Indiana American. [volume] (Brookville, Ind.) 1833-1861, 1854-04-14

oppfessioha OF centuries. iho"th w
priyst OK pastors, OF books, Of education,
Of worship, and ofall freedom, they have
mob y held fast to their faith; Il has, II Is
to be feared, generally been an ignorant
and superstItious faith, but silll we can
not withhold the need Of our admiration
from people so eireumstanccd clinging
TO a noble truth.
The christian element Il at the foun-
datlon OF oil the European Provinces
Wallachla, Moldayla, Bulgaria. Rumllia,
Albinia. Servla, Bosnia, and Monten-
negro. The two, iirst princlpalitlcs are
nomlnully free, Us Is the case with Ser
via and Montenegro. Each Of these
places IL In possession OF a nationalistic
government, In state OF quasi depend.
ence, though In allegiance with the Porte,
acknowledging its lnIeriorl,y and paying
tribute. We do not hear OF anything
like the revival Of an cyangelIcalreligIon
amongst those races; but In some OF the
probabilities considerable progress Ia
education has been made. II requires
but slight dlscernment to SEQ the great
difficulty Of establishing a government
embracing these several populations, so
as to preserve their allegiance to Turkey
on the ono hand aud the rights Of the
State on the other. We confess that
we can see no principal, at all likely to
meet the case but tho federal principle,
now 80 finely In operation In our country.
The nucleus Of this principle already
exists In the Servian country, aud some
thing like a rude and imperfect system OF
representation In oil tho prlnelpaltles,
now possessing acknowledged national
rights. They are too feeble TO stand
alone; their union Is absolutely essential
to their freedoms joint action alone can
preserve them; aud all this, It seems TO
US, can only DO secured on the federal
principle. but the only chance OF this
Is their union with Turkey. Russia
would admit OF no such rights she would
instantly swallow them up in her enor-
nous centralized domlnlons.
We are aware that the traditions Of
such state as Turkey must be all OPP
posed TO such a notion as that which we
have yentured to hint; but In fact old Tar-
key no longer exists; the Empire Is DRIFT
Ing in the open sea; that the several
Provinces will possess some kind Of Po-
litical organization, embracing sell-goy-
eminent and the rights Of citizenship
seems absolutely certain. Nothing can
prevent this consummation, except the
success Of Russia; land one Of tho re-
markable features Of the Turkish refor-
nation 10 the preference OF men OF re-
markable intellect as we'll as intelligence
coupled with truly liberal sentiments
When God designs to give elevation
freedom, civilization and religion to
people. he gives commission to man.
or men TO effect this,--they are the prop
erty Of the new dispensation; and iudg-
ing OF the movement in Turkey by this
rule, we have hoped that "the day Of re-
demption draTeih nigh" In philosophical
debate, in political sogacity, in legisla-
tive compass, in administrative tale nj
and tact, aud true hteraliiy Of feeling
we doubt whether the ministry Of thu
Sultan are excelled in any nation il
Europe, Thus viewing the question
from religious standpoint, we shall
see that the Islam system has beer
abandoned in its esse ntial characters
tics; the jus diUiRUm principle, as i
we'll known has been the basis Of the OF
toman rule, just as it is still the basis o
Popery. The throne Of the Sultan, tn
government, the eligibility Of men 70
office, the rights Of citizenship, the free
dom ofthe person, the laws-were al
placed on this foundation; and no human
creature had any rights, or claims o
right, but the adherent OF this SYSTEM
But tn is has been given up. Does no
this one circumstance annihilate Islam
isn't When it places the Christian pop
ulation an an equal footing, in ldic, will
the Mahometan population, can it b
said that Mahometanism, except as I
religion in common with oil other creeds
has any longer an existencel II thu
Pope renowned the divine right principle
as the foundation Of Popery, would Po
perry any longer have being! Ii only
placed by the side Of Professionalism, oil
equal terms, il is evident that there would
be an end OF the systsm. This being th'
case with Mahomedanism, it follows
that il has finished its career as an exc.u
sive religion.
The passage Of Scripture which speak
Of "the Euphrates being dried up" ha
engaged much attention, and has bee
generally applied 10 the Turkish EmPir
by the interpreters Of prophecy
opinion being unanimous, that this pre-
cess is TO take place about this time
Will the biblical critics allow us TO ca
their attention to the peculiarites Of I'll
figure "dry up" This expression is nc
/ that the river shall be slralloIced uP b
some "behem0th," some Russian Ca
some conquering power; no, it shall b
"dried up" We ali know the course
this process. Let some convulsion I
nature turn the streams Of a fountain fror
its old channels, and the river dries VI
or. IL the river is supplied from the rain