Russian
| people moved to its depth by the stories of
| the sufferngS of their brethren, could not
| be restrained. The Tsar-Liberator carried
| gates of STEAMBOAT Nor did they return till
| by the treaty of San Ste Fano they ha|
| created that Bulgarian principally. whleh
had been dreamed out in the Astral plane by
| the students of the American college.
A TRIBUTE TO AMERICANS.
when the Russian army of liberation re-
| turned home after the peace was signed,
they passed down the Bosphorus: and, as
| each huge transport, crowded with her war
worn veterans of the Balkan battlefelds.
steamed past the picturesque Crag of
| Roumeli Husai, on which Robert College sits
enthroned, they one and all did homage to
the institution which had made Bulgaria
possible by cheering Justify and causing the
military bands to play American airs. 1t
| was the tribute of the artificer in blood and
| iron to the architects on whose designs they
had builded the Bulgarian State.
But the influence of the American college
did not stop there. When the constitutional
assembly met at Tfrnova to frame the Con-
Stitution for the newborn State, it was the
Robert College graduate who succeeded in
giving the new Constitution it's extreme
democratic character, and when, after the
Russians left the BulgaTianS began to do
their own governing, it was again the
American-trained men who displayed the
spirit of independence which haffied and
angered the Russian generals. From that
time to this day, when one Robert College
man is prime minister OF Bulgaria and an
other is Bulgarian minister at CONSTANT
nople while a third one of the abest of them
is Bulgarian minister at Athens, the Robert
College has been a nursery for Bulgarian
statesmen. So marked, indeed, has been the
influence of this one institution, there are
some who say that of all the results of the
Crimean war nothing was of such perma-
nent Importance as the fact that IL attracted
to Constantinople a plain American citizen
from New York.
The influence of the United States in the
East is by no means confined to Robert
College. There are other institutions
founded by Americans at Constantinople
which are working quite as we'll as the
Robert College. but as they educate girls
instead of boys they will not make their
political influence felt until the sons of the
students come TO mans estate. But ii is
not only at Constantnople that the Ameri-
cans are at work. They are at the present
moment almost the only people who are do
ing any good for humanity in Asiatic Tur-
with the assassin. and arm in arm with the
infidel has proclaimed his divine mission to
protect the Christians OF the East whom his
friend and host has been massacreing by