Washington telegraph., 1854-11-01
The Turks and their Religion.

There is good deal of truth, we opine, in the
opinion expressed in the article which follows
this, that whilst changes have been wrought in
Turkey of late years, the Turks have not them
selves much changed, although Lord Palmerston
says that more reforms have taken place recently
in Turkey than in any country in Europe His
lordshlps error Is in supposing that all the re-
forms that have been commended on paper. by
ti1R,anS, ta1i-amdtS, and other DEGREES have been
carried out efectualy, and are now in practice
There have been some improvements. without
doubt, for the Sultan has been acting in good faith
IN all that he has done or attempted to do But
there remains the old Turkish party, which thinks
and acts as it did tour hundred years ago. and is.
to rather discouraging degree, impenetrable and
impracticabe. What furnishes most ground for
hope of better and progressive state of things
being finally established is that the Sutans Chris
tian subjects in Europe are much more numerous
than his MuSsulmen, and that the time has zone
BY when they can be oppressed, and vexed. and
prosecuted, as they have been. All Chrstendom
Is against this the Gar is against it, and the AL
lies are against it, so that one way or another it
Is now pretty certain the Christians in Turkey
will have their religious rights secured to them
and more likely to have them secured through the
Allies than through the Gar The latter is all
for the Greeks, and great numbers are not Greeks;
and many Of the Greeks themselves are not of the
Russian Greek Church, which differs from the old
orthodox Byzantine, and is not the Russian Au-
tocrat being She head of it, at all remarkable for
being tolerant
The Turks are fanatical obstinate. persecu-
ting race; but let Justice be done to them They
are not much worse as prosecutors than some ma
tons that have stood high among those called
Christians as Spain, for example A Turk has
been beheaded. it Is said. fr apostacy 1t has
been not much more than Gity years since at
Madrid, Spaniards were, not beheaded: but roast
ed by slow fire, for the same spiritual crime;
and worse than this, they were roasted if suspect
ed of being Jews. or of being Protestants. or anv-
thing else than Apostolical Roman Catholics
And those fires that burned at Madrid for this
damnable purpose kindled also on this con-
tlnent and in Peru and other Spanish dependen-
cles, refractory persons were dealt with by the
method. Therefore, when we find Chris
tlan people, with the Bible for their guide and
with all the lights OF civilization to aid them too
committing such atrocities late in the eighteenth
century, we ought not to be surprised that the
Turks, with no guide but that very wretched and
misleading one, the Koran should be rather in the
rear Of the nations who have had greater advan-
tages. 1t is to be remarked too that whilst Turks
may decapitate Turks for apostacy, there their
jurisdiction stops; they cannot harm either Chris
tan, or Jew, or Mormon. The old Turks would
do it very likely, if they dared: but they do not
dare; and terminate as it may, the present war
will have the effect probably. OF iiberalizing the
Turkish public mind in some degree. Coming
constantly in contact with the French and Eng
Hsh, by social intercourse and intercomunicaton.
some OF their ianatical preiudices and asperities
will be softened, If not removed. But after all it
must be admitted by those who are mere seekers
after truth, and who have no motive for looking
at things like Lord Palmerston, through coulc,a-
de rose medium, that the Turks cannot be pro-
gressiye go ahead people until they discard the
Koran, or so interpret 1T as to reconcile ii with
the ideas and necessities OF modern civilization.
And that they are not likely to do
Washington Globe