RUSSIA, TURKEY, AND BULGARIA. 87 



mans, descendants of the conquering race, an equal number possibly, 

 of Slavs, who are members of the Greek Church, and an equal 

 number of Roman Catholics, whom the Vatican at Rome has_ 

 commanded to be loyal to the Ottoman Porte. If Russia should ever 

 become the Conqueror of these provinces, and annexes one, or all of 

 them to the Russian Empire, she would ally herself with the Slavs of 

 these States, and the result would be, she would oppress the Moslems, 

 the Jews, and the Catholics, to such an extent, that civil war, and 

 chronic insurrection would perpetually distract their prosperity and 

 peace. Is this the way to bring forth order, when it is affirmed the 

 absence of order has been of such terrible consequences ? Is this the 

 way to get harmony in thfe midst of chaos, to introduce justice, and 

 to promote concord between populations, so different and hostile 

 the one to the other ? 



When Servia, and Roumania, and Montenegro rebelled against the 

 Ottoman Porte, and secured their quasi-independence, as Suzerain 

 States of Turkey, the case was widely different. These provinces 

 contained but a small relative proportion of the Moslem faith 

 and race, and a still smaller proportion of the Roman Catholics and 

 Jews ; all of whom, immediately on their Independence being secured, 

 became expatriated, forcibly or otherwise, and took refuge in the 

 adjoining provinces under the Ottoman rule. Qranted that the 

 Great Powers of Europe befriended their cause, but they never openly 

 aided them in their struggle for Independence, for they won it 

 by their own spirit of freedom, and the alliance of Europe guaranteed 

 their neutrality. 



The question naturally arises, what is the most effective and practi- 

 cable way of settling the Eastern Question ? It can only be settled by 

 the united voice of Europe, the alliance of England with Russia, of 

 Austria with Prussia, and of France with Italy, by a concerted action 

 urging upon Turkey, in the name of justice and humanity, and above 

 all, in the interests of general peace, to grant and extend the exercise 

 of a benign rule over all her various races and religions throughout 

 her Empire ; and herein she will only be likely to concede a common 

 law and a common right. This only can quench mutual hate, and 

 avert chronic revolution in her midst, and this is the policy that the 

 allied Powers should concert. 



Whilst reasonable time should be given for the carrying out of 

 important and necessary reforms in all parts of her scattered Empire, 

 yet Europe should also see that Turkey keeps her word. 



To open every office in the State, be it military or civil, to 



