Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1905-09-08

IuTdWinB IdNOTdDle Oincn lToul the
circumstance, with hearts beating high
with hope. they awaited the signal for
action.
| m nv o0NTTNrrED
RECENT GREAT TREATIES.
Few That Approach In Importance the
One Being Drawn at Portsmouth.
The negotiation Of treaty of peace
after such a war as that waged be-
tween Russia and japan presents
difficulties of quite an exceptional
character. When France went to
war with Austria in 1859 the object
of the war was well defined, and
peace was concluded without much
hagglIng on the part Of the defeated
government. The results Of the short
campaign against Denmark In 1854
were a foregone conclusion, the mill
tary odds being so unequal that the
resistance Of the Danes to the
Austro-Prussian forces was perfectly
hopeless. ........ ......
The war Of 1855 came to a speedy
Termination with the collapse Of the
Austrian army through the threatened
detection of the Hungarians after the
defeat at Sadowa; and the object
having been solely to throw Austria
out Of the Germanic confederation,
In order to prepare the way for the
war with France and the proclama-
tion Of the German empire four years
later, the terms of peace were i'm
posed by the conqueror without
further resistance on the part Of the
helpless Austrian government.
The negotiation of the treaty Of
peace between France and Germany
In 1871 came nearer to that between
Russia and Japan at Portsmouth, N.
H. There was the same uncertainty
during the progress OF the conference
as to whether the war was to go on,
and the same struggle as to terms.
There was resistance to cession of
territory and to the amount Of In
demnity to the victor, but the mill
tary collapse and political conditions
Of France made peace at any price
imperative, and with some light modi-
fcation in the rectification Of frontier
favorable to France and the striking
off Of one million of the indemnity,
due. II was said. to the British gov
ernment the treaty Of Frankfort was
finally concluded.
| The next treaty Of peace Of i'm
portance was that of San Stefano In
1878 between Russia and Turkey after
the war of 1877. that Of 1876 between
Servia and Turkey having been prac-
tically imposed on both parties by
the European powers. The circum-
stances Of the negotiations were ex-
ceptional. and the action attending
the conclusion and the signing Of the
treaty was dramatic. For the first
time after the several wars of Rus
sia against Turkey during the nine
teenth century the Muscovlte legions
lay encamped before the walls of
Constantinople.
| The Grand Duke Nicholas in COM
mand. had. on taking up his ground.
|
peror Alexander H.. that he was In
sight of the dome Of st. Sophia, and
with the loss Of 1000 men could make
himself master Of Constantinople.
| There was no reply to his despatch,
and In due course negotiations began
for a treaty. On the Russian side
the first plenipotentiary was Gen.
Ignatieff. a truculent soldier. who had
been ambassador to Turkey before the
war and Its instigator. and the other
plenipotentiary may be said to have
been the Russian army. The Turkish
delegates were Safvet Pasha and
Server Pasha, the former a states
man and man of culture and the
other an ordinary Turk with limited
knowledge Of the world.
| The negotiations dragged heavily
from the first The Turkish army
was broken and dispirited. the men
anxious to return to their homes
which some Of them had not seen
for more than four years. and the
defences Of the capital were made
quate to resist a determined assault.
The sultan. fearful Of the conse-
quences to himself. had made every
preparation to cross the Bosporus in
to Asia, and the population was agi-
tated and apprehensive. The Turks
haggled over the Russian terms and
disputed clause by clause the stlpu-
lations that dismembered the empire
and left the sultan with prestige de-
stroyed and authority impaired. until
at last Gen. Ignatieff lost patience and
caused the treaty to be drafted and
made ready for signature. At the
same time he notified the Turkish
delegates that on a certain day they
must be prepared to sign or meet the
consequences.
On the day appointed the last
meeting took place, but the Turks re-
fused 10 affix their seals to the
document. The hours passed as the
whole Russian army got under arms
and was drawn up ready for action.
Ignatieff notified the unfortunate
Turkish delegates that unless the
treaty was signed before the sun had
set the negotiations would end and
| In the morning the army would ad-
vance to the assault Of the defences
Of the city.
But the Turks held out. and 1t was
not until the lower edge Of the sun
had touched the horizon and the
Russians stood ready to remove the
documents from the table on which
| they lay that Safvet Pasha attached
his seal, and Server Pasha, declaring
he would rather have had his right
arm cut off, affixed his to the famous
treaty Of San Stefano.
AS. Gen. Ignatieff threw down his
pen after signing his name he ex-
claimed: Now let the Greeks swim
to Constantinople." and peace with
heavy indemnity Of about $180.000,-
900. of which only some thirty mill
lions have yet been paid, was con-
cluded between Turkey and Russia.
that have been made since were the
Japanese Chinese treaty Of peace at
Shimonoseki in 1896, our treaty with
Spain in 1898, and the treaty of sur
render by the Beers a. Vereeniging
] in 1902 to the British.