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THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY.— SUPPLEMENT. 



the integrity of the Turkish Empire or on her 

 sovereignity, will always threaten the peace of 

 Europe, because every direct or indirect increase 

 of Russian preponderance in Europe will be a 

 step to the fulfillment of that prophecy of Na- 

 poleon, that " Europe will become Cossack." 



They speak of humanity. Good God ! where 

 is the Christian power in Europe that has not 

 unscrupulously disowned human feelings, not only 

 when its own interests were concerned, but very 

 often from mere revenge ? What bitter feelings 

 and remembrances crowd into my brains with fe- 

 verish heat when I think that I am a Hungarian ! 

 and how many other terrible examples could I 

 quote, through the long line of historical atroci- 

 ties, down to the insane brutality of the French 

 Commune, and to the subsequent reprisals of 

 loosened fury ! And I ask, Where and when has 

 the trampling down of humanity, the traces of 

 which are visible all over the world, been made 

 a European question ? 



But it is impossible not to feel indignation in 

 our human bosoms when we see that the very 

 same power which rose by trampling down the 

 freedom of its people, from the Vistula to the 

 Behring Strait, from the Euxine to the glacial 

 sea, covers its dangerous schemes with the veil 

 of humanity, and increases continually the giant 

 stature of its power by such systematic consist- 

 ency and pitiless cruelty as stand unequaled in 

 history. 



There is no question of humanity here, but 

 simply of the increase of Russian preponderance 

 The one is only dust thrown into the eyes of man- 

 kind that they may not see the other. 



And they speak of freedom, of self-govern- 

 ment! But the thing stands thus, that while 

 Russian power presses upon the southeastern 

 part of Europe, the Christian nationalities of the 

 Turkish Empire will never be reconciled to the 

 suzerainty of the Porte, nor can they become free 

 and independent. They can only be instruments 

 of Russian policy — sometimes by force, sometimes 

 willingly, but always serviceable instruments. 



Look at Servia. As far as the Porte is con- 

 cerned Servia was a free country, quite as much 

 so as any other European nation, and she wanted 

 nothing but the mere title to be entirely indepen- 

 dent. She was more independent than Hungary 

 is at present with respect to her political, finan- 

 cial, and economical administration, in every 

 point of view, even as regards the tribute payable 

 to the Porte. But she was not free, she was not 

 independent, with respect to Russia ; she could 

 not be so. Whoever has a protector has a mas- 



ter too. Not that the Servians would not prefer 

 to be free Servians, rather than vassals under 

 Russian rule ; but because they are unable to re- 

 sist Russian pressure. This is the fatal necessity 

 of the situation. The dust of verbal assurances 

 was thrown into the eyes of Europe from St. 

 Petersburg. It was said that the czar kept back 

 Prince Milan from waging war. But Russian 

 agents stirred up the fire of war; the easily in- 

 flammable passions of the Servian people were 

 fanned by the prospect of securing Bosnia, and 

 by the phantasmagoria of a " great Servia." Rus- 

 sian money overflowed Servia, a Russian general 

 was placed at the head of the Servian army ; Rus- 

 sian officers, and even such as were in active 

 military service, were sent expressly on furlough ; 

 and thousands of Russian soldiers crowded to 

 Servia. And thus under the Servian mask it was 

 that Russia began war against the Turks, in 

 order to get a pretext to continue the war un- 

 masked. The Servians were intoxicated with the 

 war-cry of Slavonian liberty (which liberty blooms 

 of course in Russia very nicely !) without perceiv. 

 ing that they fought, bled, and died not for free- 

 dom, but in the interests of Russian preponder- 

 ance. And what has become of " free " Servia ? 

 There she hangs on Russia's pleasure. She is at 

 present a vassal of Russia. Russian military 

 patrols keep the Servians "in order" at Belgrade. 

 These are very edifying things, and very instruc- 

 tive too. 



Or, let us look at Roumania. I have here no 

 room to draw up an epitome of history, but it 

 would be very advisable if the diplomatists would 

 do so and study it a little. They would learn 

 therefrom what is meant when Russia guarantees 

 "self-governmental reforms" by "occupation of 

 territory." I wish only to recall to mind that, 

 since the time of the capitulation between Mircea 

 and the Sultan Bajazet on the part of Wallachia, 

 and between Bogdan II. and Selim I. on the part 

 of Moldavia, the Porte has always respected the 

 liberty and self-government of Roumania. She 

 has respected them in such an unheard-of liberal 

 way that the mighty Porte, the sovereign power, 

 conceded to her vassals the most unbounded re- 

 ligious liberty, excluding even from these vassal 

 provinces ber own creed, and did not grant to 

 her own Mohammedan subjects even the right of 

 possessing there any landed property. The Turks 

 have never violated that treaty. Never/ Rou- 

 mania was free ; she is indebted for all her trou- 

 bles and misfortunes (and, alas, how much has 

 she suffered !) to the meddling of Russia. And 

 every Roumanian patriot feels that, if Russian 



