AFFAIRS IN THE EAST.

North Otago Times, Volume XXXI, Issue 6192, 2 November 1886, Page 3

AFFAIRS IN THE EAST.

• (T/w Times, September 9.) Our correspondent at Sofia gives us today an account of the departure of j Prince Alexander from tbe country in which he ba* no manfully fought a desper ate battle. His leave taking of his officers and bis people must have been a striking and pathetic scene, not wi'hout the element? of tragedy. High resolve and strenuous pffor' shattered by colossnl oh>»tacle». the

Jes of confidence and sffection ruthlessly I irrered, the buying hopeß of a nation crushed by ihe will of a relentless despot, j and behind all the muttering thunders o( » storm which all the skill of Berhu and Vienna may fail to avert— hese things lift thy Princv-'s with<lra«al out of the ranee of commonplace even's and givo v rank among the most no-able occurences of our time. He went about the busies of his departure wi-h chnractenatic Mmp'ici'v and ilircc ness. Some men would have fi und the temptation irre Mstible 'o more or leas thtatr c»l display, but Prince' A'exander, ha\iug made up his ti.ind 10 sbdica'e, left nothing undone that could I tip to effect his purpose quietly, Lnostenatioua'y, , and with paramount regard to the interests of his people. All the element* of disiurbance were pnsent. A f. w dexterous speeches would have farm. d the popular excitement into flames, and the army was with difficulty restrained from proceedings which, however hmlf, w. u'd lave b»en grateful to a smaller n an. Tha' all hBB passed off quietly, and the nothing has occurredwhich can furnifh « pretext lor further interference in Bnl_ parian affairs, is due to the thorough 1-yalty end manliness of the Princes conduct. Now that his abdica ion is complete the real gravity of the situation tc comes even plainer than before to the mind of Europe, and signs are not wanting 0! an apprehension, as widespread as it is-wtll-fouoded, that we are only at the I egirniDg of troubles of which it takes a wise man to forecast the end. It is a no- e worthy circumstance that the Prince, bunjj asked whe'.her le would resume l.iposition in hs event o tie Sobranje re electing nim as ruler, replied that he .would, and declared that Ma withdrawn 'is Dot definite. In tbo cot improbable event of the Solr-nje calling upon him to Teafcend the throne it is e v ident that a situation will bo created which will put to -• severe test the petty theories by which i 'is now thought to conceal the real clash ol inlfreß'fl in Bulgaria. If the Bulgarian pt ope choose Prince Alexander, and m other, to reign over them, how lon,^ will Rh eia adlere to l.tr promises of nouriiertertion t The reinstatement of th< Prince would be an intolerable Dow ti the piide of the Czir and to the schema of his M nis'era, whi'e the mere demanc' f(T his res oration on the part of the. Bulgarian people, even if that demand i made in (vain, will obviousiy develop ai antagonism which will dely the roee-watei methods upon which Russia pretends tc raly. The exposition of German policy qivei by the North German Gazette is attracting all the mote atten'ion on the Cominen because nen believe 1/ a 1 hey recognise not merely the sentiment but the ijisissima ■verha of the Chancellor. It i 9 practical!) admitted that the criticisms pasitd upoi German policy are well-founded, if it Vi assumed that Austrian and Russian interests in the East are antagonistic. Prirce Bismarck tests the defence of hiconduct upon the assertion that this assumption is a mistake. It is not pretended that the leconciliatlon of Austiian and Russian nieieets hasyet been effec eel ; but we are told to believe thai it will hi found possible. Notwithstanding Prince Bismark's great authority, Ibis is a yen hcav} demand upon our faith, and it ieno' wonderful that in Austria, and yet mon in Hungaiy, there is undisguised anxiety and alarm. Russia is helped tc aol d advantages which, once gained, she will not readi y be induced to relinquish, whi'e Auuria is bid to be content with the assurance that Prince Bismirck is confident of discovering some means of harmonising her interes s with the consolidation of the Russian posi ion. We venture to think that the attitude o1o 1 Gerraauy 13 by no means thai which Prkce Bismirck la i unify and by preference tiii.mes. Be is not much accustomed to consider a p'ous hope, or even a confide n anticipation, i • the 1 ght of a counterpoise to accomplished fact. Moreover, there is a 'faridamen'ai antagonism between Aue trian and Russian po'icy in the B Ikanwhich no ingenuity can overcome. Peoplt DO 1. etim.fl ague as if Austria had nothing to do but ccc that when Russia adds£nev> province to her Empire and equally large edition will I c made to the domains of thr dual monarchy. Were this a true representation of the case, Prince Bismarck'ftalk would be comparatively simple. But unfortunately while thu absorption of Slav provinces adds to the stiength and the power for mischief ot the Ruasiat autocracr, a correspending absorption into the mirßculous'y _ balanced constitutional system of Austria-Hungarj is only a source of weakness. Between Austria and Russia the rivalry Is not at all as to which can successfully overrun the larger extent ol territory in a given time. On \he contrary, while the aim of Russia

it id absorb everyihing up to the frontier, and then to carrj' disintregration bejond, the necessary policy of Austria il to avoid annexation and to promote independtnt organisation of the neighboring fprovicccfj The aims of the two Empires are (bus absolutely and diametrically opposed . For a Russian advance Austria can get no compensation. It is a dead loss; and, whatever superficial arrangements Prince Bismarck makes, a real harmony ol Austrian and Russian aim* is impossible in the natuie of things, All this is peife tly vi derstood in Hungary, in Austria, and in Germany itselt ; hence we Gnd that fai'h in the reconciliation ol Austrian and Russian interests is professed only by the official Press. The world will probably not have long to wait (or a decided mauifestaiion of the uneasiness wi\h which the course of events in Bulgaria inspires the Hungarian people, and in Austria itseM the government will find gome difficulty in adhering (0 its present policy. Confidence in Prince Biamarck's promised reconciliation is rendered doubly difficult by the admission of his official organ, that, be has another and a wholly distinct motive at liussian advance. A Russo French understanding, for ends of couree hostile io Germany, has admittedly loomed among political possibilities. It is easy to ui.c'crstand that Germany is aniioua (o render anything of this kind impossible, and the mo'ive thus furnished su completely explains Prince Bieinnrck'6 complaisance towards Russia that his assurance of a reconcilliation of Austrian and Russian interests naturally labor under the suspicion of being the ixpreesion of a perplexed hope rather than an integral \ onion of a spontaneous and asiureJ policy. It looks very much a» if Rueria were 6imply blackmailing ber partners in the Triplf Alliance, and those w hose interestsare directly threatened ve/y naturally reflect that eoch payment of blackmail leads to further demands. Fiefach restlessness and hatred of Germany nre permanent forces. Russian lust for territory is no less permanent. If the two couritries find that they can serve their ends by scaring Germany with an alliance the jjome will be played each time that Ru&sa wants a province or France a caiis faction. It may be wise to pay an metal ment of black mail if one is not at the moment in a posit on to resist. Germany knows her own business, and some calculation of this kind may at this moment dictate a policy which general principles do not appear to justify. But Prince Biimarck is too wise a man and too high spirited not to know that transactions of Ibis kind must be strictly the relief of a transient embarrassment, and this reflection cannot inspire very sanguine tuuctp&UQaa for the ueace of iiurope.