THE POLICY OF PRINCE MILANO.
SUPPOSING the British public able for half an hour to surrender their belief that the existence of Turkey is essential to their interests, and the Turkish Government, there- fore, always in the right, they would see a scene in the Herzegovina which might interest them a little. The peasants in that province, driven mad by a form of oppression which is called gathering the taxes, but which is exactly equivalent, in slaughters, in plunderings, and in defilement of women, to sub- jugation by an Asiatic army once a year, have risen upon the Turks, and driven them into the fortresses ; and as Turkey is collecting a horde to punish them, and can and will take a cruel vengeance, they are looking round for friends. Naturally they turn first for assistance to Austria, which could, if she were free to act, call on them to vote themselves Dalmatians, and brave any measures the Turkish Government could find
money to undertake. The Herzegovinians knowing that, and , knowing also that Dalmatia is perishing for want of an in- terior, while they themselves are crippled by want of access to the sea, have hoisted the Austrian standard, have put on Austrian uniforms, and declare themselves ready and willing for annexation. Austria, however, cannot annex, for Turkey would fight, there would be war for a partition of Turkey as well as for Herzegovina, and " the policy of the three Eastern Courts is immutably for peace." Austria, therefore, must abandon her unhappy friends to be butchered and burnt out and ravished by Turkish soldiery, and according to the telegrams, she will do so, but not just yet. The Government of Vienna cannot forget its traditions. Its neutrality is worth something, and therefore must be paid for, and payment is found in the com- pletion of the Turkish Railways up to Belgrade. This pro- . ject—a very sound one, and very essential to Austria—has been desperately resisted at Constantinople, has led to at least one change of Ministry, and for a few days threatened to pro- voke a war. Insurrection, however, has occurred. The Turkish Court is frightened about money, a rumour circulates of the dismissal of another Grand Vizier, and lo ! opposition disap- pears, and Baron Hirsch, who had abandoned his Railways in despair, is contented and supreme.
Austria being out of the question, another personage thinks his hour may have arrived. Prince Milano, immediate ruler of Servia, knows perfectly well that so long as Turks are Turks, their subjects in their Northern provinces will revolt; that there can be no peace North of the Balkan while Turk and Christian stand in the relation of ruler and subject ; and that the only alternatives are the depopulation of the provinces—a policy now-a-days not popular in Europe —the destruction of Turkey, or the elevation of the Pro- vinces south of the Danube into a hereditary Hospodarate or Principality after the Roumanian plan. That compromise might be accepted by Turkey if she were pressed hard enough, for it would not diminish her nominal Empire ; and by the Eastern Powers, who could fight by-and-by over a Principality as well as over Provinces ; and by the poor people who, what- ever their lot, would be exempt from annual Turkish invasions. He also knows that, as Prince of Servia, with an army of 100,000 very brave militiamen and considerable materiel, he has the best claim to be the Hospodar, and accordingly he hurries to Vienna to explain his view. If he were backed by England or France he might succeed- in carrying his compromise, which would really, though not nominally, strengthen Turkey, and unite Servia, Bosnia, and Herzegovina into a fairly strong dependent State ; but France is paralysed, England thinks her debtors quite right in crushing anybody who objects to taxes, and the Prince is defeated. He could do the work alone easily enough, but if he raised the standard the great Powers would march armies to secure peace, and then hewould be powerless, and so—according to the telegrams—he also gives up his poor allies, and takes in compensation what he can. He will be peaceful, he says officially, but "he cannot rely on his ability to control the Servians," unless Svornik—the key of Bosnia from the Servian side—is surrendered by the Turks into their hands. If he has that, the Servians will be good creatures, and let the Herzegovinians be slaughtered comfort- ably ; but if not, then they will feel most naturally and deeply for their fellows in race, creed, and European position. As Austria does not care one straw whether Svornik is directly Turkish, or Turkish under certain limitations as to government, and as the Porte can conceal this new concession from the Mussulman mob of Constantinople, it is probable that Svornik will be ceded, and so the matter will be ended, happily for all parties except the Herzegovinians. Peace will be maintained inviolate, which suits the Holy Alliance ; Austria will run her railways into Turkey, which suits Baron Hirsch ; Prince Milano will have Svornik, which suits him ; Turkey will have a strong corps d'arine'e maintained for a year at free quarters out of re- quisitions levied on Herzegovina, which suits the War Office at Constantinople; and the peasantry, who object to double taxes levied by. fire and sword, will pay for all ; and English creditors of the Sultan will be relieved of a dread; and all is for the best, in the best of all possible worlds.
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