The Press.
London, England, 1855-04-07 00:00:00

HONESTY OF THE TURKS.

The writer of a letter from Constantinople, dated
the 25th ult., says :

I regret to state that the great majority of vagrants,
thieves, and pickpockets infesting the Turkish capital are
Christians and Europeans, and for the most part British
proteges, Maltese and lonians. Hence the noble and cre-
ditable office of rescuing these vagabonds from the hands
of justice devolves principally on the British consul, who,
after having perchance imprisoned and punished them for
a few days, sends them off to their own country, whence
they are sure to return by the next steamer to pursue their
calling with redoubled energy. These are all well-known
facts, and it is to be hoped our rulers may find some prompt
and efficacious remedy fur these crying abuses. The Mus-
sulman, whether from fear of the laws or conscience sake,
is seldom found to engage in such abominable pursuits ;
and the honour and honesty of Islam in many matters has
all the force of a popular adage. For instance, a watch, a
ring, a purse of gold, or any other valuable, left in a boat,
public bath, &c., is as safe as it would be in the Bank of
England, and sure to return to its rightful owner. A large
amount of money, the whole contents of the strong box,
are committed by commercial firms during the night to
the charge of a poor Turkish porter, and there never has
been a single instance of bad faith, or the smallest defalca-
tion. In like manner some thousands of pounds in specie
are conveyed safely by a poor suntgi from one part of the
country to another, and there is no example of accident on
record, or of his having appropriated a single piastre to
his own use. Again, in Turkish houses of distinction, the
doors of the different apartments are all open—snuff-boxes,
magnificent pipes, watches, and valuables, displayed in
bright array on the divan—some twenty or thirty servants
bustling about in every direction; a throng of visitors
going and coining; and still, it is almost an incredible fact
under such circumstances, that not a single instance of

theft has ever corns to raiknowledge. No doubt, the pro•

THE erection of huts in Heligoland for the troops
is completed, and the officer of engineers charged
with the superintendence of the work has gone up
to Hamburg, on leave of absence granted him by Sir
John Hindmarsh. There are altogether thirty-four
huts, built on the high ground near the lighthouse,
in a situation rather exposed to the wind, but healthy.
Each hut is sixty feet long and twenty-two feet wide,
and contains beds and accommodation for thirty
men. This would consequently afford room for more
than six thousand men. It is expected that the
island will receive a strong garrison in the summer,
probably a part of the reserve of the army about to
proceed to the Baltic for operations on the Russian
coast.

is seldo'm found to engage in such abominable pursuits; finished fitting at the different ports, and perhaps Europe. Casimir, the last of the Piast line, died
and the honour and honesty of Islam in many matters has may remain until her most gracious Majesty Queen without male issue, and the crown passed by election
all the force of a popular adage. For instance, a watch, a Victoria and the Emperor of the French will be able to his nephew, Lewis, King of Hungary. The affairs
ring, a purse of gold, or any other valuable, left in a boat, to pay them a visit. of the nation were neglected by this monarch for the
public bath, Sze., is as safe as it would be in the Bank of
superior interests of Hungary, and at his death the
England, and sure to return to its rightful owner. A large THE erection of huts in Heligoland for the troops Poles unanimously elected Hedwige, the daughter
amount of money, the whole contents of the strong box,
are committed by commercial firma during the night to is completed, and the officer of engineers charged of Casimir, to the vacant throne, A.D. 1370.
the charge of a poor Turkish porter, and there never has with the superintendence of the work has gone up Ringold, a native Lithuanian chief, a man of talent,
been a single instance of bad faith, or the smallest defalca- to Hamburg, on leave of absence granted him by Sir acquirement, and bravery, tempered by a laudable
tion. In like manner some thousands of pounds in specie John Hindmarsh. There are altogether thirty-four ambition, had collected together the rude masses of
are conveyed safely by a poor iurugi from one part of the huts, built on the high ground near the lighthouse, the Schlavo-Finnish tribes, and consolidated them
country to another, and there is no example of accident on in a situation rather exposed to the wind, but healthy, into a duchy of Lithuania, A.D. 12:15. This lengthened
record, or of his having appropriated a single piastre to Each hut is sixty feet long and twenty-two feet wide, province commenced in a narrow slip of land on the
his own use. Again, in Turkish houses of distinction, the and contains beds and accommodation for thirty Baltic, and extended nearly to the shores of the
doors of the different apartments are all open—snuffhoxes, men. This would consequently afford room for more Black Sea. It interposed betwixt Poland and the
magnificent pipes, watches, and valuables, displayed in
bright array on the divan—some twenty or thirty servants than six. thousand men. It is expected that the Grand Duchy of Novogomd, or Russia, originally
bustling about in every direction; a throng of visitors island will receive a strong garrison in the summer, founded by Iturik, which had been subsequently
going aril coining; and still, it is almost an incredible fact probably a part of the reserve of the army about to parcelled out and divided
after the irruption of the
under such circumstances, that not a single instance of proceed to the Baltic for operations on the Russian Mongolian Tartars in the thirteenth century. The
theft has ever come to my knowledge. No doubt, the pro. boa St. Lithuanians were heathens.

324

Another portion of the Schlavo-Finns possessed
themselves of the north-west shores of the Baltic,
and, by the cruelty of their Pagan rites, roused the
indignation and hostility of the Christians. St. Adel-
bert, in 1010, had attempted their conversion, but, as
the pirates and freebooters found no profitable coun-
terbalance, no immediate gain to be got by abandon-
ing the libertinaga of trade and the freedom of
plunder, they straightway sacrificed the saint to the
integrity of their commercial system. The Teutonic
knights, on their return from the crusades, vowed to
revenge the murder, and after a succession of wars,
replete with savage barbarities—committed, however,
with a good intent, and sanctified by Latin prayer—
the Pagans were finally subdued, Christianity estab-
lished, the country pillaged, and the inhabitants but-
chered. Tho seventies of the knights had nearly
destroyed the Schlavo-Finnish population, and the
provinces were repeopled by German colonists.
These established their capital at Konigsberg, and
the Duchy of East Prussia, in addition to Livonia
and Esthonia, became vested in the knights of the
Teutonic order.

The position of Poland proper was inland. The
rich pastures and fruitful corn tracts belonging to it
were the granaries that supplied neighbouring na-
tions with the staff of life. Yet the Poles were not
the carriers of their own wealth. They had no sea-
coa,t, and therefore lacked the means of export. I
Hedwige, Queen of Poland, to great personal attrac-
tion united high intelligence and a firm determination
of purpose. She was her own Foreign Minister, and
withal juvenile. 11l disposed towards the ascetism of
the Teutonic knights, conscious of the value of their
ports on the Baltic, and well informed that the holy
bachelors were not indisposed to join the Hungarians
in an invasion of her country, the Queen sought a
conference with her neighbour, Jagellon, the Pagan
Duke of Lithuania, to discuss certain protocoled
points of international policy. The conference took
place. At these diplomatic meetings a restricted
number of agents is accelerative of the business, and
when there may be a sexual difference in the repre-
sentatives of power, the asperities of jarring interests
are straightway mollified by the more righteous
promptings of a pure benevolence. The regret may
be permitted that more modern conferences lead not
to solutions equally suave. The truths of Chris-
tianity, always seductive from their intrinsic worth
and virtue, acquire still greater value when the mi-
nister of conversion is endowed with that gift which
the transcendent historian of the decline and fall of
the Roman empire affirms to be contemned only by
those to whom it has been denied. The Pagan duke
became familiarised with the tenets of the Christian
dispensation, practised them in his espousal of
Queen Hedwige, and ascended the throne of Poland
as the first Jagellon, under the title of Ladislaus V.,
A.D. 1382. The dukedom of Lithuania was annexed
to the country. It must, however, be remarked that
the dukedom was hereditary, and the Crown of
Poland elective. Concurring in the political views
of the Queen, the monarch immediately waged war
on the Teutonic knights. The strife was long and
doubtful, for the servants of the Cross were sensibly
alive to the value of worldly property, and it was not
until their defeat, in the victory of Tannenburg,
A.D. 1410, that the Teutonic territories were made
tributary to Poland. Under Casimir IV. the war
recommenced, with the same success for the Jagellon
king. Ho effectually subjected the knights, made
them vassals of the Crown, and took possession of
the ports of the Baltic, which had been the real ob-
ject of contention. The terms of conquest were ra-
tified by the peace of Thorn, in 1447.
The Teutonic order had ever been valorous de-
fenders of the Latin against the Greek Church, and
a similarity of creed constituted the sole link betwixt
the Jagellon kings and their discontented vassals.
Albert of Brandenburg had been nominated grand
master of the order. He was prudent, cunning, slow
to adopt any course that was not certain to yield sub-
stantial benefit, and was above the common prejudice
of a strict regard to barren agreements. A just phi-
losophy taught him that Teutonic discipline was not
lees inoperative of virtue than it was irksome and
absurd, and after one more despairing effort fot inde-
pendence, the prince, with a majority of the knights,
submitted to Poland, formally secularised, abjured
the Roman Catholic religion, and embraced Protes-
tantism, A.D. 1525. Each knight, more effectually to
sunder the vow of celibacy, took unto himself a gentle
partner, and the few who were overscrupulous, or
were too aged to win the favour of the Polish damsels,
proverbial for their beauty, retired to Mergestheim,
in Wirtemberg. For the voluntary renunciation of
the privileges and establishments of the order, Sigis-
mund I. created Albert of Brandenburg Duke of
Prussia, and the title was to be hereditary in the
Hohenzollern family, upon the condition of vassalage
to the Polish Crown. Si?ismund 11., one of the
most accomplished and upright princes of his time,
enacted laws of religious toleration by which the
Arians and Socinians, persecuted everywhere else,
were protected against their ultramontano enemies.
By the confederation of 1573 the rights of conscience