Smyrna times., 1856-01-23

that the Christian religion could properly de-
velop itself DIR. Durbin was clearly of opin
Ion that Christianity brought nations to the
highest point of power and prosperity, and con.
tended that in the circle OF the family Of ma
tlons none that were Christian had decayed
while not one that was foundered in anything
other than the Christian religion but had de-
clIned. These great facts he deemed con-
elusive answer to the objections the infdel
might urge against the religion of the Bible
He urged that the reception of Christianity
was condition of national existence, and in
Stanced the decay of the American aborgines,
the Malays, and the Moors in Spain and Poitu-
gal.
Religion and politics, the lecturer urged,
were cOincdent. T4e Western nations were
turning their attention more and more towards
the East, and the question was beginning to i'm
press itself upon them" Shall young nations
and institutions be spread over the East -
Standing in the way progress is the Turkish
empire; 1t stands in the centre OF the world,
and from it go out vast Influences. This led to
10 passing into Turkey from Western Europe it
8 like going from day into night. Travel any.
where III Turkey, and MT an acre of ground,
heretofore occupied by human industry, bui
gives evidences of decl;. T+Icre are no car
rlages nor carriage roads there, aud the travel
Ter upon horseback passes thron.h an under.
growth, which, where the hpofs of his hors.
wear 1t away, here and there d Scloscs under
meath stone pavements, that were constructed
Two thousand years 70. IT ne reaches th,
bank OF river there is no brldpe uDon woich
to cross to the opposite side but fragments q,
arches and abntBe is lie scattered around. piv-
ing sad evidences of decag. Most o. The cities
are built of fragments OF former cites, excppt
those that are OF wool an thry are burned up
about every fifteen years, as It would be a
breach OF Maize nnedan ia th To Interfere with
fatality by extlngn's ing u cJ,hag grafton.
Although the traveller NIGH: Journey for
hours without seeing hu nan iIce, vet every
few miles he stunOl.s rp'n Il cemetery of rrey,
size, where the gravc st,,le;a.c frluueut. =,
cities. The cities ald the people nave zone. /;
lnere were al-o narkcd cv.d.ncrs Of dccav in
tie trade OF tle Ea t. The Turkcv carnr,, |
and the Damascus bltdcs liza ve dI,apt,eared tro,,
European stores, aid n the znars oitLe Eas,
Will now be tOun the same kinds of roof, th,,
are in our jobbng houses in PhllaIe.uhia-t
Inere is no power to produce materials for
commerce, aud all the exports of Turkey con- /
sst OF gums and similar products OF nature
Inc lecturer accounted Tor ihls decay by the
want OF the inventive faculty which cou,cc,s
itself with revcl tiun. The TURK has his hands !
o"t not the steam engine; and the hand can.
not compete with machinery. In such com. !
petition, Commerce: aud manufactures must h..
come extinct; the gold coin of the Turk has
gone to Europe to puIcn goods; even the
golden pieces worn by the Turkish women a,
ornaments, are disappearing, to purchase foreign
goods; base coin, manufactured of copser. a,
birmingham, England, and washed over upon
the outside with silver, have takcu the place of
the better currency, and so much has The coin
been debased that the Turkish piastre in TWEEN.
years. has declined in value from five to the
Spanish dollar to twenty to the dollar.
The population has also decreased rapdly.-
1t is now but thirty-f millions, while a cen
tury ago it was double that lumber. There
are no such results as this in any Christian ma
ton. During this recital Of the evidences of
the decay of Turkey, the Jews were referred
TO IN connection with revelation. The reyer.
end lecturer sad the Jews were, in fact, but a
first edition Of Christianity. Although thew
were dispersed, they had not declined their
power as people, he believed, was never so
great, since the sun shone, as today. As an
Illustration of their influence and their power
he spoke of them as filling high positions as
soldiers, merchants litterateurt, musicians. TIN.
gedians, and "fnanciers. He did not sneak in
all cases he instapced. to approve, but to show
the power OF tl,he people. ~ - |
The causes Of ihelecay of Turkey were next
considered. The first among these causes is
the loss cf the fanatical valor of the Turks
Until fifty years ago the idea Of Turk was that
OF man full Of fierceness aud courage. The
Turks believed their destiny was 10 cooqiicr
the world, and under the influence of the fanuti.
cal salor inspired by this belief they he'd made
their way to conquest. After the fall.of1 Con. a
stantinople, they worked their WY westward
In Europe, and in the 10th century John Sobi-
ssk, the Pole, drove them from the walls Jof
Visnaai and from that time their tide ka4 roll ?
ed eaekward.a While the wesiera nalions of Er
Europe were driving the Turk toward the Dos. b
phorns' young people on the ,Dniepcr, who. :
until then. had not been heard Of joined in Me '
pursuit and excited admiration fer their valor, d
This young nation was Russia yVhile uuon r
that expedition they built the town Of e,aessa. !
and inscribed upon sigp-boafa, Sbi,sh .thoy :
placed above iss gateway: l8fasaT7s
81 "TAis is The Road 70 constaaanoptcyaQ
Russia 10 now fighting under the q. n,a 4,