Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-10-24

Ollie seceders as OF their own race and ma
uon, and the eastern Catholics have ever
since passed as a totally distinct nation
Uhoer the patronage of France. In the
creek revolution the Greek Catholics did
not fight or site with the Greeks although
or the same blood.
Christian Schisms.
The numerous racial and religious dlvis-
ions in European Turkey all share an mex
tinguishable hate toward each other that
prevents their union while all yearn and
struggle for freedom from Mohammedan rule,
their hatred of each other is often so bitter
that the old Armenian. or Byzantine Greek
would even prefer to continue under Turk
ish sway than TO he free il freedom is to be
shared with Catholics or exarch SITS, or
other sectarian enemies,
This fanaticism. these schisms of Turkeys
Christian subjects. have proved at once
benefit and bane; benefit. because it has
tended TO mainta- n the vitality of peoples
who. under long subsection. might have
peen ABSORBED by the dominant race-and
bane because these Christian peoples have
thus been prevented from presenting a
united and perhaps successful front TO the
oppressor. OF these Christians the Mar
antics are perhaps in the most satiSfac-
tory condition; the Armenians present, on
the whole. the character most likely TO
beneht by the best modern influences. The
biSehS rem no US 100 1Orc4Dly or their de-
generate ancestors who lost Constantine
pie. The clergy of all these classes is gem
orally ignorant and often without morals of
any sort although il must be admitted that
cases OF sincere piety and profound learn
ing have occurred occasionally. The high
er preIates have presented a fine eccles.as-
ucal type, alas. too rarely initiated. Some
or the Bulgarians also and others of the
Balkan provinces educated at the famous
Robert College, an institution whose benefi-
cent influences has been far reaching have
SHOWN an earnestness and ability that
speaks well for the Turkish feudatories OF
Sclavic stock. Stll the character of none
OF these Christians of European Turkey ap-
proaches as yet the high standards of west
ern clViilZat.on, and whatever sympathy is
extended toward them should be given with
dlscr mination and accompanied with what
credit is also due TO the Turk
The Great Obstacle to Peace,
But there is yet greater obstacle to the
pacif1cation of the Ottoman empire than
those already mentioned. 1t lies in the fact
that the Christians have discovered the way
to arouse European sympathy. thus giving
pretexts to ambitious powers to intervene
in Turkish affairs. on the plea of humanity
By means of these repeated interventions
these more or less worthless and sometimes
half-barbarous Christian populations with
INSCRIPTIONS desperadoes as leaders hone
10 win a freedom that would give them an
easily than they can do now. Without this
plague of interventions the long ferment in
the Balkans and Macedonia probably would
have never doomed above the surface and
the various populations of the empire would
have progressed by normal evolution slowly
but surely and with far less suffering and
bloodshed. AS it is. the plea of reforms
now urged by the powers is the most spe-
cious yet devised to regulate this restless
ness and pacify the empire for time IL
the powers insist that the reforms be ac-
cepted and carried out in good faith by
both parties And If only holy Russia could
be trusted! But that is perhaps the erux
of the situation. Those who trust her gen.
orally come out shorni
In conclusion 1t must be repeated that the
Turks have rights no less than their SUBJ
jects.- They won their conquests by as
square and honorable fighting as any other
nation. Their right to rule over Christians
is identical with the right of the English,
the Russians. the French or the Americans
to rule over Mohammedans.
The question can only and should be only
settled by justice and modera ton on the
part of all concerned. For evidently there
has never been a cause which demanded to
greater degree the calm, impartial inves-
ugation of the bench instead of the one
sided denunciations OF the pleader than the
solution of this eastern question.
S. G. w. BENJAMIN.