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ADVOCATE

1853.

OCTOBER,

THOUGHTS
From

ON THE
theLondon

PEACE.

OF

EASTERN
Herald

QUESTION.

of Peace.

the Roman
and Greek
sects of professed
Two
Christians,
representing
for the custody of what are called
holy pla
churches, have long contended
have been espoused,
and their pretensions
ces in the vicinity of Jerusalem,
as
of
the
the
France
an
of
as
instrument
former,
patron
political power, by
It would
as the patron of the latter.
and by Russia
seem, that some time
a
court
at
of
the
series of intrigues
commenced
ago, the French
government
in favor of the Latins, or
the Sultan, with a view to obtain some privileges
faith at Jerusalem, which were supposed
Catholic
Roman
professors of the
and to the detriment of the members
at the expense
to have been procured
the pre
of Russia
This gave the Emperor
church.
of the Greek
precisely
to
He
with the Turk.
text he wanted
for quarrelling
began
accordingly
to the Sultan, which led to long negotiations,
send -angry remonstrances
"
a firman,
the most
in the proclamation
containing
by the latter of
ending
l:a l been
of the ancient
solemn promises of the maintenance
rights which
communities."
to the Greek
conceded
But,
though this act
by the Forte
to give it
was satisfactory in itself, there were certain formalities necessary
were
ol Russia
the Emperor
and
by
force,
which,
neglected
alleges,
validity
in the proclamation
consisted
These
formalities
the Turkish
government.
After renewed expostulations,
and registration of the firman at Jerusalem.
"
the firman was finally read
and
this point also was conceded,
however,
now
the
that some of
But
Czar
at
Jerusalem."
and registered
complains,
have been openly
in this document
contained
the provisions
transgressed.
"
note recently
The most flagrant violation of it," he says in the circular
"
of Europe,
has been the delivery
to the other governments
addressed
by him

totheLatin Patriarch of thekey of theprincipal churchatBethlehem" Now,

this does really seem to constitute the one grievance

upon which, as a pre
into a general war ; for the breach of
is to be plunged
text at least, Europe
faith involved in the violation of this article, was avowedly made the ground
on his arrival at Constantino
of the treaty demanded
by Prince MenchikofF
ple.

It is impossible not to feel irrepressibleindignationand disgust at the

of the holy name of Christ, in connection with this most miser

prostitution
not
it now unquestionably
believe
We
able business.
proved, that there is
to identify the partic
historical evidence
the smallest particle of authentic
was born and suffered and died.
The
our Saviour
ular localities where

354

Thoughts on theEastern Question.

Oct.

we have, the topographical

strongprobabilityis,judging by theonly guide

of the places
in and about Jerusa
descriptions
given in the New Testament
lem, that they cannot have been on the spots now indicated by the traditions
of the Romish Church. But, whether
they were or not, what a pitiful traves
tie is it upon that system of benevolence
and brotherly love which he came to

teach, and which he affectingly

exemplifiedby a lifewhose whole course

"
one full stream of lore from font to sea,"
Was
to find his professed disciples ready to cut each others' throats, and let loose
"
on
the key of
the dogs of war upon all Christendom,
questions
concerning
and the silver star placed on the Altar of the Na
the Church of Bethlehem,
of the grotto of Gethsemane."
Miserable
fanatics !
tivity, or the possession
cannot they hear the voice which
rises from that sepulchre,
around which
"
their swords so frantically ; Why
seek ye the living
they are drawing
is not here but is risen."
Is it possible
that the lan
among the dead ? He
guage of the Holy One and the Just,does not sometimes sweep with a strange,
are con
through the souls of those rival priests, who
reproachful meaning
on the kings of the earth to fight for the
stantly urging
respective pretensions

they put forthto be his genuine disciples,By thisshall all men know that

ye are my disciples,

if ye love another

But why talkwe of fanaticism? Whatever may have been the case in
"

about the
former ages, the men who now brawl and wrangle
holy places/'
use
the hal
have not even that wretched apology for their conduct.
They
as a
own selfish
lowed name
hypocritical pretext under which to cloak their
ness, cupidity and ambition."
to contrast
The writer proceeds
the recent assurance of the British

the wild,
Minister,

phrenzied panic of last year with

"
that the most cordial unanim

on the oriental
and England
and
ity now exists between France
question,"
in all probability,
to show how that panic
occasioned
the whole
danger of
war against Turkey.
The Czar, learning that England
and France were, or
soon be, in open or virtual rupture, and thus could not be brought
would
to his
to unite in any effective opposition
long and
seized what he deemed a favorable
of aggression,

fondly cherished schemes

for his pur
opportunity

pose.
"
"
Now does not this modern
instance" abundantly
confirm the doctrine of
the peace party, as to the supreme folly of large military armaments
in time
the issue of the quarrel between Russia
of peace ? Whether
and Turkey,
be peace or war, it cannot fail to bring discredit upon this irrational policy.
For, what, let us ask, is the real ground of the alarm felt throughout Europe
at this hour, that hostilities must almost
inevitably break out, if it be not, that
of armed men
in readiness
to be
there are great masses
in a
precipitated
at each other, in obedience
moment
to the choler or caprice of any one of
the powers that are playing the game of their own selfish and ambitious ri
of the tranquillity and happiness
of the human race ?
valry, at the expense
wish it carefully noted, that this is no question of national emulation, but
We
one of dynastic
No man believes
that the Russian
purely
aggrandizement.
as all travellers agree, are
people, who,
remarkably quiet and stay-at-home
to overrun Western
in their habits, have any disposition
Nor would
Europe.
we feel persuaded,
and France,
be ruffled with the slightest
England
appre
if an unarmed
hension
or Russians
and trading
had
community of Greeks
for
of
the
;
peaceful possession
Constantinople
only result would be an im
mense
relations which bind the countries
impulse given to those commercial
of Europe
in amity and mutual dependence.
The
only danger,
therefore,
is felt to arise from the personal
ambition of the Czar,
as the master of a
of armed men. We
million
affirm then, and re-affirm, that
standing armies
-are
kept up, not as a security for the nations ((fornone of the nations of Eu

1853.

Thoughts on theEastern Question.

355

to fight with each other) but

rope have the smallest interest or inclination
purely to gratify the vanity and subserve the sordid ambition ol their rulers.
this terrible
in the hands of these men
leave
then, should the people
Why
instrument with which to work their own woe ? Did not the poet Cowper
"
the sorrows ofman
who make
say well, when, in speaking of great princes,
kind their sport," he exclaimed,
"
Nations would do well
To extort their truncheons from the puny hands
Of heroes whose infirm and baby minds
Are gratified with mischief, and who spoil,
Because men suffer it, their toy, the world."
the answer
is obvious.
If we are asked how this ?s to be accomplished,
means employed and
recommended
Soci
by the Feace
by those
Precisely
the subject, in every form that can
ceaseless
help to
agitation of
ety,?the
as shall in the end make
create such an irresistible public opinion in Europe,
absolute monarchs,
in the cabinets of the most
and insist
itself felt, even
"
infirm and baby minds,"
from the grasp of those
the tre
upon wrenching
with which they constantly terrify and torment their sub
mendous
weapon
jects.
Should

end without war, it will afford, if

the present
agitation, however,
a still more
striking illustration of the fatuity of the system we
and the only reason
For, what is on all hands the acknowledged
actual collision ? Is it not the
that the crisis will pass without
of Europe dare not tempt the hazards of war,
that the Monarchs
conviction,
tot
thrones
lest the first cannon that is fired should make their own crazy
ter and tremble ? They are not withheld by any compassion for the miseries
or by any sense of the awful moral responsibility
of mankind,
they would
once kindled,
it should break forth
incur, but by the dread lest, if the fire be
which would enwrap themselves
and their dynastic in
into a
conflagration
flames. What,
terests in its inextinguishable
then, can be more preposterous
than to find men draining the very life-blood of the nations over which they
for war, which, when the occasion
comes,
rule, to make mighty preparations
not use ?
they dare
Whatever
may be the merits or demerits of our proposed
plan of arbi
tration, those who discuss it, uniformly overlook what we deem itsmost essen
as a preventive
we
of war
recommend
is not arbi
tial feature. What
tration, but stipulated arbitration, that is, requiring the nations during a time
to bind themselves by a positive treaty, that when any dispute aris
of peace
es between
them which cannot be settled by ordinary
they will
negotiation,
to the judgment
and decision
of arbitrators.
the disputed
refer
point
of this plan over any mediation
called in
The
great and obvious superiority
is the oppor
has actually burst forth into mutual menace,
after the quarrel
of angry passion,
and its prevention
of
tunity it affords for the subsidence
cannot re
those overt acts from which the contending parties, it is alleged,
The reason, we are told, why the
loss of honor and dignity.
cede without
of Russia must march his armies into the Danubian
principalities,
Emperor
some demon
is the fact, that he has gone too far to retreat, without making
stration of force, were it not only to soothe and conceal bis irritated vanity.
But our method would preclude matters going so far as to give rise to such
a necessity.
Let us suppose that a treaty of arbitration had existed between
possible^
condemn.
for hoping

Russia and Turkey when thisquestion respectingthe holy places, and the
between
them. When
it
the Greek
church, began to be mooted
rights of
was found, after the preliminary
interchange of notes, and the usual diploma
could not satisfactorily adjust their
that the two governments
tic negotiation,
to the
of
the matter of course would, pursuant
provisions
conflicting claims,
the treaty, have been submitted to some impartial umpire. And can any man

a
poubt thata thirdparty thus called in, would have found solutionwhich

356

Cobden on Turkey,

Oct,

of the case ? Nay, would not the very over

would have met the exigencies
lib
to grant full protection and unlimited
ture recently mad? by the Porte
of the
the requirements
have met
in his dominions,
erty to all Christians
be said, we know,
his own authority ? It may
without endangering
Czar
as a pretext for a long-conceived
and
that Russia
employed her demands only
in spite of the
on Turkey,
and would
therefore;
aggression
pre-determined
if it were so, still the exist
Even
treaty, have refused to accept arbitration.
a refusal to
done good.
For so bare-faced
ence of the treaty would have
have put
and voluntarily
abide by engagements
incurred, would
solemnly
so com
in the wrong, and would have
her so obviously and conspicuously
torn off the disguise from her ambitious designs, as to leave her with
pletely
out the show of a defence against the public opinion of Europe.

COBDEN

ON TURKEY.

to counter
a work of much research
Cobden published
1836, Richard
A few ex*
from Russia.
about supposed aggressions
panic in England
tracts may be interesting and useful at the present crisis
a territory so vast and fer
to our own time, the Turks
Down
governed
Car
tile that, in ancient ages, it comprised Egypt, Phoenicia,
Syria, Greece,
besides
and Armenia,
Epirus,
Pontus, Bithynia,
Cappadocia,
thage, Thrace,
forth, at va
From three of these states went
other less renowned
empires.
the then entire
and
who
rious epochs,
subjected
conquerors
vanquished
condition of this fine territory, so
The
known world.
present lamentable
in the seasons, or defalca
in former times, arises from no change
renowned
the tem
It still stretches from 34 to 43 deg. north, within
tion of nature.
and all
the same parallels of latitude as Spain, France,
and
zone,
upon
perate
"
Mount
States.
says Malte Brun,
the best portion of the United
Hmmus,"
"
and
is still covered with verdant forests ; the plains of Thrace, Macedonia,
to the husbandman
and easy harvests
; a thou
abundant
Thessaly
yield
and
sand ports and a thousand gulfs are observed on the coasts, peninsula's
the base of the
The calm billows of these tranquil seas still bathe
islands.
and nume
covered with vines and olive trees. But the populous
mountains
into deserts
have been changed
rous towns mentioned
by ancient writers,
Ail the authorities upon this country as
beneath a despotic government."
is more fruitful than the rich
sure us that the soil of many parts of Turkey
In

act a

est plains of Sicily. When grazed by the rudestplough, ityields a more

the
and the Loire,
harvest than the finest fields between the Eure
and iron, are still existing, and
Mines
of silver, copper
granary of France.
the
and silk might be made
in the country.
salt abounds
Cotton, tobacco
culture admits of almost unlimited ex
their
and
this
of
region,
staple exports
some of the native wines
Turkish
tension
territory ; whilst
throughout the
in
Almost
are equal to those of Burgundy.
every species of tree flourishes
are clad with apple, pine,
The heights on the Danube
Turkey.
European
seen inWallachia;
trees; whole forests of these may be
cherry and apricot
The olive,
and Epirus.
cover the hills of Thrace, Macedonia
and
they
the laurel, myrtle, and nearly all the
and
mastic,
orange,
pomegranate,
fig
to this soih Nor,
are natural
and aromatic shrubs and
beautiful
plants,
life. The
than those of vegetable
less valuable
are the animal productions
to improve the breeds of
been drawn from this quarter
finest horses have
are, probably,
Western
; and the rich pastures of European
Turkey
Europe
abundant

thebest adapted in theworld for rearing the largestgrowthsof cattleand

sheep.