New-York daily tribune., 1858-12-29

Whatever European diplomats may do, the
dreaded Eastern question again and again rises be-
fore their eyes. No Russian wars, no Austrian ult
matum no Paris Conferences, no Constitutions for
the Dsnubian provinces able to banish the spec
ter; there it stands, . lasting impersonation Of
the utter impotency of that haughy diplomacy
which professes to rule the world. Not Il day
passes but some fresh outbreak, some rumor Of
couspracies against Turkish supremacy is reported
To-day the scene is laid in Montenegro, tomorrow
in Candia, in Bosnia in Thessaly, another day in
Bulgaria; but the tale is everywhere the same;
the Christian population will no longer bear the
Turkish yoke. The Sultan emits high sounding
declarations Of the rights of man. TanziInsts
nnG the IKE; but the Pashss ani the
Turkish soldiers, the kadis, Moshs and Ulemas
please themselves, plander, kidnap, oppress, as
sassinate, brbe and are bribed, and plead The au.
thority of the Koran against the authority OF the
Sultan. And while this confused state of things
in Europe is getting more and more confused, mat
ters are quite as bad in ASIA in Syria, Christians
and Mohammedans are in open 6ght and the best
General and the best troops of Turkey are engaged
in combating a MOhammedan insurrection in
Arabistan and Koordistan. In Asia the anarchy
may become chronic but in Europe it cannot on
the contrary, it is getting more and more acute
every day.
Now, of all nations calling themselves Christian,
there are certainly none little deserving of sym.
patty on their own merits, as the Christian SUBJ
jects of the Porte. With one exception their
moral character is despicable and their intellectual
development, where there is any, is directed to
the very objects But let them be ever So base
they cannot be expected to live quietly under sys-
TEN Of oppression which places their property, their
wives, sons and daughters, aud their own lives, at
the mercy Of Turkish officials and commanders,
lay, of every individual Turk; and which deprlves
them, not only Of every political but Of every civil
right, and proclalIns them outlaws. The recent
disturbance in Canea commenced with an asssul.
by Turk upon Greek-an assault of a nature
not to be described, and in consequence Of which
by the Greeks of Gambia to the British Consul, they
complain Of cases in which Grecian women were
forcibly abducted into Turkish harems. Now We
have another case, which at the same time shows
what the Turks think Of all the Tanzimats and
lIatt-sherifs of the Sultan. A quarrel between
Turk aud Greek at Canea was brought be-
fore the Ksd who listened to the evidence Of the
Turk, but would not allow the Greek to speak,
on the plea that the 90 Giaour peseyenk' cannot
legally bear witness against q true believer. The
Greek appealed to the Tanzinat, which DEGREES
that all religious denominations are to be admitted,
without distinction, 10 give evidence N court OF
law The Kadi replied: ave Mohammedans De-
" leve that Mobammsd and Christ were both of
- them prophets; now if you Nazarenes Will but
"acknowledse Mohammed TO have been true
prophet, then, and not before can We take your
d" evidence" This s the true doctrine Of the korap,
and no Sultan on earth can upset it. The Greek
refusing to do homage to Nohsmmed, judgment
wa. passed against him on this novel Interpretation
Of equality before the law. He appealed to the
Mutt. the Ulema, the Pasha; bu: they all agreed
that the Koran was superior 10 the SUtans de-
creee.
II is rather 10 be considered ~ sign Of rising
archy among the Christian subjects of the Porte that
they begin to find the yoke unsupportablr 20 which
they have silently bent for the last four centuries; and
it certainly speaks for their increasing vitality that
the movement for independence is now making its
way among the very weakest and hitherto the most
yielding Of the Christians in Turkey. The dis
memberment of the Empire has been going On for
these last fifty years; the insurrection Of kisas
dates from the last, the Serbian lnsurrectien from
the beginning Of the present, century; IN l-2o-2,
Greece was in arms and was disconnectei from
Turkey; in ls29 the DaDubian Pnncipalities were
placed by Russis, in . more independent position
and since then every treaty has loosened more and
more the hold Turkey had upon them; about the
same time, Serbia, after long struggle established
Kind of local self government under the suze-
rainiy Of the Porte, and has since attained posi-