RUSSIA, TURKEY, AND BULGARIA. 85 



memberment of the Empire? We shall then hear of an English 

 occupation of Constantinople, which will be followed by Austria 

 occupying Servia, Greece Thessaly, France Egypt ; Germany and 

 Italy, too, will move, all invading some coveted portion of the Turkish 

 Empire, a general scramble for the possession of some cherished interest 

 which they must defend, but enemies in face of one another ; and 

 thus the area of war will be enlarged, a war, which it will be im- 

 possible to foresee the close. It may roll east, and roll west, arresting 

 peaceful industry, distracting commerce, and awake everywhere 

 the fierce fires of an unrelenting fanaticism, which will deluge the 

 world with blood, and overwhelm it with terrible woe. 



This policy of intervention by Russia in Bulgaria, by force 

 of arms has been most disastrous, not only for the ostensible objects 

 in view, but, above all, in the maintenance of the peace of Europe. 



In 1828, Russia entered on this same policy of intervention in the 

 affairs of Turkey, of coercion against the Ottoman Porte, and what 

 was the result ? At the close of two years of bloody conflict, destruc- 

 tion of her army by plague, pestilence, and exposure, losing more men 

 thereby than by the sabre and cannon ; and what was worse, the 

 interests of the Christian subjects of Turkey, for whom she professedly 

 waged the war, became far from improved, but greatly damaged by 

 her armed interference. 



In 1854, Russia pursued this same policy of intervention, by force 

 of arms, in the affairs of Turkey, and the result was, that most calami- 

 tous war in the Crimea, England, France, and Italy allied with 

 Turkey against Russia. Did it do any good ? No ! but it caused 

 incalculable harm, for it was a huge blunder from beginning to end, 

 because, independent of the frightful loss of human lives, esti- 

 mated at one million of men, and the wasteful expenditure of 

 money, equal to three hundred and forty millions sterling, it benefited, 

 not one iota, the condition of the Christian population in Turkey, but 

 riveted still stronger the galling chains of the Mussulman oppression 

 upon them. 



In 1877, Russia, for the fifth time in a century, pursued this 

 policy of intervention in the East, waged a cruel and sangui- 

 nary war against Turkey, under the pretext of promoting 

 reforms, and ameliorating the condition of the Slavonic Christians, 

 a war that unchained all the hatred, and stirred up all the 

 worst passions of every faith, of every race, and of every 

 creed against one another, Mahomedan against Infidel, Magyar 

 against Slav, Catholic against Greek Church, and Jew against 



