Ka Leo o ka Lahui, Volume II, Number 291, 29 September 1891 — The Future Time of Trouble. [ARTICLE]

The Future Time of Trouble.

Kossuth prophetically, took the same view, when he said, "In Turkey will be decided the fate of the world." The opinions of eminent warriors and statesmen, in reference to the overthrow of "the equilibrium of Europe," gives us an idea of the real motives which has induced the great powers to tolerate such a nation as Turkey on the Continent, -"a nation false in religion, destitute of humanity and a disgrace to modern civilization." Constantinople is the grand central strategic point of Europe; and the power that is able to gain permanent possession of it, as Russia desires to do, that power will be in a position to dictate terms to the rest of Europe. It is for this reason that the unspeakable Turk has been suffered to drag alone a sickly existence upon the soil of Europe; a preventive tacitly understood to keep each other out. But this manner of preserving the balance of power cannot always exist. A great power says, "he shall come to his end and none shall help him." How far this has been proven, the following from the S. F. Chronicle of March, 1871, on the ''Eastern Question Congress," held in consequence of Russia's announcement in 1870, to disregard the treaty of 1850, will throw some light:— "It is quite evident that, as far as directing or controlling the action of the Moscovite government is concerned, the Congress is little better than a farce. England originated the idea of the Congress, simply because it afforded her an opportunity of abandoning, without actual dishonor, a position she had assumed rather too hastily, and Russia was complacent enough to join in the little game, feeling satisfied she would loose nothing by her courtesy. Turkey is the only aggrieved party in this dextrous arragement. She is left face to face, with her hereditary and implacable enemy; for the nations that previously assisted her, ostensibly through friendship and love of justice, but really through motives, of self-interest, have evaded the challenge so openly flung into the arena by the Northern Colossus. It is eaßy to forsee the end of this conference. Russia will get all she requires, another step will be taken towards the realization of Peter the Great's will, and the Sultan will receive a foretaste of his apparently inevitable doom — expulsion from Europe." The smouldering fire» of the u Eastern Question" broke' out anew April 24th, 1877. Russia. nnder the ostensible pufpOse to defend tke Christians against their barbanc treatment by the Turks, raieed the standard of war against Turkey. It was plain, however, that her ohiect was to drive the Turks from Europe, m ehe seem to be inspired aud deteroiiii6il to do. The evenliji

and results of that struggle is still fresh in the memory of the general reader.: Turkey was overmatehed from the first; the' ontpostß to her -eapi£al were all occnpied by her implaeahle foe. Dipiomacy again was permitted to eheek the fulfillment of Ruesia's ambition. It was not ordained to be at that time. Another Congress was Held, Jan. 25, 1878, and Turkey agreed to sign conditions of peaee, viz. " the Darships; that Russia should occupy ®atoum,' Kars and Erāerodra; thai> 'Turkey should pay Russia £20,000,000 stirling as a Warindemnity. In making this announeement, the Allgemeine Zeitung addedr "The eventual entry of the Russians into Constantinople eannot longer be regarded as impracticable." i The Detroit Evening News of Feb. 20, 1878, says:r-- 4t According to th« latest version of the peaee conditions * * * The proposition amounts to giving*the Czar a permanent mortgage on the wholē empire. and contains an implied threat that he may foreclose at anv time, by the seizure of the re.mainder of European Turkey. In thi6 last aspect, all Europe has a vital interest in the matter, and particularly England, even if the eonditions were not in themselves ealculated to drivs English creditoif crazy, by destroying their last hope of ever getting a cent of their large investments in bonds. * It makes RusBia creditor of the bankrupt Porte, with the additional advantage of being assignee in possession, leaving creditore with prior claims out in the cold. (To be Continued.)