Year: 1875

Munster Catholic s not generally credited with any ex
hausng affection for an 0rangeman. Pole Is not
expected to love Russian Such antpathics as these,
however, pale before the fierce blighng hatred which
the Christian of the Levant fosters toward the Osmanl
The latter is to him the incarnation of msgovernment
rapacty, cruelty and vice in their worst forms. Nor
are these ideas without show Of justification.
Unless has travelled in Turkey it is difficult, even
from the best books Of travel to form any adequate
idea of the frghtul condition of her European depend
encies The groans OF their Christian inhabitants
rarely reach the of Western Europe. The printing
press is but little known outside the great cities
1t is only when their furious hatred
eliminates in rebellion that reminded
OF the grinding oppression under which they live The
representations of the Western Powers induced the late
Sultan to attempt reform, but he might as well
attempt to reform the New York Custom House the
police The Governor of outlying Turkish Province
is simply taxgatherer with quasi dcspotic powers.
He is not unlike the old Roman proconsul. He has
two things to do send money to Consantinoplc and
to get rich AS there is system of assessment the
Aga wrngs as much he chooses out of the lnhabi-
tants and TO the recalctrant The monstrous pro-
dgaity of the Sultan renders It impossible, for
the most jealous extortion, to supply the required
funds. SO Turkey is virtually bankrupt and is only
propped up by periodical oans taken up chiefly in Eng
land And when was bankrupt State known to be
mercfulG


Superadded to these irritating is the Pansa-
vonic idea permeatng the various forming the
great Slave family In all their broils with the Turk
they have looked up Russia and in her mediation,
backed by 900 soldiers they have always found
cautious but irresistible friend against the Porte. What
Russia failed to accomplish in her struggle against Eng
land and France in the Crimea she has since per-
sistently pursued, and would to-day be the
point of achieving it, She has carefully nursed herself
has reorganIzed her army has covered her southern
and western dominions with net of military railways,
and has used her agents other Power in Europe
understands how to them The consequence is that
even an Insignificant State like Herzegovina behaves
toward Turkey like small boy counting on a very big
brother, or like a man in New York short OF supplies
who has unlimited resources in California Meanwhile
Russia looks on, and by means of these scmndepen-
dent States feels the sick mans pulse, Whether she
will now proclaim to the world that he morbund or
not cannot for short time be said; but the world
itself that crisis is ut hand. With
consideration this part Of the
question will be dismissed Certain dis
eases contagious in Given political
ideas contagious among nations. Among Western
nations the French Revolution has by no means
hausted its influence The autonomy of kindred races
Is the great political idea fermenng in Europe to-day.
Italy achieved hers in 1s5e-lseo Germany compassed
her fusion 1sT0-1s71 And, go back iurher Greece
wrung her independence from the Porte at tho end Of
the hrs quarter Of this century The natonates sur
rounding her have ever since their eyes bent upon
the same goal and there is not one of them that can
no, to-day give US his tongue that which Byron
wrote:-


For freedoms battle begun,


Bequeathed by bleeding sire to son.