The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1903-09-12
THE TROUBLESOME BALKANS.


the treaty of Berlin was signed. This
definitive treaty, it was then thought,
would settle the Balkan troubles. BY
that treaty Bulgaria was made a trib-
utary principally under the suzer-
ainty of Turkey, with Christian
prince and a national militia; the
prince was to be elected by the Bull
garian people, and to be confirmed by
the Ottoman porte and by the six
great European powers. Eastern
Roumelia, which is south of the Bal
kan mountains, was formed into a
new province under the direct political
authority of the Sultan, with Chris
tan governor to be appointed by
him. Turkey was to maintain re-
ligious liberty throughout the empire,
and gave specific pledges of reform
and conceded to all the powers the
right to enforce these pledges. Since
the signing of that treaty in 1878,
there has not been single year in
which there has not been trouble in
this fireplace of Europe. There has
never been time when Turk and
Christian have been able to dwell to-.
gether, and there never will be.
Christians are not safe under Mos
lem rule. even when protected by the
terms Of solemn treaty backed up
by the Christian powers of Europe.
There never will be peace in the Bal
kan peninsula so long as the Turk re-
mains there. But it does not follow
that even if every Turk in European
Turkey We're to flee across the Bos-
porus that peace would reign in that
unfortunate land. The Balkan states
are inhabited by strange mixture Of
people. For together with Turks are
the Slavs, Greeks, Magyars, Huns and
Serbs. 1t is the border land of Eu-
rope, where the different peoples come
in contact. The people living there
are SO different in race and religion
that peace is next to impossible. We
know that even in our country the
borderland between the North and the
South was the region where the great
est hardships We're endured during
the Civil War, and the border states
are still the site of greatest lawless-
ness in this country. The Balkan
states are infested by bands of robbers
or brigands, more or less organized,
but not worthy of the designation of
military bands. These movements are
made up of the most cruel and relent-
less specimens Of humanity. Not all
the trouble can be ascribed to the
Turk, unspeakably bad as he is; the
Bulgarians have been guilty of atroci-
ties against the Musslllman. which are
only equalled by the cruelties of Mus
sulmam against Christian. Scarcely
had the treaty of Berlin been signed
when the Bulgarians commenced to
take terrible revenge upon the Turks
in Bulgaria and have continued to do
so ever since. Turkey has not OBJ
served the stipulations of the Treaty
of Berlin. The pledged reforms have
not been made and religious liberty
has not been maintained. But the
Bulgarians have been as great Of
tenders against the treaty as the
Turk. In 1882. Bulgaria against the
plain provisions of the treaty, virtually
annexed eastern Roumelia. Turkey
prepared for war. but was prevented
from furnishing Bulgaria by the inter-
vention of the powers. The revolution,
however, led to war between Scrvia
be said for the Turk, it must be adj
mitted that Turkey has been the only
force which has maintained whatever
of peace and security there has eX-
listed since 1878. 1t is true that most
if not all the trouble which has arisen
was due to the presence of the Turk
in Europe. yet it is by no means GER
tain that more trouble would not
have existed had the Turk been driven
out of Europe in 1856 When the
Turk is forced to leave Europe, as he
certainly will be some day, nothing
can preserve peace in the Balkans but
the substitution of some other strong
hand in the place of Turkey. Russia
undoubtedly will be that hand, and
it need not be surprising if the world
will then witness repressive measures
as harsh and cruel as those of the
Turk.