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Turkey

Turkey image
Parent Issue
Day
16
Month
February
Year
1877
Copyright
Public Domain
OCR Text

That Turkey in her lfite contest lias outwitted and otitgeneraled, diplomatically all of her formidable antagonists, intelligent and observant readers of late foreign dispatches cannot doubt. A few months ago Turkey was in open conflict with two of lier principal provincee - Servia and Montenegro - who were actively supported by Russian influence and military skill, and at tlie same time resisting, as best she could, the combincd advisory attack of all the great powers in Europe. The conflict for a time was of j a doubtful character ; the odds were fearfully against the siiccess of the cresoent. One Sultan after another went down bef ore the storm, and was laid, first apon the political shelf, and then quietly into the grave. But still the orescent waned not. Her arms were victorious, lier power survived. Later, a prolonged armistice gave all parties time to gatlier up their seatteredthoughts,andto gravely considerthe situation. Then began the diplomatic ] battle. The representatives of the ' "great powers' drew near the Turkish i court and capital with heads and moutlis full of talk. The talking continued for a month. Proposition was met by j eounter-proposition, or by refusal. I ïmlly camc the ultimatum ; and this, alter due deliberation, was - flatly rcjected. The dignified but vanquished Ambassadors made hasto to take their leave of the Sultan, and then siibmissively withdrew from the bootless encouuter. And what is the general outeome of it ' all ? Turkey remains intact and vinhurt, and stands collected and deflant, the real ; master of the situation, while England has subsided into silence, and Russia, i apparently, is not quite ready. Verily, the so-called "sickman" of Europe is not quite so sick after all. His I ness " wears very much the semblance of strength. He is either a very willful and reckless invalid, or else he must be " getting better " very rapidly. His answer to the rdtimatum, " Death bef ore dishonor," and "No reforms from outside dictation," sound wonderfully like the utterances of a man who knew where he stood and what he was about. Iu fact, the sick man has achieved a signal diplomatic victory, has shown remarkable pluck and braveiy, and acts as though he could do a good deal of damagc yet, if necessity compelled him. The European patiënt must now fairly be ; pronounced convalescent. To what is this great change in the aspect of Europeon politics owing? First, as already intimated, the extent of I Turkish resources and power, and the ! strength of Turkisli character, have both been uuderestimated by the "rest af i mankind." The Ttirk is still au ugly j mil formidable factor in the Eastern problein, and is likely to be for some time to come. He does not, and ■ ently will not, easily bow down at other men's bidding. Constantinople is a solid quantity on the European map. The Golden Hom is neither brittle nor pointless. Turkey's mongrel, yet united, population is leavened through and through ! with Moliammedanism, and the probability is thnt the day will never dawn over the world when Moliammedanism, as a sternly-resisting power in all social and j civil lif'e, will not have to be recognized as an existing and an indissoluble reality. All history shows what wonderful tenacI ity and vitality it possesses. On the part of Bussia, there is the wholesome dread of war. The time has ! come when monarchs and kingdoms, em! pires and emperors, and nations, hesitate long before plunging headlong into a seething sea of camage. Formerly, if national debts accumulated, they could j as easily be repudiated; but it is not so now. The national credit is a thing that mitst not be sacrificed for light or trivial j or purely personal and ambitious reasons. Again, wars are deadly as well as most expensiye; and human life has become too precious and valuable to be ! ly thrown away. And thcn, underlying all other causes, is the silent potentiality of an ing, ever-extending Ohristian and humane civilization, which frowns upon an ! appeal to arms, except as a dernier resort.

Article

Subjects
Old News
Michigan Argus