New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1855-01-22
easy rule Of the Sultan; bat for the Political re-
generation Of the 600 900 Romouni their eyes are
turned toward France alone.
RELIGION.


the fact that religion in the hands Of the Greek
pritrbood IL made an instrument Of oppression
rather than road to progress. The Waliaeh'aas
lot q. ,ti.a'e Of certain good qualities. and it
must be regarded ~ unfortun ste for them that
they are the slaves Of syGeu whose object sp-
pears 10 be 70 prevent the diffusion Of light aud
knowledge. and from the highest to the lowest
the mech fouoeers Of religious le.iers, ignorant
aha tup.rstitious beyond description la Cab
ole Austris aid Italy, the cergy from the bishop
down 20 the begging friAr. have an air OF intell-
geDce al sef-respect tina, places them above the
coumou mass. Such is no, the case here. The
GfeeA pfIests are patterns If ignorance aud su-
ptrstlilon. just able for the most part TO read
the church service, and going through tbeir public
devotoIs in slovenly and most undeyout man
Der. II is remarkable that they OBTAIN even the
re'ptct Of the most uneDlig htsned audiences.
have never bad my feelings more wounded than
BY after ding Divine service In the Metropolitan
Church Of Bucharest. Angry slances we're east
upon me by the dozen priests assisting the Bishop,
WHO laughed, c1anted, and yawned IN turn; no
one, especially among those conducting the cere-
mony, appeared to have the slightest thought Of
devotional sOlembity, while everything was done
| in the most heartess and revolving manner. The
service Of the Greek Church is of q length 10 suit
the most fastidous and is, for the most part
cbanted in a nasal tone not TO be equaled in
Jewish synagogue. As left the church, on one
occasion, counted five and twenty beggars at the
! door The principal market Of the week 10 here
held on sabbath morning, in order that the peas
ant may, on the same occasion, sell his vegetables
and obtain the blessing Of the priest The Greek
| clergy are allowed to marry, and those OF the
lower rank share the burdens of the people. In
the city they are often respectable as to dress but
in The country are hardly dlstinguishable from the
peasants except from the greater length OF their
boards and gowns.
Although the Oriental is unquestionably the
| ofspring Of the Catholic Church, and las an or
esnizauon and liturgy very similar, sill the adj
herents of the Orthodox Greek faith do not admit
, even the Christianity Of their western rivals.
They call Themselves Christian, and regard all
others as worse than beretics. They admit no
LIGHT, DO knowledge or example from other sour
ces. A Chinese wall is raised around that re-
msrkable institution, shutting out those Influences
which are gradually affecting Catholicism and even
Mohammedansm Itself. Rigid and unchaneng, it
is equally the instrument of tyranny, whether Its
acknow Ter ped bead be at 80. Petersburg, at Con-
stantinople. or Belgrade. The Emperor OF Rus
Tia, the Patriarch at StambOul, and the petty
Princes, who in obscure parts act as the leaders
of the Greek Church, in making their faith the
tool Of au bition and ayarce, are only doing on
grand scale what is common to every bishop and
priest In no other institution calling itself Chris
tan do we find such an insane love OF relics, so
much idolatry in the worship OF pictures, and so
little that is good in instruction or example. The
number of the clergy in the Danubian PrinGpa-
| ties is something astonishing In Wallachia there
ia a church to every six hundred inhabitants, ana
including the families OF the priests, every lorv-
Ii. tn tka ola
vents are scattered thicky over the land, few of
the most wealthy of which possess one nth OF the
soil in the Principally. Since the year lo4o the
ell, rev and converts have not been allowed by the
Government to buy and sell stdres Inc Greek
Christians Of the Principalities willingly acknowi-
edge the ascendency OF the Patriarch al ConsIan-
tiuople. and 10 longer look for aid and comfort to
| the Emperor of Russia. From these must be eI-
! ceuted the numerous Greeks by birth who have
resided in the Princpslities since the time OF the
Phanari.ts, and are it may be said. without excep-
ton, the open or secret friends OF Russia.
The Wallachsns retain all the privileges granted
to the by the Sultan Bsazet at the time of their
submits sion TO the Turkish yoke and also the ad-
dtiopal rights acquired in more recent times by
the aid of Russia. The latter power has brought
inhIite evil upon the Principalities, by subject
ing the m no less than six times TO military occu
patton The harm, however, has not been unmn-
pled with good; for, at the time when Turkish
powerwas oppressive and the Phanarists Princes
were exhaustng the land, the mediation OF the
Gar procured something like justice for the Wal
Iacbisns in more than one instance. That the
policy of Russia in reference to the Turkish prov
incss in Europe, has ever been purely selfish, no
one can doubt; but that her self imposed mission
has achieved for them occasional good, ID equally
certain.
The present Government Of Wallaeha is based
upen the Regtement Organiq0, Constitution
formed for the Principally, under the supervision
| of General kissele1, after the Treaty OF Adrlan-
ople. From the marked acknowledgment OF the
principle of representation and the Introduction OF
The elective element the reader would suppose the
! K,pLmtnt Organiqne to be the work of an Ameri-
can Delegation rather than that OF Russian d.
plomaiist. Nothing shows more conclusively that
/ The pelcy of Russia must be Democratic, and,
! perhaps revolutionary abroad, while II 10 oil
b the most absolute character at home. lnde-
pepdence and constitutional liberty have been
/ The hats held out for the inhabitants OF those
Turkish Provinces viii ii the Gar intended TO re-
! dure ultimately to the dead level OF Russian des'
poti,m. According to the Regiement Organiq1e,
the Prince must be elected every seven years, al
an assembly Of the BoyMds, Clergy and Minor
Deputies and in every case govern the iahd as tue
Constitution directs. He has not only Caolnet,
10 assist him with its deliberations, but nomnaiiy
also. a General Assembly, the duties of which are
similar 10 those of the Lower House OF Congress.
According to the Constitution the elective element
should also he brought into requsltiou in the To-
/ cal and municipal Governments. From the TACT
| that there 10 no middle class-that the peasants
] are but little better than sayes-and that TWO
! thousand Poyards make up the Prlncipallty. II
| nav ss,y be imagined that representation 10 IN
reality III known aud that a written Constitution
must be dead letter. The Government u.s.