Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1827-12-12
From the London Literary Gazette.

The Establishment OF me Iuf6S m EufCPe'
an Historical Discourse, l2mo. PIP les,
London, 1924. J. murray.
The critical position of the Ottoman power
at the epoch, and the contingencies likely to
arise out of its internal aud external relations
give peculiar interest to any Intelligence or dis
cussions which apply at such period to the
Turkish empire Thus directed TO the subject
we have in recent Literary Gazette derived
from Captain Jones and other authors all the
information we could for the guidance OF our
readers and have here TO add to tina, body oil
matter from the small but not uDapt voumn,
now under our notice. tits coup d9H very
neatly thrown over the past history and the &C
tual state of the Sublime Porte, from the fall OF
Constantinople, before the victorious arms OF
Mahomet III. TO the present day The facts as
mentioned in the preface, are taken from
D'Ohsson, Thornton, Busbek, Volney, and the
Numerous travellers in the East" and Tor The
putting together Of, and reflections upon them,
we believe we h We to ihans Lord 'ohn Russell
who's productions this Discourse Is. His lord-
Ship has divided the inquiry as follows:-"l.
The extent Of The conquest, 2. The character x
genius Of the conqusrors, s. The Causes OF their
success: A. The kind Of government they estab-
lished; s. The causes which arrested their pro-
prrss and have led 10 their decllne:' and he
treats these separate heads Ill concise out
clear and pleasing manner.
With regard to the extent OF The Gilman
conquest, all We need note is, that within
Htwo centuries nom the time when Gilman
was at the head Of 400 families, the Turks had
POSSESSED themselves Of some OF the falrest
par,s of that empire which the Romans had
called the World, and whose subjugalion they
esteemed the proof Of their superiority IN va
lour and wisdom over all ths nations OF The
globe The dominions of the Turks cOmpre-
hend Egypt, Syria, Palestine ard Caramania,
Greece. Albania, Bosnia, Servia and Maccdo-
MIA: they contained Cairo, Jerusalem, Damas-
Gus. Athens Sparta, Thebes, and Constantine
ple: they were wAered by the rigris and the
Euphraies, the Volga and the Danube.
Going into the second head OF the inquiry,
what was the character and genius oil this con-
quering people, we find it Justly observed, that
'The Turks appear 10 be distinguished from
the nations which occupy the rest OF Europe
in early every circumstance. The ample folds
of their garments, their shorn heads covered
by 4 rurban, their long boards, their stately
bearing form direct contrast with the tim
dress and coxcomb fashions Of our Christian
communities. Nor is there less difference in
substance than in outward appearance. he
Turk is moved by few passions, and those few
carry him straight TO their object: II he Is re-
vengeful, he takes away the life OF his enemy; II
he is covetous, he seizes the possessions OF those
who ale weaker than he is; if he is amorous, he
buys and shuts up in his seragIio the object OF
his love- He has no conception ot the comph-
Gated intrigue, the perpetual hustle, the vary
ing opinions, which attend and influence The
business of life in our aorthern countries. SuH
less can he imagine the active society, the dis
tipc,ions Of rank, The conversation without any
thing TO say; all the toys, in short, by which
vanity seeks TO be remarked, and the love Of nov
ehy requires 10 be gSati6ed His life is SIM
ME. TRANQUIL dull, we should say, when not mo.
we'd by the great passions OF our nature A
steady trade wind carries him to port, or
calm leaves him motionless; Of the varying
state Of our atmosphere, and all its shifting
bree7es, he has no adequate conception: he won
ders at and pi,ies our activity. Whether these
dispositions are suited or not 10 promote the
happiness of the individual may admit oil
adoub,; but il is quite evident they are unfa-
vourabe to the progress OF a nation
II is. indeed; owing to these Causes, that the
Turk has been stationary for centuries, while
all the rest OF the civilized world has been mo-
wing forward. The Mahometan faith, so well
devised 10 ensure success to military nation
nursuiny career Of ACKNOWLEDGEMENT, is calcu-
lated 10 produce opposite effects on pacific
times, when that nation has taken liked place
in the scale Of the universe; and II is well re-
marked, towards the close oil the volume, on 'hs
tenet Of destinaton:-
"In the days of their growing greatness, IL
armed them With desperate courage and UNI
comparable for,i,ude. AT the moment OF an
assault, they faced rhe hottest hre Of Cannon
and 1nusketry, convinced that no ball could
reach them unless il had been So ds s'ined from
eternity: after the most fatal reverse, they
comfort themselves with thinking thatit was
the will Of God, ss TIA, no human efforts could
have done more. But when the empire had
reached i.s apex, and the arts of peace were
more requisite than those Of var, the same
doctrine had an opposite effect, and became
the most effectual bar to The progress OF the
nation: il is resource for incidence, motive
TO apathy, an excuse for Ignorance. Ii an UNI
skilful physician kills all his patients, 1t is the
wall Of God; if an oppressive governor lays
waste his province, it is stil the WIZ oil Goo