Fremont journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County [Ohio]) 1853-1866, 1853-11-26
The Turkish EmpIle.

| A wrong impression Is very generally en-
tertaned in regard so the political structure.
of the Turkish Empire, leading the literally
inclined, while admiring its position in regard
TO Russia, ye; to rejoice in the prospect Of its
approaching defeat, and the consequent "ea.
| lightenment and Cbristanzalion of the Tur-
kish dominious."
Whatever may have been the policy of the
Turks in past centuries, il has been one Of
steady progress and reform, since the acces
sion Of Mahmond, mther Of the present Sui
tan, Abdul Medjid. The measures initiated
| by the one have been carried out by The 9TH
er. The most important Of them is the celt-
brated edict or honicheo1 prom ulgated at
| Gull Hane on Nov. 3, 1889. BY this docu-
mental cit izens, whether Mahometan, Arme
nian, Greek, Catholic or Hebrew, are assured
of 'perfec. security for their lives and for
tunes;" taxes are ordered 10 be equitaby dis
tributed and regularly levied;- the term of
service in the army is fixed at The same peri
cd for all, and irregular impressments are for
bidden; the sale of public Offices is made
crime; the Courts of Justice are thrown open
equally to all; the right to hold, devise and
transfer property is guaranteed to ALL and
liberty of conscience is placed under the pro-
| tSObOh W IuWt VII III Vic hOIuo vi
Mahmoud, "Mussulmans must only be distn-
guished from other men at the Mosque,
Christians al the Church, and Jews at the
Synagogue"
Since that time, efficiency has been given
to this decree, by organizing the law-courts,
the public institutions, the 6nsncial admins
tration. the army and navy in close imitation
Of those of France,
Nor is this all. The Common Schools Of
Turkey are free and gratutous, and sustain
ed by Government There are 396 in Con-
'tantinople alone, educating $4,000 children.
The system also embraces secondary or high
schools, of which there are six at the Capital
There is military College and Naval Col
lege. There is an Agricultural College and
a Medical College There is Normal School
to educate teachers, and two other Schools to
educate young men who are TO hold public
otfices-all free, and all under Government
protection! And if any object to these be-
cause the Koran is made a text book, permis-
sion is given them to build and endow schools
of their own persuasion, and read their own
Bibles therein-a permission of which the
Christians have several times avaed them
selves. Besides there has been since ls46 a
III
liar to those Of our Regents of the Universe
ty and Superintendent of Schools. The
"High Court" has the functions of our Court
e Of Appeals and the Commercial Code" is
D formed after the French Admiralty decisions
= which are cited as precedents in our courts.
= The notion that the Turks permit no hooks
: save the Koran, is sufficiently refuted by ref
erence to the various libraries of CONSTANT
/ nople which contain upwards Of $4,000 vol
!. umes in Arabic, French, Greek, &c. Jour
6 nails also are published in the city in each o
e these languages.
The days Of the "sack and b,wstring"-
b such prolific themes for romance are. gone
| by. Since the accession of Abdul MedJd
!, there has not been single execution by hi
r order, or out of the due course of law.
r And lastly, so far from Christians being
: hooted at in the streets, as many suppose
. some of them are actually invested with pub
@ lie office, in the administration of the provin
n ces and foreign embassies, as 10 the case o
S Prince Kallimachi at Paris, and NJ Musurru
o at Vienna. Of the thirty million subjects o
the Sultan, nearly twelve are Christian.
/, These are the "herctics" whom the Gar il
!. going to "exterminate" in behalf Of the cor
). thodox faith" If he succeeds, serfdom, re
/. igous persecution, unequal taxation, and mil
q itary rule will be substituted for the institu
4 tions we have enumerated. At this day The
mass OF the inhabitants of Turkey are more
/. enlightened, more educated, more free, anc
!, better governed than the mass of those whC
. live under the rule of the Autocrat.
h Were il not for the debasng influence o
polygamy, their social condition might be al
n superior as their political. Even in reierenc,
} to this, reform has not been idle. Infraction.
" Of the laws Of marriage and divorce laid dowr
il in the Koran, are published with severity, =
II Except polygamy itself is counted as immora
lity, The state of morals in Constantinople, is
far superior to that in either Paris, Naples or
London. The Slave trade, not only the Afri
can, but the Georgian and Circassan, is sup
y pressed, or only secretly carried on,-and
r, the public Slave bazaar at Constantinople ha.
d been closed by order of the Sultan.
IS In all these changes for the better the Sub
lime Porte has of course met with strenuous
opposition. By turns they have excited the
If hostility of the Ulemas, (priests.) the Janiza
e ries, and the Osmanlis, (nobles) On tn
d other hand, 'hey have deservrdly gained tn,
q affection and respect of the common people
i democratic institutions under an absolute
d master" says recent French writer, care
4 the basis oi Ottoman laws. Slavery Of var
). Gus graduations, from the minister to the serf
e is basis of those of Russia.-4AB Jour.
HB-The Tribune savs of the Nav YorL