Greece and Turkey.

Feilding Star, Volume XVIII, Issue 256, 4 May 1897, Page 2

Greece and Turkey.

(Communicated.) It is a moot question whether the present conflict between Greece and Turkey will not lead to a disastrous war between the Powers that are now in concert — giving a moral support to Turkey in the present struggle. The trouble between the nations now at war is not of recent origin ; eyer since Greece regained her independence by the war of 182S and 1824 the Musselman Power has been harrassing and persecuting Greek subjects within her borders, have been persecuting with ferocious atrocities the followers of the Greek Church in the provinces subject to Turkey. In the war of 1823-4 .Russia fomented the quarrel between Greece and Turkey, no doubt, with a view to her own futnre aggrandizement. The Greeks had been for generations persecuted and despoiled by the Turks, but- had not been alto- | gether subjugated, the mountain fastnesses had given shelter to large bands of mountain warriors, who, when afavorable opportunity arose wonld fight for freedom, for liberty, and for their religion, with such ardour and ferocity as is hardly credible now. But after two generations of independence and comparative peace, the warlike spirit of the Greeks has to a large extent diminished, whilst on the other hand Turkey has remained the same in nature, but infinitely stronger in implements of war and in organisation. Russia in still in the same position as far as Greece and Turkey are concerned— the dismemberment of either must result in enormous benefit to Russia, and it matters not how the struggle ends, she will look for material advantages from the conflict. England is bound to give considerable support to the Sultau as tba head of the Mohammedan religion, considering that the Sultan has almost absolute power over millions of followers of Islamism in India. Bat there is little doubt but that all civil power should be wreßtad from the Turk. He has through ages of misgovernment and intolerable oppression proved that he is incapable of wielding such an enormous power, and that Church and State must be severed. It would serve no good purpose to refer at length to the diabolical cruelties and atrocities committed by the Turks during centnnes past, but as far as the two nations— Greece and Turkey— arc concerned, the moral superiority of the Greeks over the Turks is still more striking in domestic than in public life ; and it is not too much to say that the Turks in office approach nearer to our conception of demons, and have succeeded better in creating around them a hell upon earth than any other class of human beings. Sijlioti (Greek) War Song. Tho 1 the Turks and Albanians our pastures may hold, Our Sterghios will scorn them, tho' many and bold ; And as long as the snows on the mountains shall be, Tho 1 we live with" the wolves, we will liye to be fre« ; The towns and the plains are the home of the slave Where they herd with their Mussulman tyrants — the brave Have their cities in rocks, cliffs, solitudes, so We will dwell among beasts— but with infidels, Not