Daily American organ. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1856, 1855-01-09
AMERICAN ORGAN.
Smithsonian Lectures.
REroRTED ToR TnE AMERICAN oRoA


REroRrED EoR THE AMERICAN ORGAN
THE HISTORY OF THE WAR BETWEEN
M RUSSIA AND TURKEY.
Br Dir. BAIRD.
He introduced the subject by giving descrip-
ton Of the early history Of both Turkey and Rus
sia. The latter is tenth the size Of the former,
and has about 100000 square miles, and numbers
about 81, 900, 900 inhabitants.
He,spoke Of Greece as first governing the coun-
try now possessed by Turkey said that civiliza-
tion commenced there from thence came all our
refnemcnts, both Of language aud arts; that the
Greek language was spoken there in its purity !;
y STILL in its modern form, by more than 600 900
Of inhabitants; and that language differs no more
from the ancient Greek than our tongue differs from
Spencer's; and in Greece the fame Of the ancients
was gloried in BY their descendants who still wore
their former costume, and called themselves by
the names OF their immortal ancestors. Constal-
tine made Constantin0ple his capital, and in the
course or twenty-five years made 1t splendid city.
1t remained such for long time.
But soon Constantinople was taken by the Turks
And the Doctor gave rapid account of the reign
Of Othman Bajazet; his subjugation by Tamerlane;
the accession Of Mohammed to the throne, and
tan formed the troop called Janizares, by taking
the children OF Christians at an early age, circun-
cising, and training them to arms this troop was
often used IN his conflicts with Christians and this
Is one Of the causes Of such a hate between Greek
and Moslem. Constantinople has suffered much
since that time, from fire. 1t was formerly built Of
stone, but now is mostly wood. The Turks are a
nation Of barbarians; they have destroyed all the
Greek temples, with one exception, nearly all their
and ~
Of the world into wilderness. They know but
little Of agriculture; nothing of the arts and but
little of manufacturer and those of the rudcst
kinds. They have no railroads, steamboats,, or
stages; no telegraphs; and very poor roads. They
have made but little progress til of late; but now
as general thing, they their folly, and are try
ing to recover from their long sleep. i
Here he presented the great contrast between
other European countries and Turkey; he spoke o
the time when she was at the height Of her power
| and England hardly known; when the Moslen
marched his army over Germany, and might have
| marched to Paris; when Russia was in her infancy
and part OF her present territory occupied by the
Turks, and gave as the reason for the rise Of al
these nations TO their present position and the de-
cline Of the Eastern Power, that the former had
kept up with the spirit Of the age while the latter
had kept close to the letter of her traditions and
refused entrance to the rcnoyating spirit of civilian
ton. s F3 s Z .arg
He then spoke Of Greece, her history, people,
prospects, and present condition. His ideas seemed
the opposite Of those advanced by Hon. George r.
Marsh on Tuesday evening. The abjcct slavery IN
which they had been held for long time had
crushed their spirit in a measure, but since the
revolution in 1929 they have been gradually rising
They have produced no poet, painter, sculptor,
architect musician lately. How could they under
such circumstances But since the revolution they
have proved that they have not lost their former
taste for the arts for literature. Already in the
city of Athens sixteen newspapers are published ;
they have schools colleges universities and lately
an observatory. The wealthy Greeks residing IN
their own land and in other places, contribute u-
nifcently to the endowment of these institutions.
They still have much taste and talent, and il will
come out under the fostering care Of good gov
ernment. ftsl t6 81 lei 5f
He now would give the early history of Russia
but IL had little 1t was formed of nolnadic tribes
Of Schlavonic origin; was originally number Of
small nations, but they merged into one In the
ninth century. zone Of It's Cars married mem
Der Of the royal family of Greece, by which means
that religion was introduced into Russia, and at
last became the established faith of the country.
Civilization was long in travelling up from the
Black Sea, and even now they are but half civil
lied. They were warlike, and, as they strength
cned, tried TO take Constantinopc; and could have
done SO ut one time, but were bought on; they
attempted the same thing again. but were defeat
ed. Russia owes everything to Greece, and they
know It. and say they will protect the Greek reli-
giou, In gratitude for what II has done for'them.
ConstantinopIe was long the Mecca Of the Russian
and no doubt one reason Of the present war Is,
that they may obtain possession of this, their holy
city. The present Gar told Joseph Sturgcs that
he considered this holy war for the defence Of
their faith. t
He traced the progress Of Russia, from tho time
Of vsden,sr the Great, down through the times Of
Evan the Terrible, whom the Russians thought
more cruel than Nero, and who turned the Tsrtars
out of Moscow, and changed the success of the
Poles and Magyars and through the reign Of his
son, who followed the policy Of his father; and
through the reign Of the creature whom the Poles
elevated to the throne and through the following
intcrregnum; and the reign OF the Gar elected 70
FIJI the vacant place--the founder of the present
dynasty
Then came Peter the Great, who did little toward
increasing the extent of his dominions, but who,
by his own energy raised Russia higher IN the
scale of nations by drilling armies, building and
trimming nayics building and filing cities and found
ing schools He was succeeded by his wife, a
drunken bussey, who did something for the coun.
try. Then came the Ozar, of three months old,
whom Elizabeth put in prison, and rcigned in his
stead She was no better than she should he, and
who, though bad, was very energetic, and did
much TO extend the confines OF Russia Under her,
the Infamous partition " Poland was made; the
Crilnea was taken, and the Khans nearly crterni-
nated. She was succeeded by Paul. In her reign
Georgia was ceded to Russia by the win Of the de-
ceased king, and was duly made over by his queen.
In the reign pf Alexander, Finland was added, and
the Court OF Vienna gave to Russia the last slice Of
Poland; the Cars possessions then extended to
the river Pruth. The present Gar asccnded the
throne in 1925. The population Of Russia Is about
10000, 900; IS, 100000 of whom serfs, one and
quarter million noblcs and the rest of the middle
class. There are no scrfs in ancient Poland, Fin
land, OF Bessaraba.
The war and Its origin was then discussed.
France has long considered herself the head OF the
Latin Church, and, some time since, negotiated
with Turkey for the protection OF Christians OF that
denomination. But those protesting the Greek
faith were without protector. Soon Russia as
sumed that position, and also made treaties with
Turkey. At last, a difficulty arose respecting the
occupancy Of the sacred shrncs-the birthplace
and the sepulchre of the Saviour-and the Latint
and Greeks uuarelIed and sometimes fought 30 In