Year: 1876

| The report that six hundred mounted
Cossacks have passed through kladowa is OF
great importance, if true. These Cossacks,
it will be noted, do not appear to be volun-
teers on their way to join the Servians, as
the Servians would hardly be SO impolitic as
to officially chronicle their movement in that
case. If they are, as seems to be indicated.
soldiers in the Russian service, their pres
ence in Bulgaria means that Russia is actu-
ally belligerent. Russia's ultimatum
seems to be that Turkey shall grant six
months armistice. and if this requirement
is supported by the presence of Russian
soldiers in Bulgaria the Eastern problem
has entered upon a new phase. AS Prussia
has declared her purpose to remain neutral
the real point of further negotiation will be
what does Russia demand as its condition
of permanent peace? Her demands are
already known.


Russia's propositions for the pacifcation of
the Turkish provinces start from the as
sumption that it is hopeless to depend upon
the Ottoman Power for any reform in the
government Of that country, or for any
amelioration whatever in the condition of
the people. In fact, they recognize that
the one irremediable evil-the one evil that
is the source of all others-is the presence
of the Ottoman authorities. They assume
that guarantee for the better government of
the district is an indispensable necessity
for the tranquility Of Europe; and as this
guarantee cannot be looked for from Turkey
it is the duty of the interested courts to con-
slider how it shall be furnished and what
shall be its nature, and Russia, therefore,
suggests conference of Ministers of Foreign
Affairs for this purpose. In other words,
Russia proposes negotiations on the basis of
the exclusion of Turkey from tho Slavic
provinces of the Ottoman Empire. By this
proposition Russia places her diplomacy
abreast with the common opinion of Europe
on this subject.


There is not Cabinet in which it is
not known, which has not the evidence
of the fact, that it would be mere piece
of cruel irony to once more surrender
the people of the Christian provinces to
Turkish rule. Europe has formerly negoti-





again, binding Turkey to an impartial adj
ministration of the countries on the north
ern slope Of the Balkan. Not one
measure required of her has ever been put
in force in that country, and the Eng
lish Parliamentary papers are crowded
with the evidence that Turkey not only will
not, but that she cannot, enforce reform. If
the three or four neighbors of an old gen.
tleman Of ninety, into whose hinges the
rheumatism has made its inevitable way,
should provide by protocol that the old gen.
tleman must dance hornpipe with the sup
pleness and vigor of youth Of eighteen,
the protocol must prove waste paper from
the very nature of the case; and every
treaty that requires reform and the good
government of Christian peoples by Otto
man authorities must prove a dead letter for
reasons equally good. This fact is thor
oughly we'll known in London. The
Parliamentary papers Turkey, Nos. 2.
3 and 4, 1876-give abundant and even
overwhelming demonstration of it. Every
government that keeps itself informed
through its consular or diplomatic agents of
the condition of Turkey is also well aware
of this fact Yet the diplomacy Of England
and of Austria, and apparently Of France,
still maunders Of the possibility Of settling
the Slavic provinces on a basis of reforms to
be required Of the Ottoman Power. All con-
sent in fact, to hand over millions of
Christian people to savage rule in order to


- - Al. 1uy
ance Of power between some great States.
But Russia alone takes her position on the
facts, and proposes the honest policy of ne
gotiation on the basis of the amputation
of these vital parts from the Moslem corpse
That she has touched the true point Of the
case is to be seen in the first word we hear
from Constantinople. Turkey promises
reforms that will make autonomy unneces-
sary," in Turkeys opinion. Of course she
does. She always did, and why should she
change now? She has promised reforms
once in ten years for the past century; but
she has never practised any one of the prom
ised reforms. This is subject on which
she has lost the right to be trusted, and we
do not believe Europe will trust her again.


It was part of the Russian proposition that
Constantinople should be watched by the
fleets of two Powers. In the London
Times it is said that the fleets of England
and France were intended; and in this con-
nection q commentary is made on the whole
proposition that is characteristic The Times
says that the English fleet is on the spot and
is sufficient, and therefore the fleet ofFrance
is unnecessary that the English feet sin
tends to remain there until the storm clouds
ton in the world" But Russia, if she occu-
pies Bulgaria, for just as good reason as
that for which the British fleet watches Con-
stantinople, will lay herself open to the