Again I do not speak from direct communication, but I have been told that Lord Palmerston always looked upon the neutralization as an arrangement which might be maintained and held together for a limited number of years, but which, from its character, it was impossible to maintain as a permanent condition for a great settlement of Europe."

However, Russia had regained what she had lost at the close of the Crimean War by skilful diplomacy. She now was perfectly at liberty to keep her fleet in the Black Sea, and to refortify Sebastopol and Keotch to such an extent as to render them impregnable.

She felt gratified at the result of the Franco-Prussian War, and on hearing that Prussia had annexed Alsace and Lorraine, General Ignatieff, the Russian Ambassador at Constantinople, hastened to the German Ambassador, Count Karserling, and said, "Permit me to congratulate you, and thank you; for you it is a prodigious mistake, but on Russia you have conferred the greatest possible boon." At the time of the annexa

tion of the two French provinces, Germany thought that they would prove of the greatest value to the German Empire, but this idea proved a mistake, and since then Russia has used, and still uses them, as a pivot on which the Eastern Question turns.

Frederick III.'s idea of selling back Alsace and Lorraine would no doubt prove a great benefit, not only to the German nation, but also to the maintenance of the balance of power in Europe.

Yet, though Bismarck defeated Napoleon III. in a sanguinary war, Prince Gortschakoff had beaten all the signitary powers at the Treaty of Paris by one stroke of the pen, and the greatest gainer in the Franco-Prussian War was not Germany but Russia. Verily, indeed, is it once more proved that the Pen is mightier than the Sword.

VII.

THE RUSSO-TURKISH WAR OF 1878.

Bulgarian atrocities - The Andrassy Note; England destroys its effect-The Berlin Memorandum; England opposes it-Russia prepares for a Turkish war-Conference of Constantinople-New Turkish Constitution Russo-Turkish War - Treaty of San Stefano Intervention of the Powers-The Berlin CongressFinal treaty of peace.

THE Slavs migrated to the Balkan Peninsula as early as 450 A.D., and Bosnia remained the only Slavonic part of the Turkish Empire where a native nobility owned the land and a peasantry tilled it for them.

Having been defeated by the Turks, the nobility became Mahommedans to save their patrimony, while the peasantry, having nothing to lose, remained Christians; but the tyrrany of their nobility at length obliged the Turks to put an end to the Feudal System in Bosnia (1850-1851).

In August, 1875, Herzegovina (the southwestern district of Bosnia) revolted against the Sultan, being aided by a strong natural position and receiving the assistance of both Servia and Montenegro.

While this revolt was going on the Bulgarians also rose in rebellion against the Sultan (1876), but were put down by the Turkish Government, although not without shameful cruelties and outrages being committed by the Turkish troops and militia, which caused great indignation throughout Europe, and specially so in Russia. This, therefore, gave the latter country a good opportunity of claiming to be a general protector of the Christians in Turkey.

The Austro-Hungarian Minister, Count Andrassy, on behalf of Austria, Germany, and Russia, drew up a Note in which five2 chief

1 In 1876 (September) Mr. Gladstone published his pamphlet entitled "Bulgarian Horrors and the Question of the East." It passed through almost countless editions and created a great sensation.

2 "First, religious liberty, in the sense of religious. equality, full and entire; second, the abolition of taxfarming; third, the exclusive application to Bosnia and

concessions were insisted upon from the Porte as necessary for the pacification of the revolted provinces.

Lord Derby, on behalf of the English Government, signed it, but added that the Herzegovina of their own direct taxation; fourth, the appointment of an executory Commission to carry these reforms into effect, to be composed equally of Mahommedans and Christians; fifth, the amelioration of the condition of the rural population by some more satisfactory arrangement between the Christian Rajahs and the Mahommedan Agas, or landowners (The Duke of Argyll's "The Eastern Question," vol. i. p. 161).

I

Sir H. Elliot was directed to give a 'general support' to the Andrassy Note. It will be seen that in the mode of giving this 'general support' to the action of the European Powers, Her Majesty's Government here contrived to reduce the value of it to the lowest possible amount, and expressly to negative the significance of it. . . . But more than this—it is distinctly implied that any such meaning, if it were entertained, would be a violation. of the Ninth Article of the Treaty of Paris. The Turks were thus encouraged to claim under that treaty a licence and immunity which it never was intended to afford. It is evident, therefore, that the British Cabinet only joined the other Powers, first, because it was impossible to deny the justice of the demand made on Turkey; secondly, because it would be inconvenient to stand. alone against the united opinion of all the other Cabinets of Europe; thirdly, because Turkey herself saw some advantage in accepting the communication " (Ibid. vol. i. p. 166).