The Sun.
London, England, 1851-08-11 00:00:00

TURKEY.

A gentieman travelling in Turkey has sent us an
account of what is called public education in that
country, neither unamusing nor uninstructive. The
subject and the hopes of education in Turkey form
in themselves a topic well worthy of being treated.
But in the present instance what first strikes us is
the bread caricature which the Turkish efforts or
non-effu: ts present of the attempt to monopolize and
stifle, under the plea of promoting and purifying,
education in Europe.
Turkish reformers are, of course, imitators ; eager
to adopt from the most advanced countries of Europe
their wisest institutions. A ministry of public in-
struction was, naturally, amongst the first creations
suggested. It was no sooner propounded, however,
than the Scheik El Islam, the head of the Turkish
priesthood, interfered, and declared that education
meant religion, and was included in the duties of
public worship. He had no objection to the Govern-
ment and the people of the provinces contributing
conjointly to the founding of schools; but the ap-
pointment of masters and the handling of the funds
belonged by divine right to the Church. Of course,
there was no contravening the claims of a body so
powerful.
A decree nevertheless went forth, that a school-
house should be erected in every town, and facilities
of education opened to the rising generation
in the provinces. To do justice to the Government
their part of the money was in general forth-
coming; and to do justice at the same time to
the Greek population, wherever there vs ere sufficient
members in easy circumstances, their contributions
came also readily enough. But what was to be taught?
No sect or creed would go beyond the book of its
faith, which, in the Mohammedan case, is not written
in the vernacular tongue of the population. Neither
could Armenian and Greek agree better than the
members of any other educational society. The pachas
did not wish to see the rayah or unbelieving
population made wise at state expense, when the
young Moslem themselves could not be so ; and the
quarrels of the several sects of Christians gave them
a ready pretext whereon to fling the blame of failure
or non-exertion. We need not, therefore, say how
unpromising of success is the scheme of public edu-
cation in Turkey, with the dominant Church unable
to make use of it, yet unwilling that others should
profit, whilst those others cannot agree either about
the nature of the boon, nor the means of compass-
ing it.
Yet, state education is due to no race more than to
the Turks. Personal ability, independent of birth or
fortune, has always been, amongst them, the great
claim to eminence—a claim shared by the ruyah races,
whose young were taken per force, and reared in the
serails. Nor was advancement confined to these ;
any provincial chief or individual endowed with
talents to command acquired that command, and in-
deed all Osenaulees enjoyed many of those benefits
boasted to have been obtained only by very recent
revolutions in Europe.
All this, however, is disappearing, and has become
impossible in Turkey. European institutions and
armies, and administration have been adopted there—
unavoidably adopted. And more than European ac-
quirements are necessary for the Turk who adminis-
ters them. The Turkish pacha, the Turkish bey, is
despotic as the Sultan. lie must do all, and in the
present requirements of office he requires to have ob-
tained in a special school that knowledge which a
European official is left to pick up. Your pacha re-
quires to be a political economist and a financier : to
quote the Koran and cut off heads will not suffice.
And except in cases of corruption or imperial rela-
tionship, still too frequent, the cleverest and best edu-
cated men get appointed even to the highest offices.
Youths, to acquire much education, must be the
sons of the rich, or else be reared by the State in
public colleges, or perhaps be sent to England and
France to study. The uneducated Turks are thus
disinherited. They can no longer aspire to dignity
and to three tails. The cobbler no longer becomes
a vizier. High office becomes by degrees the appa-
nage of a narrow circle of families, and will come to
constitute that bureaucracy so much detested in
Prussia and elsewhere.
If this exclusiveness, founded on new necessities
of education, is unjust to the lower orders of the
Turkish race, its effects upon the Christian and sub-
ject races are equally remarkable. These for many
centuries monopolised the intellects and intellectual
offices which the Turks require. The Greek Fanariot
was the diplomatist of the Turk, the Armenian was
his banker and financier, the Greek islanders manned
the Turkish fleet, and the young Christian, ravished
--- - -

from his parents, swelled into the formidable though
Mussulman janissary. But the Turks have now de-
termined to suffice tur thmsolves. They monopolise

g,. 1 ld.; calla received, 6581. ; other receipts, 3/. 103.-
4Z 18s. 1 Id-Six months' costa and part of mere all offices, all duties. The Panar exists no more ; its
chants' hulk paid,. 942/. 133. Id.; leaves balance in band families are ruined or expatriated. There is no
soldier that is not a Turk. In civil as in military
t,„ the next accauat, 1521. ss. 101 Due upon calla
1101, Merchants' bills unpaid, 1231. 7s. Id. A call of duties the Sultan depends on his Mussulman subjects,
63. per snare Wtl3 made, payable ou the Ilth instant. and offers the rayah now nothing beyond toleration.
At West Wheel Seton hi-monthly meeting, on the The Turks are thus more and more isolating them-
29th July, the accounts showed-Balance last account, selves as the masters of a great empire; and they
100/. 18a. 11d.; are sold (less dues), 422/. 45. , 81. • sun_
require education to enable them to exercise this
dries receiver), 4/. ss. 10d.; May call, 400/.9271. 9s. 51 ' mastery. Hence military and engineering, and
-To costs f•n. May and Juno, 7411. 143. 5d.: leaves medical and naval schools are as numerous and as
, ount
balance in favour of adventurers to next account, good at Constantinople as at Vienna or St. Peters-
-1851. 15s.
costs for burg.Theyamongst the .
are necessities of des-
At Tremor Mine hi-monthly meeting, the
p
May, 55/. 165., were examinedotism. I hey fill the place of popular education,
April, 471. 6s. Id., and
and allowed, and, to defray the same, a call of ss. lod. ri
of which, in truth, their existence marks the utter
per share was made. Ii absence.
At Perron St. George meeting, on Monday, the so-
The only chance for the Sultan's escaping from the
counts showed a balance in favour of the adventurers of manifold difficulties of such a situation would be the
1,758/. 13s. 7d. No dividend, however, was declared, on making such use of his absolute power as would set
amount of the extra outlay for fixing machinery, &c. him above the absurd claim of his own religion to
At the Garreg two-monthly meeting, on Thursday, .
the aceeunts showed 'handof 543/. 103. sd.
a balance in
of this kind. But after what Mah-
At Bell and Lanarth meeting, on Moudey, the ac- ;also in policy -tnoud has done, and done successfully, much more
"dub, showed balance end December, 1850. 371.88. 31; ' •
labour might be undertaken to render the Sultan the father
east six months, ending June, 482/. 11e. 41.; suer' elrl-.
chants' bilis,of all his people. If the Christians cannot be taught
per share, S(AL: leaves7s. 10d.=-.620/. 7s. 51-By call of . I
112/. to look to liii and to hope for something more than
7s. sd. A
call•Ofl balance against the mine,
At East Wheal per Lei share was made. . 1 toleration, they will look elsewhere, and the reign of
accounts showedthe }the
Bre meeting, on the Ist inst., the Sultan, at least in Europe, will cease. It is on
, stance last account, 523/. 9s. Iod4 the q
question of education, of legal procedure, and of
costa for April, 507th.
508/. 78. 2d...4,8681.11685. Id.; May, 3291. ss. Id.; June,. local employ, that the first step might be taken, not
1,024/.; copper ore sea. 21.---" BY
fourth and fifth calls,. I indeed to an amalgamation, but to a more equal treat-
against the adventurers 481 l.•
4s. 2d.: leaving balance' ment of the different races. If this cannot be done,
share was made, to be
!mitt _ l4e. A call of 11. per :it will be one day-Adieu, Turkev.-Daily News.
one of 1/. in October. immediately, and a further' a.a.
At Wheal Mary (Redruth) meetier, „ I TIIE DERBY POLICE " DONE."
tills, 9801. 6s. 2d.2-1118644/.1. 6s. 21 a
accounts showed-Balance la,t account, Tuesday, the' ; A rather amusing incident occurred at the Derby
costs and merchants' ;Station on Seturd 3y last, which is worth recording. It
By copper ore sold, 3751.; call in June 3711. r 125..4d.. appears that the Watch Committee have given the police
bliance against mine, 4181. 7e. 43. , ea: leaving. ' force of Derby leave of absence, and one week's pay, to
At Great Wheat Leisure tneetiog on the 31st July ,i, visit the Grey, Exhibition, ten of them being allowed
ACCutliltS SilOWed--BADhe'l lest account, 219/ -- ' --". 'to prcceed at a time. Some of the force hearing
. lot. 4ti -
costs and inerchents' bills, 230/. 15s. 9J.-----4501 us. 6',. ' that-, the Midland Company was taking parties from
Call in April, 3841; sundries, 31. 193.7 d.: leaving balance Leeds to Lendon for ss. each, whilst from Derby they
against mine, 621. 113. 6d. ' paid 10s. 61. thought it would be a good plan to send to
A; Wheal Daniel meeting on Monday, the accounts 1 sense for eome tickets, at get into the train
conby,
showed-Balance last account, 239/. 2s. 3d.; costs and. quently they bent. one of the force (Policetable
merchants' bills for four months to end of June, 1,174 a , Jeff.rs) to Leeds to purchase the tickets and hand them
163. 11d.e.e1,413/. 19a 21 13y call, 1,000/ ; ore sold, ,I, In,to the train to them at Derby. Bat, unfortunately,
22/. Os. Id.: leaving balance against mine, 391/. 19s. Id, tu_ercaluiwtg station at Derby was so cro:vded with trains
Transactions have been dos® in Alfred Consols, Bed- departmenttla that Mr. Mills, the manager of the goods
ford, Comfort, Devon Great Coniols, Mining Company
n tho aimetrdered that the Leeds train should not come
of Ireland, Tincroft, West Providence, Mary Alin, Tree-
,_ leading on t01°1,114-Yaiti'd, but he turned on to the curve
lawny, Tremayne, 'Wicklow, Clijah and lVerttwertn,s joined by the train fr°t.'i"hatn line, where it was to be
Devon and Courtenay, East Buller. East BariDgdOD,their ;
wises, and accompaniedomperby The policemen, with
Itorinadon-park, Galt-y-Maeu, Garreg. Beignsto a
, anxiously waiting for
by the town crier, were
II the train on the
platform, and
"ns, Marilyn Treleigh, Treeorden, Tywarnhap 3. were in great dismay • •
Wheon seeing it turn on to the Not-
al Crebor, Langford,' Venter): Zion, Williams, Eat 3 tinghtun line. The train,
Wheal R 11 T
the
The , rethellan, South Tamar, Condurrot t, j man who went to Leeds to
and Treviskey. purchase the tickets gut out
and proceeded to the platform and gave themg'
In foreign mines, shares
have changed hands in Altei I, anxiously-waiting companions. Bat how to kis
were they