Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1853-04-15

Fros0 the philadelphia Bulletin.
the Fading ~ Crescent.
The intelligence from Europe forbodes disaster Tor
Turkey. The concessions made to Austria by the
Sultan instead of propitiating the Northern pow
crs appear only, by revealing the weakness OF the
Porte, to have furnished pretexts for new agGres-
sions. Tie Russian embassy it is said, talks IN tne
most threatening manner The ostensible subject OF
complaint is the Church of Jerusalem. But the
real one, all agreed, is that Nicholas wants Con-
stantinople.
Meantime the London Times always shrewd d.
viner of British opinion. gives up the Ottoman EN-,
pire virtually to partition. All the {: thunderef
asks is that British trade in the Orient shall not De
restricted. 1t must be confessed that these are
omnous signs for the her of Mahomet Never,
since the Crescent rose in the heavens has 1t seemed
so much like fading. Many farseeing statesmen
believe, indeed, that its hour has They ar
que this. not less from the immense physical power
of Russia than from the religious aspect given to
the dispute by Nicholas. They maintain that the
fail OF Turkey is at hand not only because rell
gous enthusiasm fires its Christian assailants, but
because there exists longer in the Ottoman armies
any countervang enthusiasm for Mahomedanism
Utterly deeayed Within and overpowered without,
the kingdom of Add III Mejid toters to its fall.
For long series of years it has been the policy
of Russia to represent herself the protector OF all
the various tribes protesting the Greek religion
She has taught them TO look up to her as their
friend and to her Emperor the civil patriarch OF
their faith. The Turkish dominions in Europe are
the especial of these ntrigues. Vast terrific
ries, politically uhe;t to the Sultan cretly rem
der spiritual allegiance to the Gar. and frequent
ly break out into rebellion against the Porte. thro'
hopes of Russian aid if not in consequence OF posi-
tive assurances of it, The number and violence OF
these instructions is continually on the increase =
Like the shiverng fits that seize the patient In the
last stages of certain diseases they more fire.
uuently as the hour of dissolution approaches. until
under their convulsive throes the system is being
racked to pieces and Turkey succumbing to death.
The Ottoman Empire in Europe would appear in
this view, to be rapidly tending to its close. 1t is
worn out, disorganized. diseased in every limb If
left alone it would perish. Assaulted by powerful
foe it will prove tooweak to resist and die even be-
| fore its time.
This opinion gains the more strength when the
changes, which the late Sultan made in the organl-
cation of the empire, come to be taken to view
Formerly, the Ottoman monarch the feudal
chief of scores of hereditary princes each govern
ing the Free brave tribes, which had obeyed his an
cestors for generations These maintained, IN their
distant territories, neutrality-suspicious.. But when
ever the banner of the Crescent was unfurled at
Constantinope, they gathered with their followers
from all quarters of the empire, and rayag around
the heir of Mahomet, secured to him an army Of
wild enthusiasts, such as few enemies could resist
From the confines of Nubia from the furtheSt
shores of the Persian gulf from the hills of Kur-
disan and the plains of Arabia, these indomitable
warriors crowded, at the blast of the Turkish trum
pet, forming the finest body of irregular troops in
the world and until within the last century, they
| lgious fervor among the Mahomedan tribes, partly
from the increasing power which thorough disci
pline gave to the Christian armies, the Turkish
forces sunk first 10 an equality with those of their
enemies, and finally declined into positive inferior
ity Mahmoud the father of the present Sultan
| thought to remedy this by remodelling the army
and empire. Hence arose what is called, through
out all the boundaries of the Ottoman empire, the
Reform.
The result of this change has been to break down
all the old semndependent principalities, and to
transform them into mere departments, so to speak,
entirely dependent on the Sultan. The old Pasha-
lies instead of being governed by hereditary rulers
born among the tribes and acquainted with their
wants, ruled by deputies, who are changed
almost every year, in order to prevent their acqur
ing influence with the people. Under the former
SYSTEM the Pasha. though tyrant in his own dis
trct, interested not t. let any else Cypress
his jects. But under the present system, there
are dozen officials who plumber and Cypress, with
no one but the Sultan, thousand miles off. to be-
friend the victims. Under the old system there was
hearty loyalty to the heir Of Mahonet at least in
supporting him in war against Christian nations
Under the present system there is nothing of this
loyalty left but the defence of the throne is commit
ted to mercenary troops. The former armies of the
Porte were the most magnificent irregular troops in
the world. The present army is the worst of the
disciplined armies of Europe.
; No doubt the Turkish empire was held less firm
y in hand by the Sultan, under the old system; for
the semi independent princes continually re-
OellnS. NO doubt the army WIS less efficient than
when all other nations had only irregular troops al
so. But it is thought. by those best calculated to
Judge of the subject, that the changes introduced by
Nlahmoud have not strengthened the State especial
ly against foreign foes The cohesive power of
the Ottoman empire is gone. The enthusiasm that
made It's tribes, diverse in peace, one in war has
departed. For nerly it real thing. suBstan-
tial fact, that great Mahometan freedom Now it
is counterfeit, fair without, but within utterly
strengthlesS and decayed
If these ideas correct the Turkish empire cam
weakness. We incline to think that this is the true
state of the case The Sultan is doomed. Between
the secret hatred of his Christian provinces and the
indifference and alienation of his MoSlcm ones; be-
tween the comparative neffciency of his army as
now organized, and the comparative superiority of
the Russian forces between Western Europe grow
ing daily indifferent to his fate, and Eastern
Europe more eager to compass his DOWNFALL the heir
of Nahomet has no choice but to yield up his fair
capital to cross into Asia, and to retire at last to
to the deserts from which he emerged. Even Add
: ul-Mejid may yet be the Boabdil of the Orient
Comparative Increase OF Population of England
and the United States.
The U. S. Economist in an article on the "buvers
and sellers of food,' makes the following statement
relative to the census of the United Kingdom as
compared with the United States for three periods
as follows:
, 1881 1911 1851.
England and Wales. ID 1877 1877 162II757 1866 ssl
Scotland ......... 1865, ia 2,620,1s4 267O 10