THE EASTERN QUESTION

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Oct 5, 1876

THE EASTERN QUESTION.

In some respects the difficulties of Turkey are evidently increasing. The Emperor of Morocco has declared his inability to send his customary subsidy to the Sultan of Turkey, owing to the heavy drain on his resources caused by the repression of disturbances in his own dominions. This foreshadows similar action which may any day be announced on the part of other dependencies of the Porte. It is very probable that Egypt will seize the present opportunity to sever the last tie that binds her to the Ottoman government, and resume her independent position in the family of nations. Greece and Crete are trembling on the verge of rebellion. A striking article appears in the Jewish Times of this week, arguing that sound policy requires the Jews in the East to ally themselves with the struggling Christian provinces and actively to help in their cause. The reasons assigned are the inevitable dissolution of the Ottoman Empire, and the fact that an active participation in their struggle now will give the Jews a claim for fair and equal treatment in the general reorganization of society and government which must ensue.

The recent oppression of the Jews in Roumania and elsewhere gives additional significance to this argument. The writer asks: “Will those Danubian nationalities ever become friends of the Jews? They will. Human nature is everywhere the same. Seeing a million of fellow-sufferers of another race and religion loyally and unequivocally coming forth and helping them with their brains, their arms, and their treasures, they will, like other Christian nations, despoil themselves of rotten prejudices and tender them the hand of equality and fraternity. Hungary is the most glaring proof of that assertion. Twenty-five years ago the Magyar was as fanatical as the present Roumanian or Servian. Jewish patriotism in times of trial gained the emancipation of 500,000 co-religionists.”

On the other hand, there is reason to fear that the insurgent provinces have exposed themselves to overthrow by acting singly. If there had been statesmanship enough to have organized a simultaneous revolt, Turkey would have been powerless before them, but the “sick man” may yet be strong enough to crush his assailants one by one. It is said that the three chiefs of Mecca have proposed to place in this emergency 200,000 Arabian cavalry in the field, and another report affirms that the Rothschilds have offered to pay off the Turkish debt, provided Turkey gives them certain valuable copper, silver, and coal mines on the Black Sea and in Asia Minor, and also the city of Jerusalem. The tragedy deepens in interest, and the unfoldings of Providence are watched by Christian hearts over two hemispheres with deep solicitude.—Christian Statesman.