Litchfield enquirer., 1830-01-28
:RorrtnM EMtrIIt0rnee,
To ne Editors ertAs N Y Spectator
SMYRNA, Oct, 10, l8g0.

am not at all 0N IutC w tue pOUUcs ~ ths
Slay here. They fight shy OF me rather
think this | can see among tho motley crew
UC Europeans, Jews, ArmrNinns, Turks, &C.
which compose the mammOn wnrshIpp'ng
population Of this pace-all are dscOntent.
ed with the terms Of the peace; all regard x
AZ prpiudicial Ia the prospects Ut more
fluUrsking state Of the interior Of Asia, swing
them M Increase Of business, Ia fact who
Is IL profit by Il, except Russia, who has dn-
ped the European cabinets and thrs shed the
Sultnn2 Where are the hopes Of the i'm
mpnse commercial and other advantages t0
be derived from throwing open the vast and
inexhaustihly rich countries about the Black
Sea, If Turkey Is to be kampered with the
navment Of such sums as those stipulated
If The Sultan goes on in that shOrt.sighted
but surely fatal policy Of oppressive and In.
surportahle taxatlnnl What has reduced
hin, to his present state; what smoothed the
march Of the Russians 10 AdriHnople, but the
discomfort produced among the Turkish pop
ulatiOn BY the almost daily and severe taxes
and acquisitions which had been laid upon
them2 All European Turkey was longing
for Russia or even Cor satan himself 80 that
A. -I~~e. ,.v,,lu deliver them from their
burdens; and think you the remnants ofthe
Janissaries were idle!
Look at Asia Minor; that earthly paradise,
whose rich and various productions, well
managed, would give revenue sufficient for
vast empire; what 10 It's present state? We
know that for ages Il has been n miserable
thinly populated, ill.cultivated state; hut
never, at any one period, within the range of
history, has Il been so desOlate, SO thinly
populated, 80 little productive as now. You
win see, on whatever road you travel. cities
that a few years ago contained Il busy popu.
lation Of thousands, now crumblng to ruin,
and inhabited by q few hundred peasants; vii.
lagos of which there remain only the rOo1ess
and blackened walls; and you recognize only
by their ruins, towns that, ffty or hundred
years ago. were large and nourshing; vast
fertile plains liz entirely uncultivated; and
you pursue your way through rich fields, and
numerous villages, without seeing an inhabit.
ant. It Is not alone the Greek population
that has thus disappeared though at the
news Of the breaking out the revolution In
Greece, the blind vengeance Of the Turk
made the scimetar like the sword Of the de.
stroying angel; and the blood Of thousands
and tens of thousands Of innocent Greeks
went to fatten the land they peaceably cult.
waited. Though the rest Of the Greeks fed,
this did not produce the immense drpopua.
ton; the cause 10 IN the want Of organization,
and Of common political prudence on the part
Of the Porte, whose only cry, only demand,
is-m0ney, money, to day, no matter for
the morrow. Then what miserable short
sighted policy In putting down the old feudal
lords ofthe soil; the Oglous and others, and
substituting pachas the latter, for the mo-
nlent, poured more money into tn" grNsping
= treasury, but Ruined the people; wrung their
very hearts blood out of the country, aud
lett it in an emaciated pershing condition.
The old lords at least protected the people,
encouraged, In their rude way, the prosperity
Of the country, and made il ten times more
important to the empire indirectly, than II "
now. But the Porte cannot anil will not Wn-
dcrstand that It's prosperity depends upon the
prosperity OF the people; Il does not at this
moment; and though Il Is the fashion 10 cry
up the talents and political wisdom OF Nah.
mould, | am convinced he Is u stupid fellow A.;
resolute I grant you; wishing for reform, but
knowing not how to effect It slashing most
furiously at the branches but overlooking the
root Of the tree Of evil. Why, what has he
done Destroyed the Janissaries and ut
tcmpted to organize regular army. But
did he display any foresight did he attempt
any organization Of the finances Of his empire
that should give him the means Of supporting
them? Did he attempt to relieve his people
Of that load of impositiOMs which even then
made them murmur SO furiously No, he
did not even attempt reform Ofthose abu-
aes which prevent one half, or perhaps two
thirds of the tsxes raised, from reaching his
treasury. In his head-long way he struck
flriously at the Janissaries he wasted, like
water. that blood which would have been
poured out in an attempt, at least, to defend
his fren,iers against the Russians, and he then
amused himselfby embarrassing the outside
ofhis rottNn ADD totterng cdifce and making
it appear fine in the eyes Of Europe. People
looked at COnstantinople, and cried bravo !!
They saw there the introduction Of European
improvements Of European dress and Eu-
rOpean manners; and said Mahmoud is doing
more towards civilizng his empire, than any
sovereign IN Europe. I grant you he display
ed great talents as tailor great taste. as a
carpenter; great and heroic resolution, in
tearing off the flowing robes and putting his
people in monkey jackets sound policy deep
Judgment in the Improvement and civilian
ton Of his people. by knocking of their tur-
bans "ris strange how people will he taken
with such things; how they admire as
stroke Of deep policy, measures which can
only rebound with furious recoi upon the
short-sighted actor. Take, for instance, the
act of the Sultan forcing his employers aud
Others TO abandon the turban, aud put ON the
cap; how much prejudice he had to over
come. How much ill-will and hatred he
would excite, those who know the strong at