New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1853-04-19
which must appear quite ncomprehensibIe 10 most Of its

which appear quite hcomprehensble 10 most Of its
readers.
The key 70 this strange enthusiasm for the TTks is
to be found in the works of David Urquhart, ESg,
MP This gentleman, of Scotch birth, with medieval
and patrarchal recolections of home and with mod
ern British civilized education after having fought
three years in Greece against the Turks passed into
their country and was the first thus to enamOar himself
of Them. The romantic Highlander found himself at
home again in the mountain ravnes of the Pndus and
Ralkan and his works on Turkey although full OF val
uable information may be summed up in the following
three paradoxes. which are laid down almost literally
thus: If Mr. Urquhart were not British subject, he
would decidedly prefer being Turk il he were not
Presbyterian Calvinist he would not belong to any
other religion than Isamsm; and thirdly, Britain anu
Turkey are the only countries in the world WHICH
erioy selfgoverument and civil and religious liberty
This same Urquhart has since become the great East
ern authority for all English Liberals who object to
Panerston and it is he who supplies The DAILY Ne'os
with the materials for these panegyrcs upon turkey
The only argument which deserves moments notice.
upon this side OF the question is this IL Is saa tna'
Turkey is decaying; but where is the decay Is not
civilization rapidly spreading in Turkey and trade eA
tending Where you see nothing but decay our std
tistics prove nothing but progress NOW IL wouu oo
a great fallacy to put down the increasing bacA 0ea
trade to the credit of Turkey alone and yet this Is done
here exactly as if the industrial and commercial capa
blites of Holland the high road to the the greater
nar Of Germany were to be measured by her gross ex
rorts and imports nine tenths of which represent
mere transit. And yet, what every statIcian would
immediately in the case of Holland, treat a clumsy
Il, bo1a Of tba lharal a ENGLAND
including the learned Economist tries in the case Of
Turkey, TO impose upon public credulity. And then,
who are the traders in Turkey Certainly not the
Turks Their way of promoting trade, when they were
yet in their original nOmadc state consisted in robblng
caravans and now that they little more civilized
it consists in all of arbitrary and oppressive exac-
tons The Greeks, the Armeaians, the Slavonans
and the Franks established in the large seapors carry
on the whole Of the trade and certainly they have no
reason to thank Turkish Beys and Pashas for bengabe
TO do So Remove all the Turks out OF Europe and
trade will have no reason suffer. And as to progress
in general civilization who they that carry out that
progress in all parts of European Turkey Not the
Turks for they are few and far between and can hardly
be said to be settled anywhere except in Constannope
and two or three small country districts. 1t is the
Greek and Savonic middle class in all the towns and
trading posts who are the real support OF what
ever civilization is effectualy imported into the
country That part of the population are constantly
rising in wealth and influence and the Turks are more
and more driven into the background Were It not Tor
their monopoly of civil and military power they would
soon disappear. But that monopoly has become
impossible for the future, and their power Is
turned into impotence except for Instructions in the
way of progress The fact is they must be got rid o.
To say that they be got rid of except by putting
Russians and Austrans in their place, means as much
az to say, that the present political constitution OF
Europe will last forever Who will make such an
assertion