The Turks Alarmed

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Feb 25, 1873

The Turks Alarmed.

In another column will be found some extracts from J. S. C. Abbott's Prussia and the Franco-Prussian War, setting forth the object which Russia has long entertained with respect to Turkey. Russia has for a few years past been straining every nerve in preparations to carry out her project. And as “where there is a will there is a way,” so when war is desired a pretext will not long be wanting. Russia is opening the ball, by hostile demonstrations in Asia, for some real or fancied injuries, and Turkey, understanding its real significance, is greatly alarmed. So says a recent daily in the following paragraph:—

“ ‘The Turks,’ says a newspaper correspondent at Constantinople, ‘are by no means easy at the progress Russia is making in Central Asia; but they dare not show it. They know that to do so would be of no avail, and would only bring upon them Russian resentment. But they cannot, with a calm and satisfied eye, see a foreign, and above all a Christian, domination established in the region whence they derive their origin. They hoped for a moment, that England, so deeply interested in opposing a barrier to Russia’s policy of conquest, would intervene; and they see with discouragement that the English Government is but slightly disquieted. I know that Sir Henry Elliot has more than once been questioned on the subject by the Turkish Ministers, and that he has given them evasive answers in regard to the policy which England intended to pursue. Already formidable on the side of the Danube and of the Black Sea, Russia will become equally formidable for Turkey on the side of Asia; but the Porte is not strong enough to protest against her encroachments with any chance of being listened to, and seeing that England is silent and lets matters take their course, Turkey also keeps silence—though groaning in secret over the destiny which the Russian conquests are preparing for her in the future.”