724 



TURKEY. 



The concluding and most emphatic section 

 of the Turkish answer brings back to the 

 eyes of the Powers the Treaty of Paris, which 

 the Protocol treated rudely. The portion of 

 that document to which especial reference is 

 made is the latter part of article 9, which says : 

 "It is well understood that it [the firman 

 promising amelioration of the condition of 

 Turkish subjects without distinction of religion 

 or race] could not give the right, in any case, 

 to the aforesaid Powers to interfere either col- 

 lectively or separately in the relations of his 

 Majesty the Sultan with his subjects, nor in 

 the interior administration of his Empire." 



This answer of the Porte breathed a spirit 

 of defiance to Eussia, and seemed to make war 

 inevitable. Active preparations were now made 

 by both Governments for the coming struggle. 

 The Russian forces in Bessarabia and Southern 

 Russia were concentrated along the line of the 

 Pruth, while the Turkish forces gathered on 

 the Danube. On April 18th, the Russian Chan- 

 cery in Constantinople was closed, and about 

 the same time the Czar set out for Kishenev, 

 the headquarters of the Russian army, accom- 

 panied by the Minister of War. On April 24th, 

 the Czar issued his proclamation to the nation. 

 The text is as follows : 



Our faithful and beloved subjects know the strong 

 interest we have constantly felt in the destinies of 

 the oppressed Christian population of Turkey. Our 

 desire to ameliorate and assure their lot has been 

 shared by the whole Russian nation, which now 

 shows itself ready to bear fresh sacrifices to allevi- 

 ate the position of the Christians in the Balkan Pen- 

 insula. 



The blood and property of our faithful subjects 

 have always been dear to us, and our whole reign 

 attests our constant solicitude to preserve to Eussia 

 the benefit of peace. This solicitude never failed to 

 actuate us during the deplorable events which oc- 

 curred in Herzegovina, Bosnia, and Bulgaria. Our 

 object before all was to effect amelioration in the 

 position of the Christians in the East by means of 

 pacific negotiations ; and in concert with the great 

 European Powers, our allies and friends, for two 

 years we have made incessant efforts to induce the 

 Porte to effect such reforms as would protect the 

 Christians in Bosnia, Herzegovina, and Bulgaria 

 from the arbitrary measures of local authorities. 

 The accomplishment of these reforms was absolutely 

 stipulated by anterior engagements contracted by the 

 Porte toward the whole of Europe. 



Our efforts, supported by diplomatic representa- 

 tions, made in common by the other Governments, 

 have not, however, attained their object. The Porte 

 has remained unshaken in its formal refusal of any 

 effective guarantee for the security of its Christian 

 subjects, and has rejected the conclusions of the 

 Constantinople Conference. Wishing to essay every 

 possible means of conciliation in order to persuade 

 the Porte, we proposed to the other Cabinets to 

 draw up a special Protocol comprising the most es- 

 sential conditions of the Constantinople Conference, 

 and to invite the Turkish Government to adhere to 

 this international act, which states the extreme limits 

 of our peaceful demands. But our expectation was 

 not fulfilled. The Porte did not defer to this unani- 

 mous wish of Christian Europe, and did not adhere 

 to the conclusions of the Protocol. 



Having exhausted pacific efforts, we are compelled 

 by the haughty obstinacy of the Porte to proceed to 

 more decisive acts, feeling that our equity and our 

 own dignity enjoin it. By her refusal Turkey 



places us under the necessity of having recourse to 

 arms. 



Profoundly convinced of the justice of our cause, 

 and humbly submitting ourselves to the grace and 

 help of the Most High, we make known to our faith- 

 ful subjects that the moment foreseen when we pro- 

 nounced words to which all Russia responded with 

 complete unanimity has now arrived. We expressed 

 the intention to act independently when we deemed 

 it necessary, and when Russia's honor should de- 

 mand it. In now invoking the blessing of God upon 

 our valiant armies, we give them the order to cross 

 the Turkish frontier. ALEXANDER. 



Given at Kishenev, this the 12th day of April 

 [old stvle], in the year of grace 1877, and the 23d 

 year of our reign. 



The formal declaration of war was handed 

 to the Turkish charge d'affaires in St. Peters- 

 burg on April 24th. It declared that, as the 

 negotiation between the Porte and Russia had 

 not led to the desired result, the Czar, to his 

 regret, saw himself forced to take np arms. 

 Russia would therefore from that day be at 

 war with the Porte. The diplomatic relations 

 were interrupted, and the members of the Ot- 

 toman embassy would receive their passports, 

 as likewise the Ottoman subjects in Russia who 

 might wish for them. Those who wished to 

 remain would enjoy the protection of the laws. 



In the mean time a strong feeling in favor of 

 peace began to make itself manifest in Servia 

 and Montenegro. On January 25th, Midhat 

 Pasha addressed a friendly note to the two 

 provinces, which was favorably received. With 

 Servia, peace was finally concluded on March 

 1st. (See SEBVIA.) The negotiations with 

 Montenegro continued until the middle of 

 April, but without any result, as the two Gov- 

 ernments could not agree on the territory to be 

 ceded to Montenegro. 



In the beginning of February an important 

 change took place in the Government of Turkey. 

 Midhat Pasha was deposed and banished, and 

 Edhem Pasha made grand-vizier in his place. 



On March 19th the first Turkish Parliament 

 met, which had been elected in accordance 

 with a clause of the new constitution. It was 

 opened by the Sultan in person. In the speech 

 from the throne he returned thanks to Provi- 

 dence for having been able to open the first 

 session of his Parliament, and he then enumer- 

 ated the principal laws which the two assem- 

 blies would be called upon to discuss during 

 this session. These were an electoral bill, a 

 provincial bill, a bill on commercial regula- 

 tions, a code of civil procedure, measures for 

 the reorganization of the tribunals, the promo- 

 tion and retirement of pnblic functionaries, a 

 press bill, a bill for the organization of a court 

 account, and finally the budget law. The Sul- 

 tan specially recommended the study and adop- 

 tion of the financial bills, and he stated that 

 measures would be taken to offer the creditors 

 of Turkey, with the concurrence and consent 

 of their representatives, the most solid guaran- 

 tees for the execution of the engagements of 

 foreign creditors, while at the same time recon- 

 ciling them with the urgent necessities of the 



