MORE TROUBLES IN THE EAST.

Globe, Volume XX, Issue 1416, 29 August 1878, Page 3

MORE TROUBLES IN THE EAST.

The London correspondent of the " Argus ” writes on July sth:— The political prospect does not improve at Constantinople as at Berlin. While the plenipotentiaries are mapping out new frontier linos, there are no cigna of recuperative power at the centre of empire. When Europe is agreed, and England and Russia have shaken hands over the reconstructed treaty, new and perhaps greater difficulties will have to be encountered in the East, As the probabilities of war recede these other contingencies come into clearer view. It is becoming apparent that there is no executive and administrative power at the Porte. The caprices and suspicions of the Sultan are paralysing its best friends. The brief revival of hope consequent on the warlike demonstrations of Loi'd Beaconsfield is giving place to despair. As an illustration of the Sultan’s temper, the “Times” correspondent repeats the following anecdote now circulating in the city—“ In a farewell visit of d’rinqess Eed® B , wife of the German ambassador, this lady congratulated His Majesty on the deep reverence and affection entertained towards him by his subjects, gently and adroitly insinuating that so much devotion should be rewarded by the Padishah showing himself more frequently in public. The Padishah listened with a long and astonished face, and when the Princess left, remarked to the bystanders, ‘ I should like to know what interest this woman can have in getting me assassinated.’ ” Meanwhile, the situation of the two armies remains unchanged. A collision has more than once been imminent, and averted only by happy accident. “On both sides,” says the “Daily News ” correspondent, “military preparations are being made on a considerable scale, but especially on the side of the Turks. Six days ago the Turks in their exercises went through the form of an attack upon the Russians, and came upon General Skobeleff’s corps. The Russian soldiers thought that an actual attack was going to begin, and but for the fact that the Russian officers had received most stringent orders not to attack, or be driven into an attack, a collision would have been inevitable. As it was, they rushed, forward to the sentinels and forbade them to do anything. The position is 50 critical that several of the ambassadors, probably all of them, have sent tejegrumi to their respective Governments urging that something should bo done.” Meanwhile, the English lleet has again moped nearer to the city. The state of affairs in other parts of the empire is scarcely more encouraging. The “ Stamboul ” publishes, apparently with ‘ho consent of the Turkish authorities, or at least as facts known to them, and not to be gainsaid, a terrible story o‘: oppression in Syria. The new Governor, one Sevdtt Pasha, is said, besides the tyranny exercised by himself, to have supported the Under-Governor of Nations, Stolo Pasha, who, on account of his outrageous conduct, had been dismissed and imprisoned by 7 Sevdot’s p’&decessor. “ Stolo Pasha, on being restored to his office, adopted an oven more outrageous line, of conduct against (he people of his district, imprisoning, banishing, and bastinadoing many of them. Sevdot Pasha rejected all appeals addressed to him by the sufferers, till the distressed population sent a petition to the Sultan for redress and for justice. Tho Sultan’s Government referred the petition to Sevdot, who in his turn forwarded it to his subaltern, Stolo. This

latter had thus an opportunity of wreaking his vengeance on the signatories of the petition, who were among the richest notables of the locality, and wore mulcted to the almost entire exhaustion of their means.” From other sources wc learn that the BashiBazouks who have been landed on the Syrian shores, armed to the teeth and laden with the spoils of the war, are true to their old character, and tyrannising over the districts through which they a v e scattered. From various parts of Armenia wo hear also of frightful crimes committed by the Kurds. Bands of these marauders have devastated the country, and are murdering still, in the wholesale way which has given them such an evil name. A band of Armenians has left Erzeroum, in the hope of reaching Berlin by way of Lillis, to lay these last facts before the Congress. Apart from these disquieting rumors, the position of the Armenians had been brought under public notice. They have contrived to put in their plea for autonomy under the Sultan’s Government. A meeting has been held in London, at which Dean Stanley presided, in order to urge their claim to consideration at the present crisis.