The national Republican. [volume] (Washington City [D.C.]) 1866-1870, 1867-06-27
THE FUTURE OF TURKEY.

We trust that our readers will pardon
us for devoting SO much space to the
questions arising out of the Cretan war
The future Of Turkey is involved in the
settlement of this question, and when {
great Power among the nations begin,
to decline, and lts nationality to fade, due
notice of SO important an event ought &c
be chronicled.
The last cable dispatches assure us thai
the Sultan has reluctantly consented tC
the propositions of the great Powers Of
Europe for joint commission to investi
gate the grievances and wrongs inhicte,
rTNn Gambia The Joint character Of thi
commission is merely in name. Thes,
Powers have given the Sublime Porte tc
understand that his unrelenting war upor
his Christian subjects must cease, and thu
Emperor of Turkey is in no condition t
resist this demand. He must yield; ant
henceforth his power in Europe must de
cline. The Ottoman Empire has entered
upon its downward course, and hereafter
its decadence is rapid and certain. When
Power is in the situation to submit tc
the dictation Of neighboring nations upon
the question Of the adjustment of its own
internal affairs, its prestige is gone. 1t is
as though England, for instance, was com.
PEELED TO listen to the United States, and
this Government could dictate to il the
policy it must adopt in respect to the
Fenian movement. Such being the case
with Great Britain, the world would look
to the downfall Of the British Empire. We
must therefore conclude that the days of
Moslem Power in Europe are numbered.
1t may be contended that the Sultan has
only submitted this question that he NAV
gain time, and that he will be fully pre-.
pared to maintain his ground, and that
these Powers can do no otherwise than to
allow him to manage his own internal af.
fairs, only that they will insist that tho war
shall be carried on upon different and more
civilized principles. The very fact that the
Turk has felt himself Obliged to yield this
single point for the appointment of com.
mission is indicative of tie certain result
he must yield everything and henceforth
his power in Europe is u quest ion not for
himself to determine; but what there is
left to him he holds by the sutierance of
those Powers They have demanded of
him an investigation into the affairs of the
Canadians He has yielded this point, anu
in yielding it has practically yielded eyesy-
thing. The doctrine heretofore ,ontended
for in the dominions of the Sabine Porte
has been substantially this that a Chris
tian had no rights which MussuIman
is bound to respect. Between the Chris.
tian and Moslem there has heretofore ex.
listed a wide gulf. A Christian, in the es-
timation Of q Mohammedan, is no better
than slave; in short, the Christian in
turkey has 30 rights OF which he may not
De de.spoiled at any moment Now the
Cretans have demanded a reform IN all
these particulars. They want their schools.
They want redress from all the numerous
disabilities under which they have labored
for long years; and in these things the
commission will right them, as it ought.
And when they are righted, not by the
voluntary concession of the Sultan, but
upon compulsion, what becomes of his
power as an independent ruler?
The Cretans for their rights have fought
nobly, and the prospect now is that they
have won; but liberty to these people, who
have commended so valiantly for their
homes and their liberties, is not the only
gain that il to come to mankind from this
contest 1t presages the downfall u IL
system Of religion which is false and per-
nicious to the last degree, and it gives new
life and courage 10 those struggling Chris
tians, men and women, who for this day
have lifted up their prayers to God with
unceasing opportunities. Gambia being
free, Thessaly, Epirus, and other provinces
of the Turkish Empire, must also be lib
Grated Emancipation from the hated
yoke of the Musselman must soon bee ONE
the watchword OF all the Christian people
IN the Moslem Empire and the despotic
rule Of the Sublime Porte over the con-
sciences Of men must cease forever; and
his dominion, weighed in the balance, has
been found wanting. Henceforth Moham.
mechanism goes to decay.