The Sun. — 1860-05-31 (London, England)

TIIE EASTERN QUESTION.  After an interval of lour years, during which Europe has not been without events of importance, it seems likely that the European Powers will have to turn their attention once more to the " Eastern question," which the treaty of Paris failed to settle. it i; 111011/11 that a modification of that treaty is the earnest desire of Russia, and it is supposed that it is with a view to give an opportunity of satisfying that wish that efforts are making to assemble another conference, and probably to carry out the objects contained in the written engagement between France and Russia, half avowed by the latter, and not disavowed by the former. Russia seems to be casting once more a longing eye to the East. The Emperor of the French has not concealed his opinion of the decrepitude of the Ottoman Empire, and of the hopelessness of restoring the " sick man." A work which appeared some months ago, entitled " Les Chretiens et les Turks," gives much valuable information on the internal condition of the Turkish empire, and the consequences of its dismemberment. The author is M. E. Poujade, who was for many years employed in the consular or diplomatic service in various countries of the East ; and few are more competent to speak on its present and prospective history. He signalises the danger which would accrue to the peace of Europe from the overthrow of the Ottoman supremacy over the divers races that really or nominally acknowledge it, and at the same time the difficulty of maintaining it. He points to the jealousies and the rivalries which divide the Christian populations among themselves, for their common servitude has not effaced the memory of their bloody struggles before their subjugation, and they prefer the yoke of the infidel to the domination of any one sect over the other. We know that the Greeks have the pretension to become one day the rulers of the emp:re, delivered :from the Mussulman yoke and regenerated. Their intellectual superiority authorizes, in a certain degree, these pretensions ; but their numerical strength does not justify them, and M. Poujade is of opinion that they would not easily be accepted. The Serbs, the Bosniacs, and the Bulgarians are Slaves ; but, though of a common origin, there is no common understanding between them. The Serbs, M. Poujade says, are an energetic, warlike race, but they have no political bond with the Bulgarians, who, laborious and peaceful, are looked upon by the former as devoid of the more manly qualities, and, if they keep up any relations with them, it is with the view of some day turning than to their own account. The Serbs have not only a strong desire for independence, but cherish the ambition of one day ruling over Bulgarians and Bosniacs, while the Greeks would meet with the most formidable resistance if they sought to establish their domination in those countries of which Belgrade is already looked upon as the future capital. The Bosniacs, though Slave in origin, have, like the Albanians, embraced Islamism, and only a very small number are Catholics. Feudality still subsists ia tte Ottoman Empire and particularly in Alb -ani; Bosnia, and Syria, in spite of the usurpat4r of its partial dr .nelen ignt length anlAlbania accountni a and ad .struetion, to the advantage of these, by Salta?' - • ons of the local tyrants? and at s, - Mahmoud and his son. M. Poujade gives Aofltathine. it prevailsaf,euandadlosfytshteemi importance, portance, the wealth, and the • fluence of the families that have survived the murders perpetrated by Ali Pasha and the Turkish P M. Poujade devotes a considerable portion of his work to the Danubian Principalities, eth of which these have recently been the e events theatre. The population of these countries are proud of 34 mth• L • I eir origin, and, while they approach the west of Eurer pe by their tastes and their sympathies, though .1, .t-tached to the Oriental Greek Church, form a grot ip which divides the Slaves of the north from those f ( ) the south, and present a barrier against the dangei s accompanying a gigantic development of Slavism The Armenians he looks upon as little more th t n Christian Turks. They are of all the Christian raee s that which more nearly resembles the Ottomans • , whose language they readily acquire, and whose gravity of deportment they imitate, at least in ap, • pearance. The Chr4ti4n posiLions of Asia, ouch as tl It\ 3