The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1903-08-17

who were imprisoned mostly on the
finsiest preteXt, as when they were re-
leased others were Immediately arrested
The estimates obtainabl give for the
vilayet Of Salonica 900 prisoners; for
Cskub, 500 for Monastir, $50 and for
Adrianople, 500: a grand total of $500 As
information is lacking from many dis
tricts in these villages, it is thought that
without agge-ation the number of pris
oners may be placed at even three times
this total.
Other Acts Of Oppression.
Dealing with other acts of oppression,
the memorandum states that the Bul-
garian merchants and artisans living in
Constantin6ple and Salonica ~'e,e ordered
TO return to their native villages and
were not allowed any time or oppor
tunity 10 dispose Of their business or
property. Some of these Bulgarians, who
with their families, had been established
for twenty years or more. We're utterly
ruined. AS the order applied equally
TO professors and schoolnaasters the Bull
garian schools were closed before the end
OF The school year The authori-
ties vigorously enforced the same
order against the Bulgarian priests,
making every effort to paralyze the de
velopment of religious and educational
work, and deprive the Bulgarian chuIch
Of all its privilege and force the people
to come under the authority OF the Greek
patriarch.
Encouraged by the Ottoman author
ties. the Greek bishops and archimen-
drltes forced their way into the Bulgarian
churches and burned the prayer books
and nleaa ICED The people The archiman-
d19te Of Salonica declared in d recent ser
mon that the sultan did not want Bul-
carian artisans in his empire; If they
remained they would be exterminated.
In addition 10 the decree barishing the
Bulsarian tradesuen from CONSTANT
nople and Salonica. the porte adopted
measures TO ruin the traders elsewhere
The sovernor Of Monastir issued an or
der April IS forbdding BulearianS TO go
abroad or even to COnStantiaop1e. This
order was interpreted to prevent Sui
carians going to any large city and
forcing them to deal only with Turkish
merchants who would gradually ruin and
supplant them. The provincial admins
tration employed every possible means
10 install rnuSsUlmans in the Bulgarian
villages. On the slightest pretext the Bul-
esrianS We're forced to sell their lands to
the Turks at any price the latter chose
10 pay. Rurdened with taxes, liable to
perform statute labor Tor the Turkish
land owners, the population IS reduced
10 a state Of serfdon. This is one Of the
principal causes Of discomfort. and when
added the exactons Of the tax gatherers.
il is not difficult TO understand why the
wretched people should revolt from
despotic government and servitude.
Ottoman Rule IntoleTable.
In conclusion. the memorandum asserts
that the foregoing exposure once more
condemns Ottoman administrative gov
eminent in Europe. It says
Not long ago the porte denounced
these revolutionary movements as being
fomentod by Bulgaria and tried 10 put
the responsibility on this pTiocipaHty.
Today il must acknowledge that il is its
bad admins strauon which IS the only
cause for the trouhle. From sad expe-
Tience the porte must learn that sys-
tenlatic persecution cruel injustice and
bloody repression DO not restore order
ana peace in a country. The porte accept
ed in principle the project Of reform which
it has not pat into effect. It has declared
that the project IS insufficient. Lastly.
the porte formally promised the Bulsa-
Ran government to cease the arrests OF
Ruleariar priests and school tiers; If
prisoners apG punish the olhcla4s sUH'S
Of exactions, in short to ADOPT Pollc|
Of justice and amelioratlon.
Not only has the porte failed to OBJ
serve q single one Of these promises. 1o'
II has enacted Steiner measures OF re
preston. What must be the result Of al
this? Tired Of waiting the tulil!iment OF
promises Of better conditions and driven
10 despair the Bulgarian population have
thrown themselves into revolution,
which : now spreading n an Ottoman
province l5o miles from the bulgarian
frontier.
The causes Of this revolution are to-
day known. The responsibility Is fixed
and the porte can no longer accuse 'As
principahty.
The memorandum has made Il strong
i'm preston in diplomatic circles The
Austrian diplomatic agent has already
called on the premier to express his anx-
iety regarding the results that may en-
sue from its publication. The French and
Italian agents also express rneasiness,
they took less gloomy view.