Year: 1879

|
cabinets of Europe in regard to what shall
be done about Eastern Roumelia. From
Vienna it is reported by an authority which
sometimes has good information and some
times makes happy guesses that the plan
for the occupation Of that province by
troops supplied by the different signatory
Powers has been abandoned, but that an
understanding will be reached satisfactory
to all parties. From Berlin the report is
just contrary to this. and says that the
mixed occupation is fully agreed upon.
Berlin is probably right, and Vienna is in
consistent even with itself when it reports
that satisfactory understanding will be
reached, and denies that agreement which
is in fact the only satisfactory understand
ing that is possible in the circumstances.
Berlin authorities we're in the current of
this negotiation, and our despatch from
Tashksnd, published on Thursday, which
showed the Asiatic part of the agreement
made. implies that as Russia yielded there
England yielded in Europe. The report
that the plan will fail because Turkey OBJ
jects to it is trifle ridiculous.


Eastern Roumelia the reader will remem-
Der. is that part of Turkey in Europe which
England saved to the Ottoman Empire by the
Treaty Of Berlin. By the agreement between
Russia and Turkey, made earlier at San
Stefano. all the Bulgarian countries, almost
to the gates of Constantinople, were set
apart under the name Of Bulgaria, to
be guaranteed o constitution, local ad-
ministration and self-government; and the
important point in that change was that all
the good population of that district, which
is Christian, and which had been under the
foot of Ottoman robbers and oppressors tor
ages. would be able to take care of them
selves against Ottoman neighbors. But
England, which Is very fond of fair play
sometimes, did not care particularly about
fair play for the people in Turkey then if
while England is q Christian government
when collecting taxes for the support of the
Established Church she is extremely lib
eral on points of religion in foreign coun-
tries, and does not stand on trihes as to any
religion that is in the way of her interests.


England, therefore, cut in at Berlin to
prevent the freedom Of vast section Of the
Bulgarian people, to keep them under the
foot of the worst government in the world,
for the sake Of her commercial interests
fact whrch finely illustrates the working
of that pocket philanthropy which she
carries with her everywhere. She restored
to the dominion of the Sultan part Of the
territory which the Russians had redeemed,
and that part is called Eastern Roumelia.
But the other States Of Europe which do not
generally make so much noise about their
own love of virtue, and do not declaim over
the roofs Of the world as England does the
Christian purity of their own motives, all
these States refused to assent to Englands
project, unless some system of local gov
eminent could be established for these
people before tho withdrawal of the Rus
sian troops should hand them over once
more to the tender mercies of the Ottoman
authorities, backed by the Ottoman dispo-
sition to wreak on any Christian populace
revenge for the calamities of the war.


Should the Turks come into the full right
to occupy Eastern Roumelia before the In
ternational Commission has completed the
organization which the Powers agreed OF
Berlin the province should have, it is GER
tain the province would never obtain that
organization without another war. All the
history of the relations of Turkey with the
European Powers shows this. That govern
ment never meets any condition nor fulfils
any promise that implies reform in ad-
ministration or involves guarantee of JUS
tice for the people under its. authority. 1t
snapped its fingers at the requirements of
the Treaty Of Paris as gayly as it did at oil
those demands for reform which British
ambassadors, with their fingers beside their
noses, used periodically to make to His
Majesty the Sultan. Rational creatures
might suppose that the war had opened the
eyes of the Ottoman Power as to the need
of needing demands made by all Europe,
but it will not do to reason on the mental
operations of Sultans as if they had any re-
slation to those Of rational creatures. People
suppose the head of Bourbon to be the ex.
treme type of intellectual impenetrability,
but, in fact, the Bourbon brain is O fine
sponge compared to the Ottoman brain.


Recently there has been some uneasiness
in Europe as to the probable fate Of
Roumelia-more in Russia than else
where, because the International Com
mission appointed to regulate the points
which could not be safely left to the
Ottoman government had not completed its
labors, and certainly would not be able to
complete them by the date at which Russia
had agreed to withdraw her troops from the
country. 1t was imminent, therefore. that
part of what Russia had done for the
people of the Balkan countries would
be sacrificed. From having boon almost
free, and from having held before them the
hope of independence. they would be
is,xa