New-York tribune., 1903-04-08
RETWEEN Turk AND BULGAR.

Our speciaI correspondent in the Balkan is
proving himself worthy successor to Schuyler
and MacGahan in informing the world of what
is done in that darkened and troubled region
His work may be less sensational than was
theirs. 1t is no less illuminative. Certainly it
presents another and a radically different phase
of the situation But 1t is none the less true to
life, and the difference is caused by the striking
change which has occurred in the situation 1T
| self The world will never be rid of grave sus-
picicn that the now historic Bulgarian atroci-
ties" of nearly thirty years ago were IN great
part deliberately provoked for political purposes
by some of those who were first and loudest IN
protesting against them The atrocities were
real enough and horrible enough. Schuyler ana
MacGahan were truthful and sincere in expos
ing them. Gladstone was as honest in his thun-
derous Indignation against them as he was
shrewd and thrifty in taking political advan-
tage of them. But it is likewise a fact of his
tory that the Russian Car declared that ne had
no thought or expectation of war at the very
moment when his troops were under marching
orders and only twenty-four hours before they
| actually began their march toward the Balkans.
Howsoever those things may have been, there
can be no question of the artificial and political
character Of the present troubles. 1t has been
| openly confessed and boasted by the organizers
| and promoters thereof. The Bulgarian brigands,
who were recently kidnapping and blackmalling
| women missionaries. and who are now trying
to cause open war. have cynicaily declared their
| intention Of committing so many crimes and OF
provoking many massacres in the Balkan
| that the powers would be compelled TO intervene
How faithfully they are fulfilling these pious
designs our correspondent graphically reports.
| The people of Salonica and Kosovo and Mon
astir do not desire to revolt But they are liter
l yD,-I,. Inrvt1 md fhn
man deep sea- The Bulgarian political conspira-
tors levy tribute upon them for the purchase OF
arms and ammunition, and order them to enroll
themselves in insurrectionary bands under pen
aJtv of torture and assassination; and, on the
other hand the Turkish authorities threaten
them with stern repression if they venture 10
revolt OF truth, might we'll address TO
those hapless folk Dow's famous epgram,
You'll be damned if you do you'll be damned
if you DON'T
AS TO the ultimate merits of the case, who
knows? Turkish despotism is doubtless bad.
So are Bulgarian brigandage and assassination.
At the insistence of Austria the Turkish Gov
ernment is making important reforms in its ad-
ministration of the troubled provinces But the
Rulgarians bitterly oppose those reforms on
the ground that they make the people so content
with Turkish rule that it will be impossible to
rouse them to revolt. On the other hand, the
Albanians oppose the reforms on the ground
that they are too favorable to the Christians.
Now as between the Albanians and the Bull
garans, there may be little choice. Both are
addicted TO brigandage But the former are
of European ancestry, and inherit from Pyrrhus
and from Scanderbeg some of the most heroic
traditions of the Caucasian race, while the lat
ter are of Asatie Tartar origin, and owe their
chief distinction To their happily unsuccessful
attempt to Tartarize Europe. Moreover, In the
vilayet of Monastir at present the chief scene
| of trouble the Abanians are on their own
ground while the Bulgarians are aliens and
| invaders. On the general issue or Christian
against Mahometan doubt the Christian
world will chiefly incline to the Bulgarian side.
But II is well to remember that the Albanians
| and Turks are not necessarily altogether bad
| and outlawed simply because they are Mahome-
| tans, and that the Bulgarihns are not neces-
sariiy all angels of light and entitled TO inherit
the whole earth simply because they profess to
be Christians God that hath made of one
blood all nations of men, has made the mighty
| Osman and the successors of Saladin, just as
| certainly He has made the assassins OF