Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1854-05-05
A!isrRllanRuus.
THE TURK AT HOME.

FEoN DfckENs' " Hou-EH ~ wohDs.'
The Turk, as he is presented to
the popular mind. is gentleman
with a ferocious beard wearing a
curved sword having more wives
than he can count smoking all day
long and dIsdalning the convenience
of CHAIR. Blue Beard is supposed
TO have been a Turk aud, in fact,
all the horrible monsters of our chill
dren's ory-books are represented to
be Turks. To call man " a pref
iy Turk" in England, is not 20 pay
HIM a compliment. Even in Turkey
no man likes TO be called Turk !;
he is all Ottoman Turk in his
eyes is barbarian.
The Turk or Ottoman Of the
present day is being who differs
very widely from the savage gentle
man Of popular fiction He is
brough, up to respect the laws as he
respects his religion, and 10 consider
them a part ol IL he usually confines
himself TO one wife aud, when he
returns home IN an angry mood he
does not Tie his lady up in a sack and
throw her inlo the Basphorus. lie
Is not IN the habit of slabbing people
IN The dark he is not always hard
hearted aud cruel he can be honest
Ia his dealing, aud Is far from being
ouirageously impure in his morals -
that is IN the morals which are held
up TO him as proper. 1 he law pro-
tects hls wife against ciueliy or ne
glect aud his chance OF rising IA
the world depends very much upon
his own exerilons. lie is not elbow
ed off the public scene 10y hereditary
legislators he may be born of 4
slave mother, and We, live to be III,
great chamberlain of the palace
Every office is open, 10 Turkey, I,
every man.
Mont,squieu's description of 'rur
key, is no longer applicable. WheI
he wrote, !, was true that properI,
was not respected that civil Law
was not known that slavery mac
degraded the people aud polygan,
: had destroyed the purity of socla
life. But things have changed with
: IN the last fifty years, under the rub
: of the present Sultan and his prede
$ cessor. The Koran has been inter
preted anew, 10 serve the grea
cause OF human advancement. Ii
direction 10 believers to bring high
; even from China, mas been used 1
d sanclily the introduction of The art
of v esiern Europe and 10 max
the introduction of modern bllllar
science popular, Mahommedans wer
reminded that the arms even OF III
enemy might be used TO crush hin
Provinces that were ravaged by IN
cessant civil wars ; that were b
turns prey 10 the rapacity of III
predominant pacha within, or to III
lust aud brutality OF armed bandit
from without, have been brougt
within the influence of Constantine
pie. Officials. who exacted present
and sold justice, have been subiec
ee TO the utmost rigor of the law
The slave-market has been suppre,
sed, and slaves have been surrounde
with The protecting spirit of the GOV
ernment, SO that, at the present ms
ment, no master may ill-use lhem.-
A new and merciful code Of Law
has been drawn up, and commere
has been arranged on the Frenc
model. Thus II will be seen that II
Turk (for we must still call him Sc
born IN the presenl time, does NJ
enter upon scene quite so barb
Gus as that upon which his grandia,I
er played part. No mountain
light may be deserted about hIl
but we may see gllmmer OF pron
Use.
The care with which the Osmanl
have always kept their wives az
daughters apart, still prevails IA Coz
siautinople. To ask a Turkish gel
lleman after his wife or his daughte
is 10 give him mortal offence. III
alludes to them he calls the " Il
home" or "ihe house" He W
tell you that the house is we'll. A