108 



BULGARIA. 



Berlin Congress, in order to prevent a pro- 

 longed Eussian occupation and the consequent 

 absorption of the country by the Muscovite 

 Empire ; yet they constituted a separate prov- 

 ince of Eastern Roumelia as a step toward its 

 ultimate amalgamation with an independent 

 Bulgaria. If the union was accompanied by a 

 completer emancipation from Russia, the pow- 

 ers could not complain at the infraction of the 

 letter of the treaty to accomplish its purpose. 

 The Prime Minister convinced Prince Alexan- 

 der of the opportuneness of the moment, and 

 of the wisdom of strengthening his position in 

 the affections of the people by heading the na- 

 tional movement, and of seeking a European 

 sanction in place of the good- will of Russia, 

 which he had already lost by adopting an in- 

 dependent policy. | 



Though hastily planned, the revolution in 

 Eastern Roumelia was accomplished with a 

 completeness that proved the unanimity of the 

 popular desire for union as well as the effi- 

 ciency of its organizers. On the 18th of Sep- 

 tember the whole populace of Philippopolis 

 rose against the Government; Gavril Pasha 

 was seized, and during subsequent events con- 

 fined as a prisoner at Sofia. It was therefore 

 impossible for him to make the formal appli- 

 cation to the Porte for military assistance that 

 the treaty prescribed. A provisional govern- 

 ment was constituted, under the head of M. 

 Stransky. The oath of allegiance to Prince 

 Alexander was taken by the militia. Strategic 

 points on the frontier were occupied, bridges 

 blown up, and the telegraph lines leading into 

 Turkey were cut. Prince Alexander issued a 

 proclamation declaring the union of Bulgaria 

 and Eastern Roumelia, and proceeded to Phi- 

 lippopolis, where he recognized the provisional 

 government and appointed Dr. Stransky com- 

 missioner. The Bulgarian army was mobilized 

 and a corps sent to the Roumelian frontier. 

 The Porte issued an identical note to the pow- 

 ers protesting against the violation of the Ber- 

 lin Treaty. A levy in mass of all able-bodied 

 Bulgarians between eighteen and forty years 

 of age was ordered. The powers admitted the 

 right of the Sultan to intervene with his army. 

 Prince Bismarck, however, warned him to " be- 

 ware of casting petroleum on the flames." Gen. 

 Dragalski, commander of the Roumelian militia, 

 was arrested. The Governor - General, Cres- 

 tovich, officially called Gavril Pasha, was the 

 only other officer deprived of his liberty, but 

 all the Russians in the Roumelian service were 

 dismissed. One of the principal grievances of 

 the Eastern Roumelians was the costly official 

 establishment imposed upon them by the or- 

 ganic statutes, numerous heads of departments 

 drawing high salaries, and a multitude of sine- 

 cures. The heavy sum paid to Turkey yearly 

 was another burden they wished to escape, 

 and the debt, which had grown to 400,000 

 Turkish pounds. Their attitude toward Turkey 

 was studiously conciliatory. The restlessness 

 in Macedonia earlier in the year, though fo- 



mented by Macedonians in Eastern Roumelia 

 and Bulgaria, was discouraged by the Bulga- 

 rians, and now their whole influence was put 

 forth to prevent a Macedonian rising, with 

 which, however, they threatened the Turks 

 if they should attempt to reverse the revolu- 

 tion by force of arms. There was not a case 

 of molestation of Mohammedans in Eastern 

 Roumelia. The revolt was so timed that the 

 religious festival of Bairam interfered with 

 Turkish action. A division of troops sent into 

 Eastern Roumelia the first day might have 

 frustrated the coup d'etat, but afterward the 

 Porte, though it might easily have broken 

 down the resistance of the Bulgarian army 

 and the Roumelian militia, and have occupied 

 the Balkans with Turkish garrisons, could not 

 undertake an armed intervention without risk- 

 ing insurrections in Macedonia, Thrace, Epirus, 

 Albania, and Crete, invasions from Servia, 

 Greece, and Montenegro, the interference of 

 Austria and Russia, and the loss of all its Eu- 

 ropean provinces. In its aspect of a movement 

 for emancipation from Russian control the Bul- 

 garian union created a barrier between Russia 

 and Constantinople, and was to that extent an 

 advantage to Turkey. The neglect of the Turk- 

 ish Government to erect fortifications and main- 

 tain troops in the Balkans and on the Eastern 

 Roumelian sea-coast, a right reserved by the 

 Treaty of Berlin, indicates how little impor- 

 tance Turkey attached to her nominal sover- 

 eignty over the autonomous province, which 

 passed as completely out of her control and 

 jurisdiction as Bulgaria. 



Prince Alexander issued a circular, announc- 

 ing the union. He declared that he accepted 

 the election of the people in no spirit of hos- 

 tility to Turkey, but that he acknowledged the 

 suzerainty of the Sultan and held himself re- 

 sponsible for the public security. He called 

 upon the powers to intervene in order to recog- 

 nize the union as an accomplished fact, declar- 

 ing that otherwise the people were determined 

 to do everything in their power to uphold the 

 union. He telegraphed to the Czar, begging 

 him tp grant his approval to the union and to 

 extend his protection to united Bulgaria. A 

 deputation was sent to Constantinople to con- 

 ciliate the Sultan, and another to lay the case 

 before the Czar, who was visiting in Copen- 

 hagen. The emblems of Turkish sovereignty, 

 torn down by the people of Philippopolis on 

 the day of the coup d'etat, were restored by 

 order of Prince Alexander. Bulgarian troops 

 entered Philippopolis on the 24th of Septem- 

 ber. The Bulgarian Assembly voted 125,000,- 

 000 francs for the purpose of carrying out the 

 programme of unification. Prince Alexander 

 addressed a telegram to the Czar in which he 

 offered to abdicate the throne if his person 

 was held to stand in the way of Bulgarian 

 unity, and if Russia would allow the Russian 

 officers to remain in the Bulgarian army and 

 undertake to effect the union without him. 

 After meeting the Bulgarian cavalry at Philip- 



