The Placer herald., 1858-09-25
Turkey.

The disturbed condition of Turkey, says
the Philadelphia NORTH 1merican, is the
most significant political news that has of
late been received from Europe. When the
Emperor Nicholas alluded to Turkey as "the
sick man." he but uttered fact to which
most men assented. England, in the person
OF her Ambassador, was not willing to ac-
knowledge the desperate condition Of Turkey;
but this was for ends of her own, for the
British must have perceived that Turkey
cannot very long maintain her status in
Europe. Since the words of the Emperor
were spoken, Turkey has grown worse, and
the cabinets, conferences and State doctors
of Europe, generally, are to be kept busy in
postponing a dissolution, which, ever i'm
pending and more threatening, is destined
at length to come. The Turk however re-
luctant, must turn bis back to Europe The
great disturbing element existing in Turkey
in Europe, is the Christian population. The
Christians greatly out-number the Moham-
medans. Taking the whole population to
be sixteen millions, not more than one fourth
of the number, or four millions, are Mahom-
medans. The remaining millions principal
ly Romans, Slavonians and Greeks, are at
tached mainly to the Greek and Armenian
churches. OF these, the inhabitants Of the
Danubian princpalites are represented as
being the least adverse to the Turks, though
| they have suffered much from corruption and
weakness at Constantnople. But through
out Turkey proper, deep hatred exists be
tween the Christian and the Turk There
the opposed nationalities and religions exist
side by sde and all that misgovernment and
oppression can do to engender II.feeling has
been done. OF late years the Christian pop
ulations have felt their strength increasing.
The latest intervention of the great powers
of Europe in their behalf has awakened their
expectations and aroused them into extraor-
dinary activity. At the same time the fanata-
cisln Of the Mahommedan has been increased
by the same cause. The lower classes are
everywhere disposed to subject the Christians
to insult and outrage, and the power of the
Porte over different parts of the country is
so small that it cannot fully enforce com
pliance with its treaty Obligations or rel eve
the Christians from disabilities and persecu-
tons Thus fair occasion for foroiI N inter
ence is constantly presented, and provoca-
ton to resistance and re- ellion constantly
exist. The latest intelligence from the from
tiers of Bosnia is that another sanguinary
collision had taken place between the Chris
tian population and the Turks, and that the
struggle had been occasioned by the tyran-
nical conduct of the Beys, who had declared
that they would sooner take up arms against
the Sultan than suffer any compromise to
to be made with the Christians. This in
dicates the sentiment existing amongst the
Mahommedans generally.
As might be expected, it is in Asia that
the fanaticism Of the Mahommedan reaches
its height. The massacre in Jeddah, in
Arabia, and the applause with which the
news of that crime was received at Mecca
indicate how little Europeans can expect from
the forbearance of the zealots of this part
of the world. The Sultan has dispatched an
agent to Jeddah, armed with power of life
and death, who is to inquire into the circunl-
stances of the massacre, and to punish the
guilty. But it may be questioned whether
justice will be fairly meted out, and whether
all the anxiety displayed by the government
at Constantinople to atone for the deed will
prevent the repetition of similar acts.