(6) The recognition of Roumanian passports.
(7) The definition of the Roumanian frontier at the Delta of the Danube.
Servia declared war on June 30, 1876, followed a couple of days later by Montenegro. The Servian forces amounted to 56,000 men, concentrated on the line Alexinatz and Deligrad, whilst Prince Nicholas mustered 24,000 men, in addition to 4000 insurgents from Herzegowina. The Turkish force consisted of 97,000 men, divided into four columns, under Suleiman, Mehemed, Achmed and Osman Pachas, the commander-in-chief being Abdul Kerim. The fortune of war did not favour the Servian insurgents under the Russian General Tschernaiew, who were beaten near Babinaglawa on July 9, and eventually forced to fall back behind the Servian frontier. The Montenegrin troops, however, defeated Selim Pacha on the 16th and 17th July, and compelled Moukhtar Pacha to retire on Trebinje on the 29th. The course of the war showed that the Servians had completely over-estimated both their military spirit and their material resources for war, and they were only saved from annihilation by the intervention of the Powers on their behalf in obtaining an armistice for fourteen days, from September 16 to October 1.
In Roumania, in the meantime, a most inopportune attack was made on the late Conservative Government by the Radicals, who demanded a full inquiry into the causes of the deficit, and the prosecution of twelve former Ministers for the three following offences:
(1) Violation of the Constitution and public liberty.
(2) Extravagance in the expenditure of public money.
(3) Abuse of power when in office.
The debates in the Chambers proved conclusively that the Ministry was no longer able to stem the tide of party passion; and on M. Jepureanu handing in the resignation of the Cabinet on August 4, 1876, M. Bratianu was entrusted with the formation of the new Liberal Cabinet.
The reports of the Daily News about the "Bulgarian Horrors," confirmed by Mr. Baring's report, caused a complete revolution in the Turkophile sympathies of Great Britain. Mr. Baring stated that fifty-four Bulgarian villages had been burnt down, and about 10,000 people massacred; no less than 2500 corpses were counted in Batak alone. The English Secretary, however, pointed out that the Bulgarians had also committed intolerable outrages on the Mohammedan population, and took considerable pains to expose Russian intrigues in the Vilayet.
Yet another change of rulers took place in Constantinople on August 31, 1876, when Abdul Hamid succeeded his brother, who was no longer responsible for his actions. The new potentate wisely adopted many economies, and endeavoured successfully to gain popularity with the army.