The tri-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1866-1868, 1867-12-14

QUESTION-ATTACh UION AN AhEitl IAN
MIssIoN-sCuooL.
CoSsTANTISOPLE, Nov. Is, 1866.
There is one impossible barrier in the way
of any radical reforms in the East. Poll,
ticians have their pet schemes. Lord Pal
merston, especially, asserted more than once
in Parliament that Turkey was already Il
model country. But in spite Of political
schemes and politicians lies, Turkey is al
most as far from reform as ever. What there
is Is only external The Turkish women
constitute barrier against reform, the
strength of which can only be realized by
those who have been brought into a direct
contact with them in their own homes
There are few Europeans in Constantlnople
whose experience qualities them to speak on
this subject, and your readers may rely upon
the following statements as literally true
The ignorance OF Turkish women Is absolute.
Here and there one can be found who knows
how to read little in the Koran, and one
who can write down and add up simple
accounts, but such a one is Il rurd 0ctS. In
a few families in COnstantinople and
SMYRNA such as Caboull Pacha's and
Mustapha Fazyl Pasha s-one or two women
can be found who read and speak French
I know OF one or two girls who can speak
tions have no influence upon the great mass
The first wife of the Grand Vizier, for in
stance, Is as profoundly ignorant as the first
wife of the King OF Dahomey or the Can
nibal Islands. The few who have learned
French have thereby learned more harm
than good-they have simply learned to
read the worst sort of French novels. Even
among those Turks who are themselves
somewhat Europeanized. the idea of educat
ing the women finds no favor. They can
see no possible good which can come from
such education. The education which has
certain marketable value among the
Turks, runs only in the line of what we
sometimes call accomplishments. There are
women in the Turkish harcms who can play
very well on the piano or the harp, and
there are girls who can dance after the
fashion ofballet dancing The simple theory
of the Turk is that women is made only to
be slave and to bear children. :. Little edu-
cation is necessary to fit them for this narrow
sphere. In his eye, the more they have, the
worse for them. Al this is pretty well
known already in Europe, although not
fully appreciated But along with this
ignorance there Is an amount OF superstition
and ianatlcism among the Turkish women
which is almost beyond imagination. In
credible as it may appear, the Arabian
Nights Tales seem TO these women simple
narratives Of fact. Spirits and genii have a
larger place in their thoughts and lives than
human beings have. Ii one of the SuItan's
wives, for example, is sick. it is true that a
European physician Is sent tor to attend her
body, but he is allowed to do nothing until
a spiritual doctor las dealt with the grnii
whom she was offended. or with the evil
spirit vino has been wrcaking his spite upon
her. These Turkish spiritualsts not only
deal with the sick in this way, but many
OF them profess to be able to raise the dead
by simply breathing upon them. TheIe is
probably not woman III Turkey who does
not believe in them The absurd tales of
the Koran, and the infinitely more absurd
Mussuiman traditions care not only as fully
believed as the Bible is among Christians.
but the same things .arc supposed to be
Transporting every day now. Even in the
harem OF the most EurOpcaniZed AIussuman
IN ConstantInOplc, the women are under the
spiritual charge of Turkish priest, who
thinks necessary to cOuntcract any foreign
tendencies by making them more super
stltlous and 1anaticaI than their neighhors.
Their faith iii Mohammed IS as mistaken
and their hatred of all unbelievers is as fierce
as though they had lived 1900 years ago.
Indeed, 1t may he said of the Turkish wo-
men as whole that theysare in all respect
the same as 500 years ago. A few European
ladies have had occasional access to ii few
harems in Constantinople and Smyrna
Several families have employed English and
French govemesscs, but even these last.
alter years OF labor, have accomplished
almost nothing III removing or modifying
The superstitions of the women with whom
hey have been associated Now these wo
men living in the midst of spirits and
5enii-steeped in superstition and ignorance,
believers in the Koran, are the
wives, the mothers, and the educators of the
ullng race in Turkey. Every boy lives
mOng them until he is dozen years old |
nd few receive any education afterward to
Modify their early impressions. Even if |
llese early impressions are exchanged for !
ONE European notions, even a man like |
lustapha FaZyl Pasba, who holds himself |
p as model refOrmer does not dare to |
atorm his own harem, or attempt to make |
cad against the superstition which reIgns |
here. Ii there is to be a genuine reform in |
turkey, it must begin in the harems; it |
lust begin in the education and enlighten- |
tent of the women. Women have vast |
Ihuence in Turkey in spite of their degratla-
on. The Sultan's mother has perhaps
ore influence than any man in the Empire,
nd Turkish women know how to influence, |
nd oftentimes to rule their husbands, as
ell as women in other lands. While trey
;main as at present, real reform is impossi-
lie; and, so far as I know, no Turk has |
yer yet advocated the general enl1ghten-
ZEN, , OF the women. They talk sometimes |
=, bout education for men, but not for women.
ne Idea OF female education as necessary to
e,orm and prosperity seems never yet to
'"se uaWned upon any Turkish reformer. |
n collective note from the Great Powers
u, 'n; inns :, subject would be far more to the
E,1n, tnan anything we have had vet. Even
.aig1a might consent to sign it. 1t Ger
;;"insy could not he said of such a note az i
tbo y. the last Russian Circular of Oct, is
,%a ~. ~ was little better than a DECLARATION
mr "%r, out perhaps it would create ouite 90
T,,roo SsAclttement here as the latter has Is
with wro Inc "fhcial paper, is boiIin@ over
insult an5 and publishes an article FIJI T'e OF
cular wh G abuse against Russia Tl iu't -: VI
mas undoubtedly reached Won v