The Rhode-Island Republican. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1809-1841, 1828-01-03
TURKEY.


The fertility of the land would be pro.
portlonal To the mildncSs of the cllmo were
there the slightest security to the hus.
bandman, that he who sowed should reap
But the desponsm, whose more hateful
feathers are somewhat sofcncd down IN
the great towns, and their immediate
nolghhorhood, stalks abroad IN the coun.
try m all It's oppression and detonnity. and
Industry, farther than II Is eNerted 10 pro.
cure ior the day its daily bread, disap,
pears before H. The facilities which
Turkey enjoys Tor external commerce, are
commensurate 70 the abundance OF her na.
turalrrhes The extensive shore is eve
! ~ where lndcuted into halbors, snd the
eentrsi sliaatioa ol the capital, stretching
forth It's arms To Europe on tho one hand.
aud TO ASIA on the other, having the Med
iterrancan as a channel of commune al ION
with Africa and the Atlantic, and the Red
Sea, anu the Arabian Gulf, opening on the
( indian ueean--ail lheae advantages seem
To mark out Constantinople as the empori
uln sf tae world. They have, how ever,
been given TO Turkey only 10 show how
many OF the most excellent gifts of Provi
dence may be rendered unayaiing by the
NerVcrsty and lncapacity Of man. The
| population of Turkey N Europe IL various.
1 ~ stated by different writer's, Nothing
1 like census has ever been allowed By
! the Government, or attempted by ndivid.
aa'e, and but very loose approximation
| can DO expected from calculations founded
on false, or, at best, uncertain data. Ex
elusive OF that portion Of its subjects who,
]! the Allies succeed in their object, ARE
ROW, after nearly four centuries OF bond
age, uneNsmpled in the history Of con
quests To be severed from it 1--WE hope for
e'er,J the population of Turkey IN Europe
has been estimated at ten millions. IL
probably falls considerably short of that
number.
The army of Turkey used 10 bo abou,
l2J,OC0, but Of these the Ienichei1, II
must be remembered, constituted nearly
lNo thirds. Mullnous and disordery es
those cohorts were, they formed the most
valuable portion of the Turkish forces, aud
there can he no doubt that al the disc
pllnc of the new lovics will render them
bat an indifferent substitute. OF irregu
,Nr troops th, Porte possesses about 100,
JOU. which are valuable only, but that is !
$50 uuImpurtant consideration, at nurser, |
4 recruits for the regiments of the line !
IN artillery, the Turks have always been |
extremely deficient: and the Russians |
Fho have gradually beaten tbcn into the \
.lLaaiIDn al ~ ojrrn tactics, are rot-in that
arpaItfleut the best OF masters. 1t 0eIBg |
me IN which they themselves have yet |
much 10 learn. The Turkish cavalry, |
yulch is ubout 1900 in number, Is gen4 |
.a.ly urcouutcd excel Mt The navy Of
rubcy Is below contempt, coGs,aru.,
g National .Orc. IL has never rccu ere |
even lts numoscal strength since Toe 'e
rb'e defeat Il sustained IN the harhor
!ghcsmc, from the fire ships Of our con- I
iryman Grcig, ~ the wnr of l172. or a.
ID 10 muster 30 ships OF the line, Hnd q
tuEny frgaIcs, but according to the late1 |
accounts, u consists only of H. sail of tlc |
i'le, ~ trias,es, and about 20 of a smaller |.
description. The Turks are bad sailor ,
every whore. bat the men Of war are int /
utoly worse manned than their merchant
men; for the crews OF tho former are |
chiefly made up Of the refuse of society |
who are sent thlther to expa,iate their OF |
fences on shore. The numerous bays md |
=
iion, be the principal source Of Its great. |
ness, render Turkey only the more easily |
assailed by maratme enemy.
The passage Of the Dardancllcs is for !
midablc IN appearance only. The west
eTn entrance IS nearly three miles wide |
and, consequently, the forts on each side |
even were their guns well served, can Of. |
fer but little opposition 10 the passage Of
a feet, which can keep the centre OF the |
chaDncf. About one third Of the way up, |
the channel narrows greatly. But there |
the forts are completely open TO coup dc |
main from the und side; and % the strait !
presents no natural obstacle, with fair .
wind, vessels Of the largest size may sufe.
ly pass through IT at midnight. Arrived |
IN the sea at Marmora, the only difficulty !
which presents itself " n naval attack - \
the current which sets through the BOs- \
chorus and the DardBncles towards the 4
Mediterranean, and which can only be I
stemmcd by a favorable wind. This ob. |
stscle, which prevented Admiral Duck /
worth from acting with eject, has. how I
ever. since the invention nf steamboats,, |
ceased 20 be one. Csc OF those vessels /.
could not only tow lIeet through tie 7.
uarrOws leading 10 'hc Foponli7, bu, /
could anchor Il under ihu waits Of Con /
stantmop'e, independently ~ tie wind,
and N spite or ihe cOrrrnf The rhoe .
presents no Danger ~ difficulty. From I
very careful surveys, il opInar9, thai from I
the castle Of the Seycn Towers, m the I
south west Of the Scraclio, in The south /
cast point Of the city, the depth Of water
varies from six TO thirty fathoms within q
few hundred wards Of the shore, 20 that =
"a might lie within cables length Of The I
Vall. from the one extremity to the other. I
TO blockade or besiege the capital of The .
Turks, a. the progress Of events or the
exigencies Of war might require, would \