The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1857-09-03
WASHINGTON, d. G..
LETTER FROM MARY IRVING.
TooAT, July 4, 1857.


heart, however far away, does not that date call
home! First with a thought of birthright, of
patriotism, and of joy; next, alas with a
thought of shame, of sorrow, and of unutterable
longing for that "year of jubilee" when all
Americans, " free and equal in rights before
msn, as before God, shall join in calling our
nations birthday blessed
But, you will have enough Fourth of July
disquisitiors, without one from over the sea :;
so | will turn to matters which may be less
trte to your readers, if not to yourself
When we were reading together, some two
years ago, Lamartine's Sketches of .Moham-
med's Life and Institutions, scarcely thought
that | should so sooh test by observation the
practical working of the latter. In this land,
oyershsdowed by the Prophets" mantle, ev.
erything and every custom appears to have re.
NAMED as nearly stationary as possible, since
the day when that benumbing shadow of spirit
ual despotism first fell on its hills and plains.
Bat the light is pouring in from many points
at present and we may hope that at no uery
distant date, though probably not without
struggle, the old, sitting garment of Islamism,
pierced and tattered, may be flung back to the
deserts, whence it was taken. When we think
of what this country once was-the neighbor.
hood Of Eden-snd see what it no,o is, q SUM-
scorched succession of almost barren hills {;
when recollect what races of men in old
days were marshalled here-what even the
Turks themselves were in their early DAYS, and
then turn to what they are now-we cannot re-
sist the conviction that rich land and a noble
race have been sacrificed to an unnatural and
sonlstultifying creed.
We were all much interested in venerable
Turkish mountaineer, with a patriarchal beard
and turban, who found his way to our court.
yard some weeks since. He had come from the
cliff of q mountain more than twenty miles
away, with the following simple story and re-
quest.
Il seems that, some years ago, in some of his
wanderings, he met, for one night, travelling
missionary. This foreigner finding that the
man could read, gave him a copy of the New
Testament. He took the book back to his own
wild home; and as he tended his herds on the
broad hisides, or reclined to smoke his chi
60uque under the shadow of some gray rock,
(uees are not abundant on these old noun.
tains, he opened and read its forbidden pages.
The marvellous story of Jesus of Nazareth was
all new to him, and more strange than the
Arabian tales which had filled his boyhood's
ears. Truths, beside which the revered dog.
mas of the Koran were mere babblings, every
where met his eye, as he went on, fascinated,
through the pages.
With child's heart he read, and with a
ehilds heart he believed, as the wise and great
OF this world too often fail to believe, the story
of the worlds only Saviour. 1t made the old
lonely man strangely happy; it seemed to open
a new world and a new life before him. With
the instinct of q heaven touched heart he long
ed to share this knowledge and happiness with
some fellow being but knew that the strictest
caution was needful in revealing his newly
cherished sentiments. AT last, he met herds
man of nearly his own age, whose dwelling was
also on the hills, in whose heart he found
chord of sympathy. To him he carried, by
night, his precious book and together by fire
light they read and talked of its teachings, uu.
I'll the second mountaineer's heart was won to
something like the enthusiasm of the 6rst
But, though they met as often as possible, the
second soon found himself poor without such a
treasure as his friend possessed-the wondrous
Book. To procure another they supposed out
OF the question, as the giver of the one already
possessed bad long since left the country. Well,
they would copy it, they resolved And so they
began their task, those two iliterate old men,
who in their childhood had been taught, like
most Turkish boys, to write little in the Arabic
character, hut who had probably been more &C.
customed to the use of any other implement
than of the pen. Painfully and laboriously they
proceeded, and had, if mistake not, finished
several OF the first chapters, when the welcome
news came to their ears of missionaries resi-.
ding in this city, who had "books" to sell. The
aforementioned old man at once laid down his
pen, ssddled his mule, and, taking in his girdle
sum OF money, came to buy New Tesla
ment for his friend.
When it WAS given him, he wrapped it rev.
erenily IN his girdle, 1.-THE common receptacle
OF all articles carried about the person. and
raising his eyes, from which tears were starting,
be exclaimed, "Oh / could not live without
this friend !" 1.-THE book Il am an old man !;
my wife and all my boys died long ago, and
am alone in the world; but Jesus speaks to my
heart out of this book, and then am not alonei"
Then, CHANGING at our well filled library, he
added, You have many and beautiful books
there; but | would not give back this for them
ALL And so, with the precious volume close
ly hidden over his heart, he went back, to glad
den his old companion in the mountains.
10 have uttered such expressions as these in
The city market-place would probably have cost
him his life at once. For although the "Hatti-
Sheriff." or charter of religious liberty, last
year promulgated, cannot by any means be
styled dead letter." still it is at present prac-
hoally such, so far as its enforcement within
cities IN the interior of Turkey is concerned.
In former days, recreant from the faith of his
fathers would have been strangled by order of
the Judge; now, it would be done "without
lucge or jury" by an impromptu "Vigiance
Committee" of green turbaned fanatics; and
the law might punish-whom it could convict
" turkish justice" is a proverb among those
who have tried it. At the Capital, public SEN
tlment is slowly progressing toward a practical
application of the new charter. Three Mussul.
men have dared, not openly, however, to re.
celve baptism from the missionaries, and one is
preaching there.
This fanaticism, to which have alluded, is
especially on the alert in the month Rama
zan," during which, as you know, all good
Mussulmen most scrupulously fast, from the
Tune " when a white hair can be distinguished
from black one," until the sun sets. No mat
ter how wearying may be their daily labor, they
will not violate their Prophets rule, even 30 far
as to smoke the long pipe, at other times their
inVariabe companion and solace. AS they
nave carried their conservatism so far as to
Keep their calendar unchanged from the days of
The first Caliphs, it follows that this month of
lasting passes in succession through the whole
circumference of the seasons. Happy is it for
all true believers" when it falls in winter, as
they are then spared some hours of painful and
exhaustlng self-denal. This year, however, it
came when the days were long and warm and
50 the tired boatmen and day-laborers painted
through their serious tasks, and sighed for sun.
10 of II = L.