Crossville chronicle. [volume] (Crossville, Tenn.) 1894-current, 1919-06-25
CONGRESS OF BERLIN, 1878.


Some one somewhere remarked that
the eastern question would perplex
mankind until the day of judgment
Those fragments of nations which
strew the Balkan peninsula are so d.
vided in race, language and traditions
that they dwell side by side In a
state of constant dlscOrd and belliger-
simulate the Others-a melting pot in
which nothing melts, but which is In
constant state of ebullition.
In 1875 the idea of pans avism had
become strong sentiment in Russia.
Pan-Slavism In Russia was answered
by revival of pan-Islamism in Tur-
key. Russian agents were everywhere
In the peninsula stirring up the Chris
tan populations and the Mussulman
reaction and the increased tyranny of
the porte still further excited the peO-
pies already stirred by pan-slavist
dreams.
Uprisings began; Serbia declared
war on Turkey; Montenegro and Alba
MIA flew at each others throats; the
powers interviewed and there were con-
ferences. protocols and armistices,
while the Turks put down the upris-
ings and defeated the Serbians and
MOntenegrins with great slaughter.
The uprising in Bulgaria was put down
by the Turks with such cruelty that
the bulgarian massacres" stirred all
Europe. Turkey remained deaf to the
proposals of the Concert Of Europe"
Declared War Against Turkey.
The patience OF the car was ex.
hausted. On April "a, 1877, he gave
orders for his armies to cross the
Turkish frontier and declared war
against Turkey. He had previously
concluded an alliance with Roumania
by which the Russian armies had the
right of passage through that country
and the Roumanian army was to coop
crate with the army of Russia. Eng
land had acquiesced in the Russian
move, provided the car did not occupy
or the Dardanelles,
let Egypt alone and recognized the
neutrality of the Suez canal. Austria
had been appeased by a secret pact
with regard to Bosnia and Herzegovina
and by the vision dangled before
her of an outlet on the east to
the Aegean sea at Saloniki. The os-
tensible object of the war was to
force the porte to put into operation
under European superintendent his
promised reforms and to secure the
autonomy of the subject states.
The Russians crossed the Danube in
June, took Shipka pass in July and
were defeated before Plevna in July
and September. They defeated the
Turks at Aladja Dagh in Armenia in
October and took kars by storm in
November. Plevna fell in December |
and the Russian army passed through |
the Balkans, and advanced to the out
skirts of Constantinople. On March
3, 1878, treaty was signed at San |
StefanO. little port on the sea of
Marmora between Russia and Turkey. |
A huge war indemnity was imposed on |
Turkey or in lieu thereof the cession |
TO Russia of BartOum, Kars, and Ada
han in Asia and the Dobruja in Eu-
rope, the latter to be given to Rou-
mania in exchange for Bessarabia,
which would bring the Russian from
tier to the mouth of the Danube. Ser
bia. Roumania and Montenegro were
to be independent states, Montenegro
and Serbia to have an accession of
territory, and Bosnia and Herzegovina
were to pass under the joint control
of Russia and Austria. Bulgaria was
TO be erected into an autonomous
extending from the Dam
nbe to the Aegean sea, which Russia
was to occupy with an army of $4,000