LETTERS TO THE EDITOR.
MACEDONIA AND THE GREAT CHRISTIAN POWERS.
[TO THR EDITOR OP TIM *SPECTATOR.') Sin,—People are now attributing the present deplorable con- dition of Macedonia to the dissensions of Greeks and Bul- garians. We cannot deny the existence of these dissensions. In the Times of Saturday last, for example, I read : "The Prime Minister of Greece, receiving yesterday the representa- tives of the Powers, pointed to the necessity, not only of giving to Turkey a free band, but of requesting her to use the utmost severity to restore order." "A free hand" means to Turkey massacre, the slaughter of men, women, and children, the extermination of the whole population, of peaceful villagers no less than of insurgent bands. The Greek Minister must have known that this is what "a free hand" means, and yet this is what he recommends. Neither can we deny that these dissensions are sources of weakness. They prevent concerted action ; they alienate European sympathy. But suppose that Greeks and Bulgarians laid aside their antipathies, and became a united instead of a disunited people, that most desirable change would not enable the Macedonians to conquer the Turkish troops, and burst the chains of their bondage, so long as Turkey had at its back the great Christian Powers. It is not the dissensions of Greek and Bulgarian that are really responsible for the suffer- ings of Macedonia, but the dissensions of the great Christian Powers. But for these dissensions, the Turks would not have taken Constantinople four hundred and fifty years ago, and settled down on the fairest lands of Europe. And but for these disssensions in the present day Macedonia would no longer be under Turkish misrule; nor would St. Sophia be still a Moslem temple. The great Christian Powers have only to show themselves worthy of being called great, by-renouncing their selfish ambitions, rivalries, and jealousies, and to show themselves worthy of being called Christian, by forwarding, instead of thwarting, the aspirations of their brethren, for a glad day of freedom, order, and righteous government to dawn upon Eastern Europe.—I am, Sir, &c.,
[The Bishop of Gibraltar does well to denounce the Machiavellian selfishness of the Greek Prime Minister. How different is his tone from that of the Hellene who speaks in Lord Houghton's striking poem, "The Greek at Constantinople," and appeals to the Englishman for sympathy by reminding him of what would have been his condition had the 3fahom- medans overrun all, and not merely a portion, of Europe :--
"Think if the arm of Charles Martel
Had failed upon the plain of Tours,
That fate whose course you know so well, This foul subjection, had been yours.
Where then had been the high renown, France can from sire to son deliver;
Where English freedom rolling down One broadening, one continuous river?"
—En. Spectator.]
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