Orthodox Church

The Church was “rapidly losing all hold on

the popular mind.” The strength of the Orthodox Church was

in the villages “where people are ignorant and superstitious, but it weakens in

proportion to the size and culture of the towns.”

The establishment of the independent

Bulgarian Church in the 1870’s was “one of those bullions which end in nothing”

because the people in “casting away old oppressions” gained nothing better. The

Bulgarian nation, according to the American clergyman needed not “desolation”

but “reformation.” There was hope, with the aid of the American missionaries,

this reformation would become a reality.

“The Bulgations,” wrote Mutchmore,

“notwithstanding all these and other disabilities, are more accessible to

Christianity than any of their neighbors, they are more brainy and manly arid

have more in them worth saving than any of their neighbors.”  The Americans, through their missionary

activity, publications, and Robert College would help the new, free, “redeemed

Bulgaria” to become “the wonder of all the Danubean provinces.”

Pan-Sclavistic

idea

Mutchmore admitted that the Bulgarians

themselves were working hard to change and modernize their country. The author

presented some aspects of Bulgaria’s history to prove some of his preconceived

notions. Bulgaria’s awakening was “inspired by the great Pan-Sclavistic idea” and her

“small revolution” was “instigated by Russia.” He recognized that Russia

“espoused ostensibly the cause of Bulgaria” and through the Treaty of San

Stephano the country was freed from the Turks. Mutchmore blamed the powers,

especially England, for the failure of San Stephano.

The American thought that the powers “had

no right” and “no good reason” to intervene and save Turkey. At the Congress of

Berlin the powers proceeded to divide up the domains of a sovereign Power to

suit themselves, and to denude another nation of all the fruits of her losses

and victories.” He thought this was unprecedented for “nothing like it has ever

occurred in the history of the world.” To the American this was like the

divisions of Poland.

Mutchmore praised Alexander Battenberg for

his efforts to maintain the independence of Bulgaria and was critical of

Russia’s policies. One of the reasons for his anti-Russian attitude was his

fear that if Russia played a dominant role in Bulgaria, the Protestants would

not be free to continue their missionary work. 

Notwithstanding the difficulties the Bulgarians had to face, Mutchmore

believed, Bulgaria would be able to solve her problems. The Bulgarian people,

he wrote, “are bright more than bright.

They have a better intellectual development

than any of their neighbors, are industrious, and ambitious both to know and to

do.” The Bulgarians were “physically superior, better dressed, and the better

classes are more rapidly becoming European.” Bulgaria was in a period of transition

“like a bird putting its head out of its shell only the head is out, the body

is still fettered in the filthy prison house of the past.”