Litchfield enquirer. [volume] (Litchfield, Conn.) 1829-current, 1855-12-06
Its Iiichfisio Enquirer.
LITCHFIELD:
Thursday Morning. Dee. 8, 1855.
HOPE ron rUnKEY.


HOPE FOR TURKEY.
An item Of intelligence brought by the
foreign steamers Of last month is of too
great importance to be overlooked, 10 the
midst ofexcitement and specula,ions caused
BY the war. An official proclamation from
the Sublime Porte gives notice Of its in
tenfion to introduce an extensive system of
railroad Improvements into. the Turkish
Empira, and its readiness At once to receive
proposals from capitalists, native or foreign
who are disposed to become interested in
them. Looking TO this result, the Sultan
directed the Council Of the Tanzimat some
months since to give this subject of rail-
roads in Turkey the precedence Of all others
in their deliberations, until they could re-
port TO him some definite and final conclu-
sions. The Council have reported that
they know nothing calculated to augment
the resources Of the empire more than in
tersecting it by roads Of communication.
The Council 60 on to remark that Turkey
being essentially agricultural ,and producing
immense haryests, stands in need of roads
BY which they can be conveyed to the sea.
and thus feed the commerce of Europe
Steam navigation, which penetrates the
very heart Of the Ottoman empire, has al
ready opened grea, outlets for the agricultu-
raj riches Of the countries which surround
her numerous seas and inie.s. By opening
roads of communication into the interior,
the Council expec. to make the whole of
the empire participate in the immense bene-
fit which maritime commerce offers to the
coasts Of Turkey. TO arrive at this resut,
they report that great arteries of commune
cation must be established-that is to say,
series Of railroads which, starting from
the agricultural centres Of the country, shall
terminate at the seas, traversing in their
way the most productive provinces of Tur-
key. or intersec.ing the great European
lines.
Nor did the Council stop here-they went
so far as to name the work upon which they
thought it most important to begin, and that
was railroad from Constantinople to Bel
grade. the great entrepot of commerce be-
tween Turkey and Austria, lying on the
right bank of The Danube at the confluence
of the Save. This line would be about six
hundred miles long, would traverse the EN-
pire at its wides, point, would pass through
its richest agricultural districts and several
Of its most populous cities, and would tend
to give 10 Turkey the benefit Of large
overland European commerce.
In conclusion the Ottoman Government
addresses itself directly to European capt.
tai and experience, and invites proposals
from either subjects Of the empire o.
foreigners.
Hopeful, however, as is the spirit mani
Tested by the Sultan and the more enligh,en-
ed Of his advisers. we are forced to the sac
conclusion that the body Of Turkish nation
ality is dead beyond recovery. To engrart
the full results Of European civilization
upon the decaying Moslem stock, is task
quite as difficult as that Of fully civilizing
our own aboriginal tribes-both are imposs-
BILE. Railroads could never be built by the
Turks alone, and if built by Europeans,
they mus. furnish both skill and capital
and the works will he completely under
their control, as well as the business which
they would create. We have no doubt
they will be built; and they will furnish
the surest meanS for the Christian conquest
Of Turkey that could possibly be devised