LETTERS TO THE EDITOR.
"THE NORMAL STATE OF THESSALY."
[TO THE EDITOR OF THE " SPECT ATOR.1
SIR,—The answer made by Sir Stafford Northcote on Friday last to Mr. Samuelson's question with regard to the murder of Mr Ogle, is worth study. The Ministry has been for some time rather chary of saying anything about Greek matters. Lord Salisbury did not dare to utter the word " Greece " at Manches- ter. Lord Beaconsfield did not dare to put the word " Greece " into the Queen's Speech. The reason is plain enough; there may be some little trace of shame about it. The state of things in Epeiros and Thessaly is the fullest answer to their false boast that the Berlin Treaty has been fulfilled. They know well that it remains unfulfilled for good on the banks of the Peneios and the Kalamas, as it remains unfulfilled for evil in the Balkan passes. The state of things in those lands is the fullest answer to their other false boast that the honour of England is specially safe in their hands. They know well that in those lands they have covered the name of England with dishonour,—the dis- honour of promises voluntarily made and wilfully broken.
It is no wonder then, if Ministers just now say as little as they can about Greek matters. Mr. Sathuelsou, moreover put a very awkward question indeed. To those who make it their chief boast that they have maintained and restored the politi- cal and military authority of the Sultan, and who argue that the maintenance of his political and military authority is needed for British interests, it is a little awkward when that political and military authority is used to take away the lives of Englishmen. But Mr. Ogle was a friend of Greece, and he was likely to speak the truth, when it was not convenient that the truth should be spoken. When therefore the Turk had murdered him for Turkish interests, it might be thought better for British interests not to call the Turk to account. The Times clearly thought so at the time. When a correspondent of the Times was murdered in some other part of the world, the Times was naturally very' angry. When its correspondent was murdered by so polished a gentleman and so dear an ally as the Turk, then the Times took it very quietly.
In the like sort, Mr. Blunt and Sir Henry Layard think that the present time is " unfavourable " for an inquiry. What Mr. Blunt and Sir Henry Layard say may be safely taken by the rule of contrary. If they think the time unfavourable, we may be sure that, in the interests of truth and of freedom, it is very favourable. But why is it unfavourable ? "Because Thessaly is not in a normal state ;" because "an inquiry in present cir- cumstances would be likely to increase the agitation and excite the feelings of the people." One would like to know what meaning these words would convey to one who knew nothing about the story. Such an one would certainly not infer from Sir Stafford Northcote's words that the "present circum- stances," the "agitation," the "excitement," were all the work of the Ministry of which Sir Stafford Northcote is a member; least of all would he infer that they were caused by an open breach of faith on the part of that Ministry. But when Sir Stafford Northcote talks about a "normal state," one is tempted to ask him to "spin his yarn" in plain English. What is a "normal state ?" Is it the state of things that commonly is, or the state of things that ought to be ? If the latter is meant, Thessaly is certainly not in a normal state. In that sense, no land under the political and military authority of the Sultan is or can be in a normaLstate. But Thessaly is in a normal state, if it is meant that it is in the state in which lands under the political and military authority of the Sultan com- monly are. Or rather, it is in a state a little more normal than usual. The political and military authority of the Sultan means that, if the Sultan or any other Turk takes it into his head to do any robbing, kidnapping, ravishing, murdering, towards any of the people of the land, he can do it, no man hindering him. Just now there is rather more robbing, kid- napping, ravishing, murdering, than usual going on in Thessaly, so that we may fairly say that Thessaly is in a more normal state than ever. And one might say that it is more normal still if, to the privilege of murdering Thessalians without being trilled to account, the Turk is to add the privilege of murdering Englishmen on the same terms.
But why is Thessaly in this state,—normal, or not normal, as we may choose to call it? Why are the agitation and excite- ment of the Thessalian people so great ? It is all the doing of the Ministry of which Sir Stafford Northcote is a member. It is all the fruit of the breach of faith of that Ministry. The English Ministry promised that, if free Greece kept quiet, a part of enslaved Greece should be set free. They indeed cun- ningly worded their promise so as to give themselves a way to creep out of it. But so it was understood by free Greece ; so it was understood by enslaved Greece; so it was understood by the world in general ; so it was understood by the Mini- sterial press itself, as long as it was convenient that it should be so understood. Then, Lord Salisbury at Berlin suddenly turned round; he belied his promises, and brutally insulted those to whom he had made them. Then, France came to help the cause which Lord Salisbury had betrayed. The Turk was commanded to set free certain parts of enslaved Greece. The clause was again cunningly worded so as to give the Turk a way to evade obedience. But the Times itself set forth very strongly that the " invitation " was the same as a command, and that the Turk must obey. Yet the Turk has not obeyed ; the English Ministry has done nothing to make him obey. No part of enslaved Greece has yet been set free. The lands to which deliverance was promised xemain in that state which is the "normal state" of lands under Turkish rule. But the " agitation " and " excitement " of the people are doubtless great. People do get agitated and excited when freedom has_been promised to them, and when the promise has been broken. And the Turk is, of course, just now a more normal Turk than ever. The Devil bath come down, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time.
In his mere fact, Sir Stafford is no doubt quite correct. No doubt an inquiry into Mr. Ogle's murder would "increase the agitation and excite the feelings of the people" of Thessaly. It would, no doubt, increase the bitterness of their feelings, at once towards their oppressors and towards those who have betrayed them to their oppressors. It might lead to some native move- ment, to some foreign intervention, which might be favourable to human freedom, and, therefore, " unfavourable" in the sense meant by Mr. Blunt, Sir Henry Layard, and Sir Stafford Northcote. But one cannot but acknowledge that Sir Stafford Northcote's education must have gone on very favourably under his Oriental master, when he can thus get up and allege as an argument against a certain course that it would increase agita- tion and excitement which are caused by a deliberate breach of .'aith in which he himself is an accomplice.
One point more. The language commonly used about the change of frontier in Thessaly and Epeiros is likely to mislead. People talk of "the interests of Turkey," the "interests of Greece." The "interests of Turkey " should mean the interests of the lands marked " Turkey " on the map and of their people; what most likely is meant is the interests of the foreign oppres- sors of those lands and their people. The "interests of Greece" most likely mean the interests of free Greece. These are very important, but still only secondary. First of all come the inter- ests of enslaved Greece,—the interests of that part of "Turkey" which is immediately concerned. It is a question of the inter- ests of Jeannine, and the other Greek towns and lands which Lord Beaconsfield's Ministry promised to deliver, but whose deliverance they have hitherto hindered. It is not a question of " rectifying " frontiers, but a question whether a certain portion of mankind to whom freedom has been promised shall be left in bondage. But it may be well to warn the diplomatists that, wherever they may draw their artificial line between freedom and bondage, there will go on being a good deal of " agitation " and " excitement " among the people of those districts which are left in bondage. If a "normal state" means the state in which things ought to be, neither Thessaly nor any other Greek laud will ever be in a "normal state" as long as the Turk works his will in it. And what is true of the Greek within his borders is, of course, equally true of the Bulgarian P.S.—I used the word "Oriental" in the above letter, in a place where some time back I might have used the word "Jew" or " Hebrew." But I find that respectable Jews, not unreason- ably, dislike to have the name "Jew" applied to Lord Beacons- field, and the word "Oriental" expresses the fact on which I wish to insist nearly as well.
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