The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1852-11-08


cuted in mosaic, have been allowed to remain, but
the names Of the four archangeis Of the Moslem
faith are inscribed underneath The bronze doors
are still the same, the Turks having taken great
pains to obterate the crosses with which they
adorned. Around the centre OF the dome,
that Of Sultan Achmed, may be read, in golden
letters, and in all the ntricscy Of Arabic penman-
chip the beautiful verse GOD ia the Light of the
Heavens and the Earth. His light "a Wisdom on
the wall, ia which burns a lamp covered with
glass The glass shines like star, the lamp is lit
with the oil # blessed tree. No Eastern, no
Western oil, il shines for whoever villa" After
the prayers were over, and we had descended to
the foor of the Mosque, spent the rest of my time
under the dome, fascinated by its marvellous light
meas aud beauty. The worshippers present looked
at us with curiosity, but without III will; and be
lore we left one of the priests came slyly with
some fragments Of the ancient gilded mosaic,
which he was heather enough 10 sell and we to
buy From s.. sooh,. W. wen, 10 so,,a. Aohmed.
which faces the Hipprodome, and is one of the
stateliest piles Of Constantinople. 1t is avowedly
an imitation Of st. Sophia, and the Turks consi-
seven feet higher. IL has six minarets, exceeding
In this respect all the mosques OF Asia. The dome
rests on four immense pillars, the bulk of which
quite Expresses the light galleries running
color Of the interior, impairs the effect which its
bold style and imposing dimensions would other
wise produce. The outside view, with the group of
domes swelling grandly above the rows Of broad.
tomb Of Sultan Achmed, in one corner of the
court, we saw his coffin, turban, sword and jewel
ed harness. had just been reading old Sandy's
account of bis visit to Constantinope in 1870 dur
ing this Sutans reign, and could only think OF
him as Sandy represents him in the title-page TO
his book-as fat man, with bloated cheeks, in
long gown and big turban, and the words under
meath: '-Achmsd, siue Iyran,sus.''
The other noted mosques Of Corstantinople are
tho Yeni Djami, or Mosque OF the Sultana Valide,
on the shore of the Golden Horn at the end of the
bridge to Calata; that of Sultan Bajaxet; OF Ma
bonnet ~, the Cenqueror, and OF his son, suiey1
deserves this title Iregvet exceedingly that our
time did not allow TO view the interior, for out
.wardly it not only surpasses st. Sophia and all
other mosques in the city, butts undoubtedly the
most perfect specimen of Oriental architecture ex-
tant. II stands on a broad terrace, on one of the
seven hills of STEAMBOAT, and it's exquisitely pro.
portioned domes and minarets shine as If crystal
lied in the blue Of the air 1t is type OF Oriental.
as The Parthenon is Of Grecnn, and the Cologne
Cathedral of Gothic art As saw it the other
night Lit by the flames OF a confagration, stand.
ing out red and clear against the darkness, felt
inclined to place 1t on level with either OF those
renowned structures. It is a product Of the rich
fancy Of the East, spendidly ornate, and not with
out a high degree OF symmetry-yet here the sym
metry is that of ornament alone, and not the pure,
absolute proportion of forms, which we find in
Grecian ART. 1t requires certain degree of en-.
=. thusiasm--nay, slight inebration ct the imagi
native facuties-in order to feel the sentiment Of
this Oriental architecture. If rightly express all
that il says to me, touch the verge of rhapsody
The East, in almost all its aspects, is essentially
poetic. that true picture OF it must be poetic in
spirit, If not in form. <~ ....s.- So. r ... 4
Constantinopie has been terribly ravaged by
fresno less than fifteen having occurred during
the past two weeks. Almost every night the sky
has been Redeemed by burning houses, and the mi
narets Of the hills lighted with an illamina
ton brighter than that of the Bairam. All the
space from the Hippodrome to the Sea of Marmora
has been swept away; the lard, honey, and oil ma.
gaznes on the Golden Horn, with the bazaars ad
Joining, several large blocks on the hill OF Galnta
OF Scutare and the College of the HowNng Dervi-
shes all have disappeared; and to day the ruins Of
three thousand seven hundred houses, which were
destroyed last night, stand smoking in the Greek
quarter behind the aqueduct OF Valcns The entire
amount OF buildings consumed in these two weeks
Ia estimated at between pe Qi,d sir tousa,,d. The
fire on the bill of Gaata threatened to destroy a
great part Of the suburb OF Pera. 1t came sweep
ing over the brow of the hill, toward my hotel,
turning the tall Expresses in the burial ground into
shafts OF angry flame, and eating away the crack
ling dwellings, II hordes of hapless Turks. was
in bed from sudden attack Of fever; but seeing
the other gucsts packing up their effects and pre-
pairing to leave, was obliged TO do the came; and
this, in my weak stale, brought on such persp-
ration thai the alment left me. The officers Of the
United States steamer San Jacinto and the French
frigsle Charlemagne came to the rcscue with their
men and Ore. engines, and the flames were finally
quclIed. The proceedings of the Americans. who
! cut holes in the roofs and played through them
Ssith stupid anaaxemont. .Mashaiiahs' said q fat
Bimbasti, as he stood swetering in the heat, "the
Franks are a wonderful people,"
To those initiated into the mysteries OF Turkish
politics. these fires are than accidental; they
have q most weighty significance They indicate
either general discomfort with the existing stnte
Of affairs or else powerful plot against the Sui.
tan and his ministry. Setting fire to houses il, in
fact, the Turkish method of holding an "indigna.
. ton meeting" and from the rate with which they
are increasing, the political crisis must be near at
hand. The Sultan, with HE usual kindness Of
heart has sent large quantities Of tents and other
supplies to the guiitless sufferers; but amount
Of kindness can soften the rancor of these Mahom-
etan intrigues. An Englishman said to me the
other day-.Theso fires would not have occurred
had Lord Stratford remained hcre;" and the re-
mark 10 more than half true. Reschid Pasha, the
present Grand Yixicr, and the leader of the party
of progress, against whom this storm of opposition
is now gathering was supported ~ Al the lniiu
nearly all the liberal measures which Turkey has
adopted during the past few years, are mainly ow'
ing to the iabors of the latter.
Nevertheless, in spite of all efforts, the Ottoman
power 10 rapidly wasting away. The life of thu
Orient IL nerveess and efIete the native strength
of the race has died out, and all attempts to resus
oitate il by the adoption of European institution
produce mere galvanic spasms, which leave it mor'
j exhausted than before. The rosy. colorcd accoupt
I we have had of Turkish progress for the mos
part mere decisions. The Sultan is a well-mean
lng but weak man, and tvrannlcal through DIS very
weakness. Had he strength enough TO breai
through the meehes of falschood and venaiity which
are woven 70 close about him, he might accomplish
some solid good. But Turkish rule, from his min
listers down TO the lowest eadi, il mon:trous sys
TEN of deceit and corruption. These people have
Sho most remote conception Of the true aims OF gov
ernmeat; they only seek to enrich themselves ant
their parasites at the expense of the people and tn
national treasury. When add to this the con
script system, which 10 draining the provinces o
sbcir best Moslen subjects, to the advantage Of tn
Christians and jews and the blindness of the rcve
nue. inws, which impose on domestic manufacture
double the duty levied on foreign products, it will
easily be ioreseen that the next half century, o
less. will completely drain the Turkish empire o
ats last lingering energies.
Already, in effect, Turkey exists only through
shc jealousy of the European nations The treat.
Of Unkiar- iskelessi, in 1888, threw her into tn
hands of Russia, and the influence of England ha
of late years rcigned almost exclusively in he
councils These are the two powers who are low
xlas at each other with sleepless eyes in the Oar
= .danaelles and the Bosphorus. The people, an
most psubabIy tho government, 10 strongly pre-
p6ssceeed in iAyor OF the English; but the RUSSIA
Bear has heavy paw. and when he puts it int
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