The Washington herald., 1912-11-30

which Glad6toue IN l1ff SAID mat Iney
were so .,cowed and beaten down to the
ground" that they hardly ventured to
look upward even to their Father In
heaven have avenged themselves on
their ancient tyrants. and have startled
the world by their strategy. their valor.
and their endurance. History records no
such rapid national renaissance as that
which In the lifetime OF one generation
has transformed the Buigarians from the
oppressed serfs OF the '70s into the
self-reIiant, valiant, and conquering ma
ton with whose exploits the whole world
lis ringing to-day.
Bulgaria and her gallant allies have
freed Macedonia forever from Turkish
mIsrule. It is the destiny Of the con-
duerors TO complete their triumph by
making "the banner OF the Cross wave
once more over Constantinople. 1t would
be were It not for the jealousy between
Russia and England in respect to the
Levant. That great city, with its incom-
parable situation, has had a chequered
and eventful history. The Turks. in
whose possession 1t has remained for
nearly 500 years. have added nothing
either TO fits glory or to its beauty, and
nave TdlUcI buOWh luCdpaIllg u uDllZc
its unique natural advantages. What
might not Constantinople become under
the rule OF q civilized and progressive
nation?
THE great power that possesses Con-
stantinople," said Napoleon, will be mis-
tress OF the world" For generations that
dictum OF the great conqueror influenced
the course OF European diplomacy. But
the dictum no longer Is true. Since Napo-
Icons day the center Of gravity in Europe
has shifted steam has been applied TO
navigation, and the world has realized
with a new vfvidness all that Is NEE mt
by command Of the sea-"
Yet, Constantinople remains a rich
prize, and one upon which several great
powers are casting envious, eyes. To the
Russians IN particular, from its. ancient
associations as the metropoli Of the Greek
Church, asd from its commanding posi-
ton at the Bosphorus, the gateway Of the
Black Sea, possession Of the city Of Con-
stantine for centuries has been a cher
ished dream. When they were yet pagsns
the Russians, in successive hostile eXpe-
ditiOns against the capital Of the decay
ing Empire of the East, we're enchanted
with Constantinople's treasures, its
unique situation, its natural beauty. 1t
was in the historic church OF st. Sophia
that the famous Russian Princess Olga
was baptized as a Christian in 955. Sue
cessors of Olga engaged in their service
the most skiIlful Of the Greeks to deco
rate Russian cities and instruct their in
habitants. The dome and the painting of
St Sophia were rudely copied IN Russian
churches; the writings of the church
fathers were translated into the Slavonic
idiom.'
Thus Russia came to stand in a Pc
culiar relation to the church and the
state of Constantinople. To the East
ern empire she owes both her culture
and her religion. AS far back as the
tenth century a popular legend pre-
vailed in Constantinople that an eques-
TRAN statue in the square of Taurus
was secretly inscribed with
prophecy that in the last days" Rus
STA would become mistress of the city.
Are those last days at hand?
Before the foundations of the pres
ent city were laid by Constantine the
Great, in 1924 A. D., the ancient town Of
ByZantium had hourished on its site.
At the Bosphorus Europe is separated
from Asia by a distance of a little
more than a mile. From a remote age
the harbor of the European side, which
is really an arm of the Bosphorus, was
known as the Golden Horn.
The curve which 1t describes might
be compared to the horn of a stag, or
with more propriety to that OF an OK.
The epithet of golden was expressive
of the riches which every wind waited
from the most distant countries into
the secure and capacious port Of Con-
stantinople. 1t appears to have been
formed by nature for the center and
81 - h.
perial city commanded from her seven
hills the opposite shores of Europe and
Asia; the climate was healthy and tenn
perate; the soil fertile; the harbor Sc
cure and capacious, and the approach
on the side of the continent was of
small extent and easy of defense.
Here on the spot which for many
ages had attracted the commerce OF
the ancient world, Constantine. first OF
the Christian emperors of Rome, built
the city which was to bear his name.
In one of his laws he has been careful
to instruct posterity, that ii was in
obedience to the commands Of God
that he laid the everlasting founda-
tons of Constantinople. Soon the new
city rivalled imperial Rome In riches
and in population.
The Roman Empire was divided be-
tween ArcadIus and Honorius in 395
A. D., and in 519 came the fall of the
empire of the West, weakened by in
ternal strife and the shock of success
sive attacks by Huns and Vandals and
Goths. By this time Constantinople
had become the new Rome. Justinian,
who reigned 527-565. did much to re-
store the glories of the empire. What
Augustus had done for old Rome, he
who found it brick and left ii marble,
Justinian did for new Rome"
One of the achievements of his reign |
was the building of the noble Cathe- |
iral of St. Sophia, which, though now a |
still stands a stately monu- |
ment 10 his fame. After Rome had |
iallen from its high estate, the empire !
Of the East remained for centuries !
barrier protecting Europe against the |
ncursion of barbarian hordes. For /
thousand years the empire, Of which |
was the capital, stood |
IS the chief bulwark of civilization, |
md the preservation of the priceless |
traditions of Greek culture and Roman |
.ule
The first attack Of the Moslems on the
he Empire of the East was made In
% A. d. For generations, on and on,
hey made war on the Asiatic provinces
IN 1076 they captured Jerusalem. Then
anne the era of the Crusades, those wars,
W which Europe sought to rescue the
Holy Land from the hand of the de-
Her, Early in the fourteenth century.
through the victories of the Turks, led
~ Gilman, all the Asiatic provinces
T1Tatr