Bluefield evening leader. [volume] (Bluefield, W. Va.) 1906-1911, 1908-03-07
THE PEOPLES FORUM
Editor Daily Leader:

Editor Daily Leader:
! saw in a recent issue OF the es-
teemed Telegraph n short paragraph
eulogizing the Turks and their hero
ism in doing battle for their relig-
ion in their present CONTROVERSY with
the Russians. From a reading OF the
article one would infer that the Rus
slams lacked the courage or their
convictions.
beg to ask the learned editor
to look up ancient history. feel
assured he viii there find facts that
will cause him to have more ad-
miratiOn for the Russian and less
fer the Turk Russians are prefer
| able to any Turk or Asiatic: First,
though many times invaded. Russia
and Poland have kept back for cen
turtles the Moslem and Buddhist in
vasion OF Europe. In one OF those
invasions Moscow was taken and
destroyed, and the inhabitants OF
that city and the vast region round
about II was put to the sword. Sec
ond, Russians are Christians. The
Russian government Is far more
liberal than that OF Turkey or any
Asiatc country Even before the
liberation. the Serfs were required
TO work but three days out of the
week and had all the holidays,
which were many. and by law were
Of land, and In 1860 the car, with
one stroke OF his pen, set free sew
enteen millions of those Serfs, Civ
ing them n large amount Of the land
belonging to their former masters.
And these freed people will be as
faithful to their country, creed and
car as were the 100000 Serfs who
were reviewed and sent by the car
against Napoleon. When ordered by
Wilkenstein from the battlefield,
they answered no-and 5000 laid
down their lives. The Russian will
face the sultan's forces on the from
tier, will be just as loyal as in for
mer times. and when we consider
the Moslem oath, we cannot wonder
at their fanaticism. They swear to
heed not the groans of dying men,
nor children's lamentations. "We'll
wade knee deep in Christian blood"
is our determination. 1t brings us
back to the time when the fanatical
hordes OF Turks, Moors and Arabs
were hurting their combined forces
against the embattling powers of
Christianity to lay waste the nations
of Europe, and had conquered a
large part of Asia and Africa. They
had captured Constantlnople and
wei bling at the gates of Hun
garySa Pennsylvania. They had
nearly conquered all Spain and had
attempted to pass the defiles in the
mountains to France, until the al
lied Christian world combined
against the Turks, and for nine cen.
turtles the conflict surged for u do
minion Of Europe At this juncture
it was heroic Spain that came to
the rescue-S Spain who had stood
like wall of iron in the mountain
passes fighting for the liberty of
Europe, until that victorious fleet
gained a signal victory in the Bay
of Laponto, and not till then was
the sultan's power broken in Eu.
rope.
And if today the Cross and not
the Crescent surmounts the temples
of the Christian world, we owe it
to the combined efforts of Spain,
Italy, Gaul, Russia, and Poland. Let
us not forget that the Russian Bear
has demonstrated his courage and
ability on many hard-fought battles.
It took the combined forces OF
France, England and Russia to co
cree her In the Crimean war, after
one Of the greatest and longest
sieges in the annals of history She
sunk a large portion OF her feet in
the mouth Of Sabastapol harbor as
a protection against the combined
fleets of the allies and Hobson got
his idea there in the conflict with
Spain. A VETERAN.