Democratic Sentinel, Volume 2, Number 39, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 8 November 1878 — THE PEACE OF EUROPE THREATENED. [ARTICLE]

THE PEACE OF EUROPE THREATENED.

[From the Chicago Journal.] Only a few weeks ago we were informed that the great “Eastern question” was at last happily settled—a question which has been a bone of contention for so many generations among the grout nations of Europe. The close of the Berlin Conference was an event attended with great joy and gladness. Its echoes w’ere reverberated throughout the civilized world. The grand results of that conference were proclaimed by the Tory press to be the brilliant achievements of English diplomacy, and Lord Beaconsfield w as the acknowledged hero of this alleged great masterpiece in modern statesmanship. Even Queen Victoria, in token of her satisfaction of what was supposed to be the great finale of a troublesome question, affixed in person the Garter of Knighthood on this astute Machiavellian diplomat, on his return from Continental Europe. But all is not peace that looks like peace. The treaty of Berlin did not settle any of the real questions involved —it only postponed them, and it afforded the leading champions in the affair an opportunity to retire gracefully from the untenable position assumed by the respective parties. England was, therefore, happy; Russia w r as happy, too, for neither felt any great hankering for entering on an interminable conflict, under existing circumstances. The Berlin treaty is a curious document for the student of international politics. True, it makes recommendations : but it leaves each party to see to the fulfillment of its provisions. Nothing is mandatory. Everything is left to the sweet will of the parties concerned just in proportion to the power each may possess to make its respective claim good in accordance with the interpretation they may severally see fit to give to this celebrated piece of patchwork in diplomacy. What an outcome )liis for so much pomp and display ! How Bismarck must have smiled over such a piece of tomfoolery! Tn the nature of things, he must at least have been trying, good-naturedly, to get two of his brother diplomats out of an unpleasant ' situation, into which they had unwittingly fallen, willing to leave to the future the solution of the troublesome problem as to what is finally to become of the Turks in Europe.

Austria has nearly made good her original claims in accordance with the treaty by taking forced possession of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and she will soon be in a condition to afford aid in picking another bone of the Turkey, so ingeniously carved up by the cooks at their recent conference in Berlin. The work thus so happily begun must go on, in the very nature of things. There is no help for it now. Serviawill soon come to the front, asserting her share of the spoils. Montenegro will follow suit. . Greece also will become more and more restless, and, under the sting of bitter disappointment, she, too, will be prompted, in spite of England’s protestation, to appeal to the fortune of war in order to secure her proportion in the distributions of the waning power of the Turks. Instead, then, of the twenty-five years’ peace promised by the late abortive effort in diplomacy, we are on the eve of new complications. Russia herself is continuing her stay in Roumelia with a force 150,000 strong, and her outposts are still within twentyfive miles of .Constantinople. It is the most natural thing in the world to infer that the outcome of such a combination of circumstances cannot mean anything else than complete control of Turkey in Europe and the final disruption of the empire. What was left undone at Berlin must now be done with the force of arms. Austria, Russia, Servia, Greece and Montenegro are in a fair way to dispose of what is now left of Turkey in Europe. The late conference ought to have disposed of the subject, but, as it is, the whole problem is remanded for final solution only after another bloody conflict.

In the meantime, it is confidently asserted that the British troops in India have already crossed the borders of Afghanistan, and are threatening to overrun the Ameer’s dominions in revenge of Britain’s offended majesty. The Ameer, however, is apparently on good terms with Russia, and is looking in that direction for aid to successfully resist the invading, forces. Russian troops are in control of the chief city in Turkestan, ready to keep a good lookout in the direction of England’s ulterior purposes. On the whole, the prospects for a little trouble in the East are more than usually promising. Under such circumstances, it will be a little inconvenient for England to keep her eyes at the same time on Constantinople. The peace of Europe and Asia is simply in a condition of an armed neutrality. Smoldering embers of war may burst forth at any moment, and throw all Europe into volcanic commotion. The sovereigns may cry peace, but peace cannot reign so long as the conditions of society continue as they are under existing circumstances.