32 JOURNAL AND PROCEEDINGS. 



of the most brilliant chapters in military story. The names of Plevna 

 and the Shipka Pass have shed a never-dying glory upon Turkish 

 arms. But even the valor of desperation must yield to numbers. 

 One by one the lines of defence were broken, and the Russian troops 

 found themselves at the gates of Constantinople. The prize was 

 within their grasp, when a British fleet passed the Dardanelles, and 

 Admiral Seymour sent a message to the Russian commander, that the 

 taking of Constantinople would mean the opening of his guns upon 

 the invading camp. The Russians, therefore, halted their troops 

 without the city gates, and the Treaty of San Stephano was signed : 

 a treaty amplified by that of Berlin. By the terms of these treaties 

 further protection was guaranteed to the Christian subjects of the 

 Sultan ; Austria obtained Bosnia, and England the Island of Cyprus ; 

 while an enlarged measure of self-government was granted to various 

 of the Balkan States. The results, then, of the events of the last 30 

 years in this quarter of Europe are these. The Ottoman Empire, 

 while still preserving her Asiatic possessions, has been cut down in 

 her European possessions from a population of 15 to one of 4 mil- 

 lions ; and there have arisen several new Christian states, allied to 

 Russia by interest and sympathy, but somewhat suspicious of her as 

 having designs on their independence. These states have, since 

 1878, made great advances in military strength and general civiliza- 

 tion, and their existence has given a new turn to the yet unsolved 

 Eastern Question. 



Let us now consider the probable political future of Continental 

 Europe. And (i) : There is the possibility that the present status may 

 be preserved, /. e., that there may be no great war. Since 1878 

 there has been no such war, and many persons are becoming dubious 

 of this terrible cloud which is supposed to be forever hanging over 

 Europe. Possibly it may not be a war-cloud ; it may be that the 

 volcano, said to be ever upon the point of eruption, is only an extinct 

 volcano. On the other hand, there are many elements of danger ; 

 there is much inflammable material ready for a conflagration. I'here 

 are dynastic jealousies ; there are religious and race feuds, centuries 

 old ; there is the newly-awakened longing for nationality on the part 

 of rising states ; and there are the standing armies. A word as to 

 this last point. There is, I think, a good deal of exaggeration about 

 the excessive war establishments and the unbearable taxation. Asa 



