Ashburton Guardian. Magna est Veritas et Prævalebit. WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 24, 1887.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 1644, 24 August 1887, Page 2

Ashburton Guardian. Magna est Veritas et Prævalebit. WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 24, 1887.

Our European cables for the last few days would seem to indicate that the Marquis of Salisbury was somewhat prematnre when he recently expressed an opinion that the war cloud which had so bng overshadowed the whole of Europe hid rolled by, and that there was every indication of a period of profound peace We thought at the time thai there was a little too much ot the optimist element m his utterances, and each day's cablegrams tend to confirm our belief. The disturbing element, is the Bulgarian difficulty, and this is continually assuming a less assuring aspect as far as the peace of Europe is concerned, and, if ye read aright the signs of the times, we are now considerably nearer a general European conflagration than we were when Lord Salisbury vaticinated a period of profound^ peace for the continent of The nomination of Prince Ferdinand to the Bulgarian throne was, at tbat time causing attention to be directed to the matter. Subsequently Russia protested, and urged the Powers not to approve of Prince Ferdinand's election. After some delay, the Powers yielded a conditional assent Russia again protested, but before further action was taken by the Powers, the , Prince goes to assume the rulership \ of Bulgaria and proclaims her indel pendence. Russia grows furious and i declares that his action is a flagrant 1 breach of the Treaty sf Berlin, which, j she has warned the Powers, she wili consider abrogated, if they rccognive ' Prince Ferdinand, and later cable inform us that Germany and France ) have broken off diplomatic relations I with Bulgaria. Russia has put the issue very plainly ( before the Powers, which is this — that if they (the Powers) recognize Prince Ferdinand as ruler of Bulgaria, Russia ' will consider the Treaty of Berlin abrogated. Now this abrogation of the Treaty of Berlin simply means the destruction of the only existing safe* guard for the peace of Europe. To preserve this the Powers will have to abandon the position they have taken with regard to recognising Prince Ferdinand. Will they do so ? That is the momentous question of the hour and its solution is eagerly awaited by all,