An eminent Bulgarian public servant, who has seen much more of the outer world than most of his fellow- officials, remarked to me one day in the course of conversation that " the great defects of his countrymen were their inveterate belief in their capability to do everything for themselves after their own way and by their own people, and their excessive dislike to calling in the aid of foreigners in order to show them how things ought to be done."
The Bulgarians are willing to go abroad in order to learn from foreigners, but they are not willing to be instructed by foreigners at home. If the Russians had taken the trouble to study the Bulgarian character, they would have realized that the people looked upon them as foreigners, and bitterly resented the filling up of all important and lucrative posts in the public service by Russian officials.
In the days of the Protectorate the native politicians who had taken the leading part in preparing the way for Russian intervention were left out in the cold in the distribution of all official appointments. Moreover, the Russian administrators, civil as well as military, lost no opportunity of letting the Bulgarians feel that in the eyes of their protectors they were a kingdom of peasants, who ought by rights to feel honoured at having Russians to instruct and govern them.
Persistent refusal
The specific cause of complaint which Bulgaria has against Russia, namely, her persistent refusal to recognize Prince Ferdinand, does not excite great indignation in the Principality. To the Court and to the Prince the lack of foreign recognition constitutes a valid grievance. But the mass of the population are utterly indifferent as to whether Prince Ferdinand is or is not acknowledged to be their legal ruler. To all practical intents and purposes he is as much a reigning Prince as if every monarch in Europe addressed him in writing as brother. The Bulgarian peasants care much more about solid facts than they do about formal titles.
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