THE TABLET
A W eekly Newspaper and Review
D u m v o b i s g r a t u l a m u r , a n im o s e t i a m a d d im u s u t i n in c c e p t is v e s t r i s c o n s t a n t e r m a n e a t i s .
From the Brie-f oj His Holiness to T h e T a b l e t , June 4, 1870.
Voi. 48. No. 1907. L o n d o n , O c t o b e r 28, 1876.
P r ice sd. B y P o st 5 % d.
[R eg i st e r e d a t th e G en e r a l P o st O f f ic e a s a N ew spaper
C h ro n ic le o f t h e W e e k :—
Page
Pacific Reaction.— Attitude of the Powers.— The Question of Guarantees.— Turkey and Russia.— Extent o f the Russian Demands. — The Meaning of Autonomy.— Abstention o f England.—War or Peace ?—Preparations for War.— Signs of Peace.— The Campaign in Servia.— Capture of Djunis.— The Armistice.— Lord Beacons.field and the “ Golos.”— The “ Atrocity" Agitation.— A Vienna Telegram.— Conspiracy at Constantinople. — Governor Hayes and “ The American Alliance.”— •Conspiracy in Spain.— The Question of “ Toleration” in Spain.— The South African States, &c. . . 545
CONTENTS
L e a d e r s :
Page
Russia and Turkey.. .. .. 549 The Irish Land Question .. .. 549 A Home Lesson from the East .. 550 Mr. Gladstone and “ Leading
Liberals ” .. .. .. ,. 551 Russia and Turkey.— I I I . .. 552 The Book o f the Imitation of
Christ and its Author, John Gersen, Abbot o f St Stephen’s, at Vercelli.— VI. . . .. .. 554 C hurch M usic 555 R e v ie w s :
The Aristotleian Philosophy .. 556 The Vocabulary o f Philosophy,
Mental, Moral, and Metaphysical .. .........................557 The Annual Register . . . . 557
S hort N otices :
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St. Patrick the Apostle of Ireland 557 Nomenclátor Literarius . . .. 558 Llewelyn: A Tragedy . . .. 558 The Sisters of St. Joseph in
Australia .. . . . . .. 558 Aunt Augusta’s Dreams, and other Tales . . .. . . 558 The Soul United to Jesus.. .. 558 Literary, Artistic, & Scientific Gossip 558 C o r r e s p o n d e n c e :
Catholic Candidates for the Lon
don School Board.— Election Expenses Fund . . .. . . 559 The Litany of the Saints . . . . ssg Our Club . . . . . . . . 559 R ome :— Letter from our own Cor
respondent . . . . . .5 6 1
Page
D io ce san N ews :— Westminster .. . . . . 562
S o u th w a r k .......................................563 Beverley ...................................... 563 Shrewsbury . . . . . . . . 563 I r e lan d
Letter from our Dublin Corre
spondent . . . . ... . . 563 F oreign N ew s ;—
France . .
Austria ...................................... 564 Germany . . . . . . . . 565 Brazil . . . . . . . . . . 566 M em oranda :—
Religious . .
Educational . . . . . . . . 566 Political . . . . . . . . 567 Gen e r a l N ew s ............................567
564
566
CHRONICLE OF THE WEEK.
PACIFIC REACTION. T
H E panic o f last week was followed by a reaction. I t was discovered that the dreaded triple alliance be
tw een the Empires meant at the most no more than th a t Austria and Germany would remain neutral in the case o f a Russo-Turkish war, and other facts ■ came to ligh t which lessened the apprehension o f an immediate invasion o f Bulgaria. T h e reply o f the Emperor o f Austria to the T sar’s second letter, sent by his aide-decamp General Taschkoff, proved that the Austro-Hungarian Governm ent would give neither help nor sanction to any projects o f military occupation, and Russia perceived that, i f she interfered overtly, she would have to act alone. More than this, it becam e apparent that her real aims and her resolution to frustrate all negotiation was very generally understood and disapproved by European opinion. So we had fresh assurances o f pacific intentions, and General Ignatieff was sent back to Constantinople to present his credentials, together, as it is reported, with a fresh statement o f cond itions on which direct negotiations with the Porte might possibly be based. A t the same time a rumour was spread that the Cesarewich intended to visit Vienna, Berlin, and London, with a view o f making the world believe that nothing was farther from the thoughts o f the Russian Governm ent than war.
ATTITUDE OF THE
POWERS.
Russia is thus isolated, and she and Turkey are now face to face ; England is understood to have withdrawn from all direct diplom atic interference, though she is o f course ready at any tim e to offer her mediation should the opposing parties seem willing honestly to profit by it. France, which at first— not unnaturally perhaps— seemed inclined to coquet with Russia, has awaked to the true nature o f the crisis, and has drawn nearer to England ; so as Austria ; and Germany offers neither aid nor opposition to the Russian projects, declaring her utter indifference to the question about the duration o f the armistice, while the principal organs o f opinion, both in the North and South o f the Empire, display a decided hostility to the Russification o f the Turkish provinces as injurious to German interests. Ita ly shows herself disposed to follow the lead o f Germany, and disavows any agreement with Russia for her own aggrandisement at the expense of Austria.
THE QUES
TION OF GUARANTEES,
T h e fact is that the question between the six months, two months and a half, or six weeks’ armistice is completely thrown into the shade by the more dangerous difficulty about the gua
rantees. When asked what security Turkey would give, if the six months’ arm istice was accepted, that the reforms
N e w S e r i e s , V ol. XVI. No. 416.
agreed upon would be effectually carried out, M idhat Pasha is reported to have answered that the confidence o f the Powers in the promises o f the Sultan would be to them a sufficient guarantee, and that he did not see that any other was necessary or even possible. But this is merely p laying into the hands o f the Russians, who would o f course answer that mere promises had been proved to be worth ju st nothing. Moreover, a uniform constitutional measure for the whole o f the Ottoman Empire would unquestionably be unequally applied, and might prove illusory for the European provinces as probably as for any o th e r ; whereas the only reforms which have really succeeded— those in the Lebanon, and perhaps those in Crete— have been special in their character, and were inaugurated in an exceptional manner. I f this argument were pressed, it would not be easy to answer it, and therefore, if the Porte were well advised, it would at once embody in a protocol its acceptance o f Lord Derby’s proposals, and consent to the execution o f the reforms being placed under the control o f a jo in t Commission.
TURKEY AND
RUSSIA.
But a belief has gained currency that the Turks have got an idea that, since the protecting Powers ask so much, they may possibly get better terms by a direct bargain with Russia. That Power was thought to be about to demand the independence o f Servia, and at least the political autonomy o f Bosnia, H e rzegovina, and Bulgaria ; together with the throwing open o f the Bosphorus and Dardanelles as a free highway for ships o f every class. T h e Porte does not care half so much about keeping the Bosphorus closed as it does about the retention o f the status quo in Bulgaria, and it might in an emergency make up its mind to the creation o f vassal states in the two other provinces. I t knows, moreover, that i f the Great Powers are conducting the negotiation, they are lik e ly to insist on the concession respecting Bulgaria, as far as administrative autonomy goes— which it considers equivalent to dismemberment o f the Empire— and to resist the demand concerning the Bosphorus, about which comparatively it cares little. A ccordingly the [Turkish statesmen were said to be asking themselves whether, i f they were to consent to all Russia’s other demands, especially to the opening o f the Bosphorus, she would not very probably desist from pressing the point about Bulgaria. Such is the report which the correspondents sent us from Constantinople previously to the presentation o f General Ignatieff’s Note.
But o f this Note there is another version,
e x t e n t o f a n d that the latest, which reduces the Russian d e m a n d s , demands to a much more moderate compass,
— so as to be indeed no more than Lord D e rb y ’s proposals, with the guarantee for their execution which we have above indicated as desirable. General Ignatieff is said to demand, first, an unconditional armistice for six weeks •