The Akaroa Mail. FRIDAY, OCTOBER 6, 1882. THE TURKISH QUESTION.

Akaroa Mail and Banks Peninsula Advertiser, Volume VII, Issue 650, 6 October 1882, Page 2

The Akaroa Mail. FRIDAY, OCTOBER 6, 1882. THE TURKISH QUESTION.

The Egyptian war is over, and, w< >ncloi'ful to relate, it appears t tat the sequel will arrive without further European complications. Tho war has done good, in restoring the prestige of England as a warlike Power. It had shown that the Lib ral Government, by ado >tm<? the .same plan which, when tried villi Cyprus, roused their ire, namely, the bringing of troops from the East, aide to 'scar hot climates, can mass a wry efficient force h Europe in a wry short time, and that British soldiers have not lost an atom of tiiat valour that won the Peninsula, an I drove tho Russians from their mighty C iinean

fortress.

it is true that the enemy to which tli 7 were opposed were not so used to civilised tvari'a c as their opponents, bat it is a great mistake to underrate them too much. We hear of armour-plated trains, of artillery of modern make, and of fortifications thrown up with great skill in a short period of time ; and there is .no doubt that men who had European blood in their veins directed the movements of the natives. But they had a stronger ally than these in the climate. Thoroughly used to t-ie burning sun, the Arabs and Egyptians could accomplish what, to those from colder dim ;s, was either impossible, or threw tlio.se whose pluck carried them through, on a be I of sickness. There is another matter to b3 taken into consideration, an I that is, the fanaticism of the popular pirty. Thoroughly believing that to die in the act of destroying an infidel renders them certain of heaven, those Moslems fling themselves into danger with an utter absence of fear tliat makes their attacks truly ter.ibl l , and, as we all know, enabled th. Mii in past ages to eonq'm , in my a fair land. W' 1 had biiea to light against a baleful climaie an 1 ma I fan.iticism, aided by European skill, and all must agree, Entrhmd set rwnielf no light task. Therefore wo c.i:i sny that ihe feat performed has bi'.eu a gre it one, t loroug'ily worthy of our arms, and no doubt such is the opinion of th j world.

It was a war regarding the wisdom of which no t.vo opiu ons c m be held, except on thu bro.d groun 1 hell by Mr an 1 thi Society of Kridiid.*, for it w.is a w»r of civilizition agdint barbarism, of progress against the accumulated stupidity an I ignormcc of years. After all thy money and skill expended in projuring a great highway to the Indian Ocoan for the navies of the world, it w.ml 1 indoei Ma/a bjen ig-.ia-mtuious rejro.jf/e.ss'on to trust t!v3 gitos of a uigiiiy co.n s'.ercj to a set of rule barbarians, who would think it rather a. jest than otherwise to i upale a few ship loads of Uhrislians. it was not Turkey we were or tlu Khsdive, bat ttie priruiulos of order an,! good government, wtiich must be maintained for the safety ol the civilised world. What" we should liko to know, can be our re tl sympathy with Turkey, whose inhabitants arj a di;sgrac;« tv Europe ? How has s!u behind t> i^u^l -.ud in the present crisis ? 00-yard and Bully, she stood Ji' r .''. f ', and iiad tiie rebel Anibi met with iiny ;;uoj-.:»s, tit , rfalt.iu'ri troops . wou'd sp,:o:Hly h'-ve boon nvwxl against tiici■- !or<:<id ally, \vho;t'. in the bottom of :.*ii-it.- ii-arts they hate and dread with an itiii.ii.?" dishko. Have the massacres of :()■• Ci(ig)i[-iun3 been forgotten, or the jiiMiii. rio-s other atrocities of the " Un- " who taaght his chihUvn to spiv at and curso out , wounded soldicr.j

who liiul risked their lives in iiis defence.? .

The solr> reason of Turkey's existence in IDurups' at all. is the fca' , <•(' Russian aggrandisement, !>'ti the c now s-cms a hope thai, the (_*V<'l:s may he able to hold their o'.vn in Constantinople, find if ho. tin! sooner the Great Powers dcchlo to blot out tiiat ii'thy disfigurement cm th« ma:) of Europe we call Turkey, tho bolter. As long as that home of ever" iniquity exists, there will be a continual lveling of uuii.ssincss. Tlu country is a magnificent one, and, in proper han-Is, would support a great number of happy inhabitants, instead of being a vast theatre of oppr ssion and crime.

• It. will not bo the least of the great works of the present century, if it sees the driving back of those uniuiproveable hordes who have so long cursed the fertile soil that they wrested from;the weak hands of tlm Eastern Empire.