Rensselaer Union, Volume 9, Number 11, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 30 November 1876 — The Position of Constantinople. [ARTICLE]

The Position of Constantinople.

Long before the time of Constantine the growing Roman Empire required an Im perlal center nearer to its geographical center than its old capital oft Urt Ti!*er; and certainly, if Constantine had fixed hia new capital with the aid of modem science and art, he could not possibly have choeen a site which would prove so natural a political center as the one he actually selected. Compare it to-day, considered aa the capital of a great euiptre, with Rome, or with any European capital. There is not one of them all that can sustain the comparison for a moment. Constantinople sits like a queen on the one great highway between Europe and Asli. Her site is easy of defense. She has a magnificent harbor. She is facile mistress of the sea on either side, by means of the straits of the Bjsphorns and the Hellespont. What is the site of London, or Paris, or Berlin, or Vienna, or St. Petersburg in the comparison! Nowonder.the Osar has long looked with envious eyes toward the Golden Hom—to the capital city of the Greek Church and the Greek Empire. No wonder that the whole “Eastern question" has long hinged on what is to be done with Constantinople and the highway which she controls. Europe cares little! about the outlying possessions of the Bultan; but it is a vital question with every chief. European State who should hold the key city of all the East. Let Russia, with her already enormous possessions in both Europe amt Asia, hold Constantinople as her southern capital, and she will not be long in showing Europe who is mistress of the whole Eastern continent. While the Ottoman Empire was still at the height of her power, while the glory of her arms made all Bouthem Europe tremble, this fear and dread was because she held her seat at Constantinople, and thus sat mistress of the “two seas ana the two sands." But later, when the ancient prowess of the Moslems gave place to supineness—when the Turk, who Was a strong man in his ancient home, became effeminate in these sunnier climes, the fear grew to be, not lest the Turk should encroach upon Europe; the dread was not because he holds his seat in Europe; but there is disquiet and anxiety lest he be unable to hold the position he has conquered, lest be become a prey to the teeth of the huge Russian bear. And this is no idle fear, for given any strong and Intelligent European government seated here, andr-she I rules the world.—Dr. Herrick, in Galaxy for December.