From: lb@cs.man.ac.uk (Luben Boyanov)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.bulgaria
Subject: The Bulgarians were first in numbers and scholarships in Roberts College (Constantinople)
Summary: "The Bulgarians are a race capable of great things"
Date: 10 Oct 92 16:26:33 GMT
Organization: Dept Computer Science, University of Manchester, U.K.

Dear all,

I'd like to say that I'm sorry that you had to see several postings
(incl. mine) which were not appropriate for the moderate tone and
tolerant behaviour of the participants of this newsgroup. My outrage
was caused of the continuing trend of postings, attempting to portray in
ugly light the Bulgarians and the Bulgarian nation. This have been used as a
scapegoat for somebody's history 'excuses', but one must know that the story
and history of the Balkans is rather different (and there are a lot of books
on that subject). I thought for a while that there were some 'badly placed
words' (only) which were nevertheless an insult to a nation, but after
exposing the biased attitude and the bad tempered intentions of the authors
of those postings, I decided that it's better not to come down to this level
any more and to post something else which I read recently and is more
appropriate for the newsgroup. It is about the Bulgarians and how they
performed in Roberts' College - in Constantinople years before the liberation
of Bulgaria. Oste vednij - sujaliavam, che ne se stupriaha i otgovorih na
gadnite zabelejki i natiakvania otnosno nashata nazia.


Now - here is some interesting text from a book ["Turkey in Europe",
James Baker, London, Paris & New York, 1877 (3rd ed.)] describing
Bulgarians before 1877.

"p. 42.
 ...
    I must here allude to another American educational establishment of the
utmost importance; and since it draws the great bulk of its students from
the Bulgarian population, it should find a place in this part of my work.
I allude to "Roberts' College", which was founded in 1863 at the beautiful
spot, Bebek, on the Bosphorus, by the American philanthropist, Mr. Christopher
Roberts, and to which object he devoted the munificent sum of 20.000 #
[British pounds].

[then the author quotes Dr. Cyrus Hamblin (in '')- the principal of the
college]

    'The idea of the college was to furnish a thorough education to the
different nationalities and sects of this empire.'
    ...

p. 43.
    ...
    ... 'Each nationality, Armenian, Greek, Bulgarian, Jewish, Turkish,
Persian, English, French, Italian, German, &c. &c., must have its language
studied at length. In point of fact, about twelve languages are used at the
college.' ...

    ... 'The chief nationalities are the Bulgarian, Greek, and Armenian.'
    'The first year the college had no Bulgarian students, the second year
it had one, and in the seventh year, 39 out of 72.
    'The Bulgarians have not only taken the lead in numbers, but to our great
surprise, in scholarship.'

p. 44.

    'In the single department of design (drawing), the do not exhibit any
special aptitude or inaptitude. Armenians have always borne off the prizes
in that department, but in all others Bulgarians have excelled. A large
proportion of them are earnest, persistent scholars. They have a marked
social and patriotic character worthy of all praise: they will aid each
other, and push forward the lagging, and patiently drill those who are far
in the rear, never being satisfied unless all are moving on together. There
have been instances of habits unfortunately contracted which could not be
allowed, but generally they yield to a correct moral training.'

   'We consider the Bulgarians a race capable of great things.'

   I would call my reader's attention to the praise-worthy conduct of these
Bulgarian students, of 'never being satisfied unless all are moving on
together'. It is here that we arrive at the secret of the cohesion of the
nation through the many centuries of trouble and persecution it has endured;
and in this particular point it is infinitely superior to the Greek in
nation-making qualities, since the latter are in a constant state of ferment
from an excess of individuality."
         
---------------------------------------
From "Turkey in Europe", James Baker, Cassell Peter & Gaplin Publ., London,
Paris & New York, 1877 (3rd ed.).


Best regards to everybody


Luben


PS. I will also post (in the near future) why is Macedonia so important for
OUR history and national consciousness. It's not a big surprise to me that
there are many people who still don't know what does Macedonia mean for the
Bulgarian national revival, for the Bulgarian national idea and for it's
history. But I'll bore you with this another time.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------
"In Bulgaria, what's most unbelievable is most likely to happen."

					           Pencho Slaveikov
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Newsgroups: soc.culture.bulgaria