The Portsmouth inquirer. [volume] (Portsmouth, O. [Ohio]) 1849-1855, 1851-08-11

correspondent Of The Ohio Statesman dated
ii eonstantiaople, July 8. Had we the
room, We should publish the whole Of this
letter, ior it IS one Of The most satisfactory,
concerning certain institutions in Turkey
we have ever perused:
TheSaliqde law is in full force N furEey. |
Neither sons nor daughters under 2 'sei'aln ,n
age are raised to the throne. nor can oaugu-
ter transmit to male offspring any c.alms
"a tbe snccession. The brothers OF the Sui
ian frst succeed according to their age
Tha onlv brother Of the present Sultan is
Lsn, ciose in the palace, and is never per-
,n;ttsd M he seen. Who knows what may
hecome ,s0r Of him I? One Of the tombs we saw
,Sss ,hat OF a Sultan. His brothefs, murder
ed by him, to the number Of nine teen, slum-
bered around him. The object of their
death was to avoid the law, SO as to trans
nit the crown lineally to the Sultan's son.
When the brothers fail the SOD succeeds
hence the anxiety of Sultans about their
The wives of the Sultan at present num-
Der thirteen. This does not include the ha-
rem, but Oily the Kadines, who alone have
the privilege Of producing an heir TO the
throne, They are chosen from the oaarisques,
or females Of the Imperial harem. Ihere is
no marriage ceremony performed, ana Inc
Sultan may divorce the marriage wnen ne
pleases. When the Sultan dies, the kadlnes
90 into solitary confinement still supported
by The State. They never marry Inc
mother Of the Sultan is more fortunate; she
Ives in splendid palace, and is treated like
the Queen 'Dowager of England. we saw
the palace of the mother Of the present Sui
tan at the head Of the harbor-a splendid
pile! .s sgs.
The inheritance Of property is regulated
by laws dlssimilar from that which regulates
the succession to the throne. There are two
kinds Of property-frec and mortgasc.. The
firstis transmitted. to the children, male and
female, share and share alike. The mortgage
property becomes absolute IN the mosque,
-1to'whom alone mortgage is permitted) up
ofrthe death Of the mortgager. II person
wishes to borrow five thousand piastres, ne
goes To Ills mosque, and during life pays q
small interest Of about one-half per cent;
ytfe condition Of defeasanee being, that the
property, which must be worth double the
amount loaned, must become absolute in the
mosque on the death Of the borrower. The
mosques do not accumulate, but immediate
ly sell and reloan. In the time OF the plague
.the mosques make money in round numbers
This financial ecclesiastical feature will &C.
count for the number and influence OF the
mosques in Constantinople. No wonder SC
many minarets' glitter in the sun, and sc
MANY domes swell under the cloudless sky
of the East, amidst the mean, dirty, wooder
houses that line the filthy streets. No.won
der the city CLEANS so grandiy in the distance
and reposes SO TRANQUILITY beauteous, far Oft
The influence Of the Moslem priests i
paramount to all law. O. There is no connec
tion between the church and State, for the
are one. The religion Of the people is tn
State. The Koran is the real Constitution
Every rule Of private and public condnc
is drawn from its page. Greater devotion
to religion could not be had. Prayer wit
them Is universal, and they do not seek tn
intervention Of priests TO commune wit
Allah. 1t is as common at night as in tn
day, at the feast and Raniazan, in the fiel
as in the chamber, in the mosque as in th
cemetery, ~ Last eve at the fifth hour, tn
Moslems upon our steamer all bowed 10 tn
East. and simultaneously repeated thei
PRAYERS, and performed their motions. a
niehtfall the audible song went up from tb
deck. where cross-legged they sat, ehioyin
,he nine and their food, after the total absti
nence of the day. The season Of Ramaza
is kept alike at every place.
we have two Pashas.aboard, with whor
Ihave been conversing in my usual manne
by signs and a dictionary Pleasant, dign
~f;ed and communicative, dressed in their cal
mine cloaks and red caps, and perfect ger
tlemen in all respects, except christianity
thew assume no airs, even over their ow
servants. Their salutation is tendefly syn
bolic Of COED will. They kiss the ham
touch the heart and forehead, and make
slight obeisance. They seem thus to uni
the respect of the mind with the warmt
of their hearts. They have the reputatio
az being honest, hospitable and truthful
and that is more than is said of the Gree
and Armenian christians, who live amor
them. and who ercnss these characteristic
by saving ooh their religion comman,
these things" Beautiful Christians TIL,
drink no spirituous liquor, which accoun
for their moral andiphysical health, as we
as for the scarcity Of beggars and the absen,
of cripples. Opium is not used, general
--yery little of it is used. Tobacco is
common as. the turban or fess cap. A Tu
without his chibouque, would be like ma
without nose. 1t is part of himself, n
to be severed. He gives it prominence abo'
everything, except the Koran--above d
feast, the bath, and the turban.
think that the slavery of Turkey is n
properly understood in America. Ihage |
ken some pains to learn about these soci
customs, and must acknowledge my oblie
ton to Mr., DANES Il wrote missioner
my last.) our Consul, who has furnished I
with the information. the ''slave marke
Of. Constantinople have drawn forth gre
sympathy fiom the ladies', especially, a
have excited much horror at the idea Of ,uh
women, almost naked, being sold in the pr
lie markets. This is all superfiuous. 10
sure, slavery is bad enough ~ iis hest for
But the slave Of the Turk is moi the slave
the planter, by good deal. Here il sig
fies a person purchased to be the adop
son or daughter Of the owner. The mari
for white slaves is alone open to Turks, "
purchase two classes Of persons; one
wives, the other for servants. The form
are sent-by the best families of Georgia d
Caucasia to the Commissioner, whortal
care that no insult Of the slightest nature
Offered. They are glad 10 80. All is '
D.. aa4n.e = Il r. ,