Year: 1875

all for her deliyerance Greece would be openly
hostile, and would have Of showing her
hostility than she had formerly Therefore syra
and tho Pirnus would become harbors for Russian
fleets, and she could blockade the Dardanees Even
If England forced her blockade of the Dardanelles
she could blockade the Bosphorus and thus would
two lines of defence by sea to protect her own
eastern coasts, while the difficulty Of attacking Cron-
stadt making any hostile approach to her In the
north sufficiently demonstrated during the last
war England could only hurt Russia by sea- and TO
do would have TO rely altogether on her own re-
sources and enter of warfare IN which, as was
proved in the struggle between France and Germany
the of defence superior to the means Of at
tack.


Moreover inasmuch Germany would not be di-
recy interested in the result of the conflict England
would in vain seek the alliance of France in such war;
because France would not even have a sentimental
son for joining her. and If she did So considering the
relations between the courts of Berlin and ST. Peters
burg Germany might Immediately seize pretext for
declaring her. Neither Austria Italy could
help England in quarrel with Russia would they
have any interest in doing If they could and the
old methods of substituting German mercenares, by
which England recruited her armies in the time
of Pitt would be longer permitted by the
Cabinet OF Berlin. No "Back Bruins
wckers," Hessans Nassauers could
be had any terms for love money.
Finally, the close alliance now existing between the
reignng families of Russia and England would make
an Anglo Russian war almost impossble while the i'm
mense trade done between the ports of the United
Kingdom and the Baltic and the Euxine would render
it disastelu both to the court and the people.


These reflections have undoubtedly influenced the
British government IN the decision which it has
just announced to withdraw protection from Turkey,
matter what may happen to her In fact, the pro-
of has m been "a hank task and
one very similar to tho case of the naughty boy who
will persist in making mud pies he has been
washed and


PNAFoRE.


II there is one another which ought to
have been apparent to Ministers just appointed
by the Sultan it is the almost hopeless state of Turkish
finance 1t should have been clearest of all things to
them that If they take unusual and despotic OF
refllng their exhausted treasury they will uni
versa execration and hasten the almost inevitable
breakup ofhe Empires and that therefore, behooved
them especially to preserve and to all their


LEGITIMATE SOURCES REVENUE.


Yet to the astonishment and despair of the Turkish
bondholders they have within this last week granted


A CONCESSION JAPPA
to French companyl This amazing fact means in
plain words, that the immense crowds OF pilgrims who
flock annually to Jerusalem will pay toll to society of
French speculators instead OF paying toll to the Turk
government; II tne uutn were known, IL would
unquestonably be discovered that this slice
out of the revenues of the Empire has been sold by
some obscure person for


A BRIBE.


What may be the worth of such concession, except
to make dupes of simple shareholders fill
the pockets of some engineers and contractors is not
easy to determine Not all the influence and abilities of
NJ Lesseps have succeeded in making a sound invest
ment out OF


THE sUEz CANAL,


and the Turks, with all their staid simplicity of de-
meanor, have more than evinoed notable pro-
hciency in the art of selling that which does not beongto
them. Thus this French contract will be certainly
quashed by the next Ministry which succeeds


OLD TURKISH


for the moment in power its provisions will only be
maintained by such system of wholesale bribery as
would exhaust the profits Of the most lucrative enter
prise. The French company might also contrve to
bear in mind before parting with more of their money,
that Syria in very disturbed state. The Druses and
the Maronites, who cherish most cordial hatred of
each other excited by the of echo of the
the Danube been trying get up another runpus
of their own and Syria is very closely watched by the
Khedive of Egypt, Oppenhem Co., who would like
very well TO seize that rich district for the purposes of
taxation and set up a new united kingdom of Egypt
and Syria of which the bonds might be quoted freely
on the stock exchange for ten years at least. The
French company should reflect that England would
interfere in such case and that France could not
Their investment, whatever they may have paid for
this precious concession will be entirely without that
diplomatic protection which formerly made such bust
work pro1tably-now and then.


Here is another awkward item of information. The
disputes between the Catholics and the Armenians have
reached to such height of frenzy, in the
neighborhood OF Constannope and within hearing of


THE sULrAN's PALACE,


that the church of 0rtakeny, on the Bosphorus has
been forcbly seized by the vctors while the church
of Sonata actually stormed by priests The
Arusnian Cathedral Of Mgr. Hassoun has been reg
ulary beseiged, and fighting is going around the
religious edi6ce day and night pugnacous the
opposing Christians in these parts. The Convent of
Brommar, on the Lebanon, taken by assault, and
the superior the monks and students which it con.
tanned all put to fight headlong Seven hundred
Catholics who trusted themselves in a church at Kills.
in Cicia, all kidnapped and forced abruptly to
make profession of faith to


A KUPELIAN DOCTOR DIVINITY


quite unknown to them, together with his creed
Schools and converts at Dabeker at Mardin in Meso-
potama and in asia Minor have been sacked in open
daylight, the Turkish authorities not daring or not
caring to interfere with these fighting cergymen. The
Cathedral of Gaata taken by a stratagem. 'The
Episcopal palaces" Qarge wooden barns tumbling to
ruin strongly impregnaed with the smell OF fish fried
in rank oiD of Trebizond, Broussa, Erzcroom and
Ancyra have all been captured by religious persons
sword in hand and the is raging on from Beyrout
to the Persian frontier, where free companies 200
strong pepetualy riding about to fire to each
others villages.


Far very far from expressing the Christians 1t will
be that the Turkish rayahs manage their affairs al
together in their own way, and that their way is a
good What nation whether Austria Russia or
Greece, may feel disposed to take charge of such a
truculent aud rumbuscal population need not be here
discussed, for the history of the Christian sects
Turkey would fill volumes. But may be mildly hinted
that the statesman who has fancy for the task will
have enough to do They mostly beggars or ban
ditt, and all desperate lighters Perhaps if Russia
takes possession Of them, England may we'll think that
all her superuous energY will be disnosed of Hthnnt