New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1903-08-17

without exaggeration, the number of prisoners
may be placed at even three times this total.
Dealing with other acts of oppression, the
memorandum states that the Bulgarian
chants and artisans living in Constantinope and
Salonica were ordered to return to their native
villages, and were not allowed any time op-
portunity to dispose of their business or prop
erty. Some of these Bulgarfans who, with their
families, had been established for twenty years
or more, were ruined. AS the order applied
equally to professors and schoolmasters, the
Bulgarian schools were closed before the end of
the school year.
DRIVEN TO THE GREEK CHURCH.
The authorities vigorously enforced the same
order against the Bulgarian priests making
every effort TO paralyze the development of re-
ligious and educational work, deprive the Bull
garian exarch of all his privileges and force the
people to come under the authority of the Greek
patriarch. Encouraged by the Ottoman author-
ties, the Greek bishops and archimandrites
forced their way into the Bulgarian churches,
burned the prayer books and employed menaces
to compel the people TO acknowledge the patr-
arch. The archimandrte of SalOnica declared in
a recent sermon that the Sultan did not want
Bulgarian exarchs in his empire and that If
they remained they would be exterminated.
In addition TO the decree banishing the Bull
garian trades1nen from Constantinople and
od4OulCd, the IOIlS duOpleA AASdouAto ~ rum
the traders elsewhere. The Governor of Mon
astir issued an order on April % forbidding Bull
garians 10 80 abroad or =eren to constanttnople.
This order was interpreted to prevent Bulga-
rians going TO any large city. and forcing them
to deal only with Turkish merchants. who would
gradually ruin and supplant then.
LANDOWNERS FORCED TO SELL.
The provincial administration employed every
possible means to install Muesulmans in the Bul-
garian villages. On the lightest pretext the
BuIgarians were forced to sell their lands TO
the Turks at any price the latter chose to pay.
Burdenec with taxes. liable to perform labor
for the Turkish landowners. the population is
reduced to a state of serfdoT This is one Of
the principal of discomfort, and when
the exactions of the tax gatherers are added. it
is not difficult to understand why the wretched
people should revolt from such a despotic gov
ernment and servitude.
In conclusion, the memorandum asserts that
the foregoing exposure once more condemns
Ottoman administrative government in Europe.
It says:
Not long ago the Porte denounced the revolu-
tionary movement being fomented by Bull
Earia, and tried to put the responsibility on this
principality. To-day it must acknowledge that
it is it's bad administration which is the only
cause of the trouble. From sad experience the
Porte must learn that systematic persecution,
store order and peace in a country. The Porte
accepted in principle the project of reform
which it has not put into effect. 1t has de-
clared that the project is insufficient Lastly,
the Porte formally promised the Bulgarian Gov
ernment TO cease the arrests of Bulgarian
priests and schoolmasters, reopen the churches
and schools, release the prisoners and punish
the officials guilty of eXactions; in short, to
adopt policy Of justice and amelioration
Not only has the Porte failed to observe a
single one Of these promises, but it has enacted
sterner measures Of repression. To give only
one example:
It is prescribed as a condition of his release
that a Bulgarian prisoner must furnish either
financial or personal security, but in the latter
case the surety must be a Turkish subject Of
non-Bulgarian origin. 1t is easy to comprehend
that the imprisoned Bulgarians find it impos-
sible to obtain release under such conditions
BY this and other similar acts the Ottoman adj
ninistration be judged. What must be the
result of all this? Tired OF awaiting the fulfil
ment of promises of better conditions and driven
to despair the Bulgarian population have
thrown themselves into revolution, which is
now spreading IN Ottoman province, $50
miles from the Bulgarian frontier
The causes of this revolution are to-day
known, the responsibility is fixed and the Porte
can longer accuse the Bulgarian principality.