THE HAMILTON ASSOCIATION. 3 1 



race, and religion — for the latter were of the Greek Church — there 

 was, from the first, rebellion on the one side and oppression on the 

 other. In the early part of this century the first successful revolt 

 was inaugurated, the extreme south wresting its independence from 

 Turkey and forming the Kingdom of Greece. This was an inspira- 

 tion to the other States. They, too, dreamed of liberty, either as 

 separate, autonomous powers or else as members of a vast Slavonic 

 Union under the aegis of Russia, Turkey's ancient foe. For Russia 

 was drawn to their side by sympathy and interest : by sympathy, 

 arising from community of blood and faith ; by interest, because she 

 had never forgotten the old prophecy that some day the white Czar 

 shall water his charger in the Bosphorus, and that he who is master 

 of Constantinople shall be master of Europe and Asia. But, although 

 the Great Powers sympathized with these Christian provinces as 

 against Turkey, yet they did not wish to see Russia absorb Turkey. 

 This for various reasons : because they mistrusted Russia's kindly 

 solicitude ; because they wished to preserve the so-called balance of 

 power ; and because Russia at Constantinople would be dangerously 

 near certain possessions of their own, e. g., Malta and the Ionian 

 Islands. Therefore, when in 1854 Russia interfered in the affairs of 

 Moldavia and Wallachia (now the kingdom of Roumania), she found 

 herself confronted by the Allied Powers ; and the Crimean War, end- 

 ing in the defeat of Russia, broke out. The result of this war was 

 that she was checked in her advance towards the Bosphorus, that 

 she was shut out from the Dardanelles and the Black Sea, that 

 certain provisions were made for the better treatment of the 

 Balkan peoples, and that, to some of them, was granted a Hmited 

 independence. Nothing was heard, therefore, of the Eastern ques- 

 tion for some years. After a time, however, it began to be whisper- 

 ed that Turkey was disregarding her obligations, and that Russia had 

 ambitious designs. So, in 1876, the Servians, Montenegrins, and 

 Bosnians rose against Turkish rule; in 1876 the Bulgarian atrocities 

 were committed by Ottoman soldiers ; and in 1877 Russia declared 

 war. Now the Turks have this peculiarity : when others can be got 

 to fight for them — as in the Crimean War — they show little disposi- 

 tion to fight for themselves, but when they must fight alone, they are 

 among the best troops in the world. In 1877-8 they had no allies, 

 and their defence against the overwhelming forces of Russia is one 



