oment impracticable. Even were it otherwise, were Russia able and
willing to renew the struggle in behalf of her co-religionists, the
report of Prince Dolgorouki as to the amount of assistance likely to be
derived from them, would hardly tend to encourage her in her
disinterested undertaking. This envoy arrived at Belgrade in the latter
part of 1859, while Prince Gortschakoff's charges were issued shortly
after his return, and were doubtless based upon his reports. (Yet it is
more than probable that the primary object of his mission was to enquire
into and to regulate the revolutionary movements, which at that moment
had acquired a certain degree of importance.) The Bulgarian emissaries
told him frankly that no rising could be looked for in those provinces,
unless Russia took the initiative. They reminded him that in 1842, when
Baron Lieven visited Belgrade, the Bulgarians were induced by the
promises of Prince Michael Obrenovitch to rise en masse. These promises
were never fulfilled, and the insurrection was put down with great
barbarities by the neighbouring Albanian levies. This single fact is
tolerably conclusive as to the unreality of a south Slavonic
insurrection, of which so much has been said, and to promote which so
much trouble has been taken. Even were the discontent tenfold as
deep-rooted as it now is, the Turkish Government might rely on the
Mussulman population and the Arnauts to suppress any rising of the
Christians. The chief danger to Turkey lies in the truculent nature of
those whom she would be compelled to let loose upon the insurgents, and
who would commit excesses which might be made an excuse for foreign
intervention. The attainment of this ignoble end has been and still is
the policy pursued by more than one power. Prince Milosch played
admirably into their hands, not foreseeing that in the general
bouleversement which would be the result, the independence of Servia
might be disregarded. The invasion of the Bosnian frontier by bands of
Servian ruffians was a measure well calculated to arouse the fury of the
Mussulmans; and if such has not been the case, it may be attributed to
the rapid dispersion of the miscreants. Little credit, indeed, accrued
to Servia in these hostile demonstrations, for while the bands were
composed of the lowest characters, and could only be brought together by
payment, they quickly retreated across the frontier at the first show of
resistance. It is significant that these b