New-York daily tribune., 1851-09-27
LETTERS OF AN EMILE. No. Mi
THE STAGNATION OF TURKEY-INCAPACirY
FOR PROGRESS
CORRESPONDENCE q The v \ rnouns



Correspondence q The v Y rnoune
ASA MINOR, THURSDAY. Aug. :. 1851.
| have already spoken in a general way
OF the moral, intellectual and political condition
of the Mohammedan nations | have spoken of
them as incapable OF any Interior progress IN
civil life. depored their actual and fatal deca
dcnce. and limited a, the Mohammedan law as TO
the law OF the sword law only ht to create
desperate and fierce soldiers, but completely IN
applicable 70 the wants of civilization. because
destructive of every aitectlonate tie, sentiment
and habit. 1t Is now my purpose to show you
how the Koran. the great hook Of the East,
which struggled for many yearswith polyihelsm,
Idoatry and the most stupid and ieroclouS super
stltlon, aud taught for the hrst time 20 the
numerous nations OF Asa, the existence of one
immaterlal and single Beng superior to the
whole world which He created how that book
has at last brought It's follower, to the low
scale Of degradation which is now the unhappy
lot OF the Eastern nations. Let Us say word
first about popular instruction, and more partlcu-
larly about literature.
| found It az first rather difficult 10 understand
what was the knowledge OF the educated class
IN Turkey. very numerous one, knowing rs |
did that there was no literature IN the Turkish
language. The Koran and ats commentaries,
some volumes Of the Turkish history, some
proverbs, and perhaps some songs compose the
library of the most learned among the learned
scholars who are easily distinguished from their
compatriots by the brass mAstand pressed
through the scarf about their waist, together
with their pistols and yatagan. Is It 10 be won
dered at # The number OF the learned Musulmans
Is not greater. when We know how little pleasure
they are able to draw from literary knowledge
And should we grow verS eager m the pursuit Of
science, If our reward were limited to the de-
hght to be had from the reading OF Just tnlan's
Code. orthe PandectS, and such interesting works
Such being the case IN Turkey, nobody learns 10
read except for a speclal cause. such as the pur-
SUIT OF one of the liberal observation-disclosures,
law. or public office Let It be well understood
that am not speaking OF Constantlnople. which
IS tast becoming European, but OF The Aslltlc
provinces Of the great Empire, which are very
little changed indeed from what they were some
two or three centuries ago.
The Turkish language Is OF very difficult pro
nunclation. as well from the many cultural
sounds Transmitted by the Arabs, as from the fact
that the Turkish characters scorn TO mark
the pronunciation OF the vowels, and onl} lndl.
cate their appearance by the sign called EhG
which represents any of the i've vowels known
10 us. and some two or three more known 70 the
Eastern world. Some scholar, who has acquired
his knowledge of oriental affairs and literature
from books and not from personal observation,
NAV object 10 TIN, that m the Eastern pronun-
citation the IL perfectly distinct from the p, the
from the o, the from the 2, and 50 *. But I
,hau take the liberty 20 remark that such
pronunciation. though recommended IL or.ea.
tai grammars, Is but seldom used oy the Musul.
mans. and that only IN their writing, scarcely
ever IN their printing. Ia our more civilized
Europe children learn 10 speak from see
ing the words which they learn, correctly
written before their eyes. The lower class
Is IN most couEtnes are deprived Of THIS
benefit. and that Is the reason why 50 few OF
them ever speak correctly. But N Turkey,
where less perhaps. thaR one man out Of a thou
SAND knows his letters, wlere The sounds are
rather confused and lndist!nct Themselves, and
where the knowledge OF the best taught affords
but few and imperfect notions ABOUT the pro-
uunciation OF the words, there must be great
difference between the Ianguage oi one Province
and another Of one town ana even OF one .ndi-
yldual and OF others. have seen person very
well understood by some Turks, and euite un-
able 70 explain themselves 70 some others. THIS
one prounces. isghd,, thar iohoudou, hat other
gockd0 Ac &C, while the word !s written by
means of one letter y Of another sgH intended
10 represen; that cultural Arabian sound tha,
our European oreniallsts translate by gk, and
third sign representing d. Now, between, be
fore and after these three signs. every Muss.l-
man places a- many vowel. or seul-yowe.s "a
he likes. and each fills ne intervals ~ diftere m
way In sucn confusion, VINO shall say that .his
way OF pronouncIng Is wrong, and ina, nghi
Where ,, the rule Whefe. even, is tie c4s-
tom Nov nere-nOwheIe
must not forge, 20 state thai each Mus,gi-
man understand, pretty well another Hussui-
man. though they disagree ever so much from
each other concerning O. and aud 4nd O..
That Genes from the naFro~bess OF ever Nus
.uinan, connections They ali knoN eacn
o;ar. within ihe conisnr- ~ each distinct
aI.r Anew ihc Vronunc44,.ui. o. ete., one Of IT,
l.i al4i1it.. =. ~t.l -s - .He.. ia, one p~''oi
g. an argua4ltanre in1lau ipT 30 81"
!ri.Ai.,l,.l sis;.,r f.,i. .,.ce~ ~ a . y