d, where these plans won't do,--as in the
case of drunkards, maniacs, and villains,--they understand and quietly
practise the power of _overwhelming constraint_. If the Turks had been
overwhelmingly constrained by Europe during the late Conference at
Constantinople, we should have had no war."

I never met with any nation so fond of argument as the Scotch!
Surrounded as we were by dead and dying men, the "special" and the
student (who was also Scotch) sat down and lighted their pipes to have
it out. To do them justice, there was a lull at the time in the arrival
of wounded men.

"But," said the student, in that tone which is so well known to the
argumentative, "is not overwhelming constraint tyranny?"

"My friend," replied the special, lighting his pipe at the other's
cigar, "if a blackguard stole a poor widow's purse, and six policemen
took him up, compelled him to restore it, and put him in limbo, would
you call that tyranny?"

"Of course not."

"But it would be overwhelming constraint, would it not?"

"Well--ah!--yes--I see--but--"

"Of course there's a _but_. Quite right. That is the word by which it
is conveniently stated that the mind is not yet clear. Far be it from
me to coerce you. I would, if I could, clear you. Listen, then:--

"Has not the Turk treated his Christian subjects in a way that can only
be expressed as diabolical?"

"Unquestionably. Every one admits that: but he promises to govern them
better in future."

"If a thief," said the special, "were to promise amendment and
restoration of stolen property, would you let him off with the stolen
property in his pocket?"

"Certainly not," answered the student.

"Well, then, the Turk has stolen the _liberty_ of his Christian
subjects--to say nothing of his own subjects--and he only _promises_ to
give it back. He promised that more than twenty years ago, but has not
done it yet. Ought he not to have been overwhelmingly constrained by
the European Conference to fulfil his promises? And if he had been thus
constrained, would not war have been avoided?"

"But perhaps he would have resisted," said the student.

"No, the Turk is not mad, therefore he would not have resisted united
Europe," returned the special; "and, even suppose that he had, his
resistance could not have produced such a frightful war as this, for
Europe would have crushed him _at once_, with comparatively little
bloodshed. As it is, we have left the Muscovite (with go