New Zealand Times. (PUBLISHED DAILY.) MONDAY, DECEMBER 4.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXI, Issue 4899, 4 December 1876, Page 2

New Zealand Times. (PUBLISHED DAILY.) MONDAY, DECEMBER 4.

: The war niaws to hand' by the mail iq very full, various, and also somewhat mixed;; so much so as to be in, some places unintelligible. We learn that ,all the . Great Powers, except Germany, have appointed Commissioners -to: draw a Jin6 of demar; cation, and that difficulties have been raised by Russia. It is not perhaps to be wondered at that Russia should endeavor t 6! turn' to her bwD-'account the fact that she certainly has with her the sympathy of the suffering Christian population of: the Turkish provinces; - But it is to be deplored, as Mr. Gladstone pointedout in his moat eloquent pamphlet,j that the mistaken aotion of our own. Go- 1 ’ verhment has been of such a nature as to! swell the, tide,-of , that, natural; sympathy: of the oppressed by the accoriiing voicej of all right-thinking and right-feeling ( people throughout- the civilised World.; We learn also that the country which has; ■been'the-immediate seat -: of-war is howj the scene of hardship, suffering, and even! starvation. 1 ' These, however, are only thenatural accompaniments and consequences 1 of all wars. What, was, however, not so muchtobeexpectedis that we now are told: "that the Russian volunteers who came to ; the help of the Servians have received; very rough and dastardly treatment ati the hands of the latter. It is by no means i an uncommon thing to find that a mob oh cowardly militia, who are utterly useless and unreliable: in face of the enemy, are wonderfully efficient and prompt as robbers and murderers. This conduct of the Servians reminds one of the ruffian who on the stampede ! from ■ Bull’s run snapped his piece at the The Times correspondent, Dr. Russell. " _ In the genjeral cloud of uncertainty and conjecture, perhaps the points which for importance and reasonable certainty single themselves put are, the following:— The Turkish people appear tb be quite beyond or beneath all hope of improvement or reform. That hope may,_we think, be definitely abandoned.-, ; Fresh; outbreaks of. fanaticism and massacre are threatened in various'places. It is,- we think, clear that, nothing but the most radical treatment will be of any avail with thesd whitewashed barbarians! Whatcbmplications may arise but of the negotiations ,to settle' the’;affairs bf the Empire -on a. new basis, it‘is quite impossible to anticipate., It is, however, plain that, the English: Government.,is preparing for, the worst. Contingent contracts for transport services,have been called for; Lord Magdala has been told to hold himself'ready;to proceed: to Egypt; three army borpS'are getting ready to go to the Mediterranean; and in various 'ways the 'armament in Bessica Bay has been made more efficient. But perhaps, the most important feature of the whole news is the entire revolution which has come over English ’.opinion. The Times, according to itsmsual practice, has completely- changed its tone, and sails with the current. It is by no means'im-probable-that' the l Tory Government, 1 ■which has,so compromised ( the honor* of England by its dilatory action, may now by a vigorous policy again mquntion the relink of tho popular wave, and thus regain the credit which it deservedly forfeited., . It is to be noted also that if the English Government displays promptitude inow that of Russia appears not to be wanting , to, itself in thia respect. . The" Russian squadron will winter in 1 Italian’ ! waters, so as to be in readiness to proceed !to the East when the.pccasibri arises.' ; „ -

1 Perhaps the most; interesting and suggestive item-; of all for us is that the destination of Lord Napier ;is said to be Egypt.': T Thbae who may have read-Sir Samuel Baker’s latest book, - “ Ismalia,'” .will recollect how plain it is there made to appear. that there is, trending away from the .southern provinces of Egypt, a vast tract of the very finest country in, the jworld, in soil and climate admirably suited for a field of,, immigration v arid colonisation.The : discoveries of : Sir S. Baker have since been fully confirmed by the explorations of the American tra-, veller,; Mr. Stanley. It is plain that if, as we believe'is about certain, the disruption of the Turkish Empire is at hand, England, as a great commercial and colonising country, will gain immensely by d firrii establishment in Egypt., Such a footing would furnish a fine start point for the enterprise which will without doubt before long begintoflowtowardsthis fine portion of that long unknown and misjunderstood continent of Africa. Already we have bnr feet firmly planted on the sontherri extremity, anti if we could make a now departure from the North wo may hope to unite our settlements iri one vast domi.riibri, furriishirig a field for the overflowing energies of our people inferior to no other which for - centuries has been opened. All this is-most suggestive, but we cannot here follow it out to its ultimate consequences. • Whatever may be the, nltiriiate turn which this crisis may take; whether of war or peace, whatever may be the phase of feelirig or prejudice which iriay in the end shape the policy of England, we are convinced that the Turks are utterly hopeless; the only reform which vwill avail with them is a reform off the face of Europe. 1 -' ‘ J , We must refer qur readers to the very full summary of telegraphic news given in another part of our present issue. "