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About The commoner. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-1923 | View Entire Issue (Dec. 20, 1912)
KZ"tV -WBiWF prr-T, - t,t , DECEMBER 20, If li able to make their protest against the Turks chiefly as bandits. "But the Bulgarians at that time seemed to have had every particle of national feeling stamped out of them, and were of little more conse quence than somany cattle. "After the subjugation of the Bal kan peninsula the Turks continued their aggressive and conquering career in Europe for over two cen turies, Hungary becoming a part of the Turkish empire, as well as por tions of what were then southern Poland, some of which are now Aus trian and some Russian. As a result of the Turks final repulse from Vienna, however, the Turkish tide began to recede, although not with out many returns. "In the nineteenth century the old nations of the Balkans began to re appear once more. Groece became independent. Servia and Roumania by successive stages gradually be came independent also. One little end of Servia had always remained independent. This was Montenegro, whose inhabitants are simply moun tain Serbs, who, in their rugged fast nesses preserved, their liberty when all the rest of tlWr nation went under the yoke of the conqueror. "By constant warfare the Monte negrins finally became what were probably the most formidable fitrht ers in all the world; and no state has ever had a more heroic history. "Albania has graduallv become practically independent of the Turks. But the Albanians have hnd no kin ship of feeling with the other Bal kan peoples, and no such sense of unity among themselves as the othor Balkan peoples have had. They are predominantly Moslem, but some of the tribes are orthodox, belonging to -the Greek church, and some are Catholics. Thev have fought a great deal among themselves. Thev have been willing and eaeer to furnish the Turks with formidable soldiers to keep down the other Balkan peoples, but thev have not rendered much more than a nominal obpdience themselves to the Turks, and at times and in certain places have oppressed the Turks of a eriven re gion as horribly as the Turks have oppressed any of the Christian rates. "Te last nation to emerge was the Bulgarian. This was after the clrpe of the Russo-Turkteh war in 1878. In that war the Montenegrins fought, and the Servians fought. The The Commoner. This Beautiful Apron Free These dainty and useful Fancy Aprons are In great demand among ladles and girls and becoming more popular every day. Hero Is an excep tionally pretty design, very elegant, out simple and easy to work. Twenty two inches long, stamped on line white lawn, including piece for pocket and strings. Offerx For a short timo wo will give this Apron as described free for one new or renewal one-year subscription to Tho American Homestead at 25 cents, Order as No. 87. AdilrcMii TIIB AMERICAN HOMESTEAD, Lincoln, Neb. 1 rn vA l?nilTnnnlnn n.o r ,u army camo to the heln of ga?lant18ftf' ?d by ,ts 8'r gallant feat of arms in takinc the did nS fiP?n?a' ,Dllt the Bulgaria "Th S "g 0f any mment. me Turks commit 'd tho mot horrible enmities ln Bulgaria, Zl rages so dreadful that all Europe XSZlUl t,,Cm- But th0 Bulgarians ?w ? api? as among th0 Rid able foes of the Turks. Their coun try was given its freedom only by the Russian army. ' "Every one, friend and foe alike, regarded the Bulgarian peasant and the peasant was the typical and almost the only Bulgarianas a dull, patient ox of a man, an object of rather contemptuous pity, and never of respect or fear. Such was his condition when peace was made; the cause of civilization being set back because the western powers, in their jeolousy of Russia, refused to allow some of the Russian conouostR to be freed from Turkish misgovern ment. "There was a good deal of specu lation as to what the different new nationalities would do, but nobody dreamed that the Bulgarians would play a leading or important part. The Roumanians, the descendants of Tra jan's colonists in Dacia, had won their spurs. The Servians had a his torv and a literature. The Greeks were in every way striving to con nect their new kingdom with the glorious traditions of classical time. But the Bulgarians had disappeared as a nation long before the Turks came into Europe. For centuries they had been nothing but the pa tient, hard-working, tortured serfs of one master after another. No body thought that they could rise "But it soon became evident to koen observers that the furnace of centuries had toughened the Bul garian into a man of marked and forceful type. No other nation has traveled so far and so fast as Bul garia has traveled in the last third of a century. "Americans have just cause to feel prnud that Robert College gave to many of the leading Bulgarian citizens their education, so that it has played a peculiar part in the making of the Bulgarian nation. "The dreadful experiences through which the Bulgarians had passed for more than twenty generations seemed to have purged the dross from their natures and to have left nothing but tempered steel behind. Thev possessed great sobriety and steadfastness of character, and in an iinfnrhinnte little war with Servia early showed that they were also of an unexpectedly good military type. Thev were very patriotic. Every Bulgarian, evon the poorest, felt the keenest devotion to his country. "Mnrnnvnr. it must be remem bered that patriotism with the Bul garian did not mean a mere emotion to be appealed to by a Fourth of July oration, nor even the emotion of a higher tvpe which maks good men and good women try to do their civic duty. To the Bulgarian pa troitism meant a fierce intensity of conviction, a passionate Hinging to independence and national success as the one alternative to the most frightful slavery. "For many centuries the Bulgar ian had crouched helplessly under the Turkish whips. Anything he lR a i?ZJ rose in aimless revolt, na"r Ml wUh aPPmng cruelty SE C md chaldron quite ""$ to Wrty-flvc years Bin- th Vin Amer'to".. "ver ties such as in abu 15 lSen(1lred ,XCCI)t V,CtIm Of Indian outbreaks. Every Bulgarian, r,,i? r ? M.r' becanie " soldier,, care Mlv drilled, well trained, com manded by men who made military kind C a 8tUdy f Ul mat nract,cnl "Every Bulgarian was nronnrnd n anv moment to light the Turks, and' . iU mittH no ion a personal Hatred such as the member of no civilized nation feels for that of an other, lie knew that war might come at any time, and he knew that, f beaten, it would probably moan that his homo would 'e destroyed, his parents butchered before his eyes li is wife or sister or daughter dragged off to infamy and outrage, his younger brother or his son put to death with dreadful torture. "If ho were a man of middle age, he had as a child seen things like mis aone to ins own family or to the families of his neighbors; If ho wore a young man, ho had heard about them from the older men and wo men. "Under these circumstances tho wholo Bulgarian nation was as army, and an army of tho most formidable kind. Thoro wero In tho national character both a toughness and a sobriety that rendered tho people willing to take a long look ahead, and carefully and laboriously prepare as their foresight de manded. Patient, self-reliant, poff e8lng prudent caution In prepara tion, groat speed and decision ln ac tion, and Iron resolution no won der that tho Bulgnrlan people ha borne Itself ho wonderfully, that tho Bulgarian army has shown such ex traordinary qualities. "Not tho rlso of Japan Itself has been more striking and unexpected than the rise of Bulgaria. "Whatever may be the decision of tho European powers regarding tho Balkan war a decision which in too much to bo feared will probably bo governed largely by selfish politi cal considerations tho sympathy of the people of both Europe and America ought to ho wholly with tho people of the Balkans in their heroic struggle for liberty." 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These valuable features you will not find In any other $1.00 Awl No wrench or screw driver Is re quired to remove tho bobbin or tighten the needle ln chuck, us Is neces sary In other makes. Tho Awl is convenient to carry always ready to mend a rip or a tear It Is a tool no practical man can afford to be without, and It la a tool that will save dollars In every home. New needles can bo secured at any time We will send this Awl (together with complete Instructions) to any addrcs. postpaid, on receipt of $1, a bill or money order. A Limited Special Offer For a limited time only, wo are making this extraordinary ofTer. Send us only Jl.lfi (a special rate) to pay for one full year's subscrip tion to The Commoner and The American Homestead (the popular farm and household monthly) and we will send you one of these line Auto matic Soiling Awl without additional cost and prepaid. Remember, both papers one full year and the Awl for only ?1.1.". 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