The New York herald., 1869-11-12

u more skiiiul Ambassador 10 lnulCate nis
Eastern policy. Her purchase from the Sultan
OF a piece of ground in tho neighborhood
Of Jerusalem revealed her interest in the
holy places-an interest worthy of Christian
woman and good Catholic. But this is It's
least important aspect. 1t was skilful dlplo-
matte stroke-a stroke of policy worthy of
woman's wit; for it has proclaimed to the
world-and in style which makes offence
impossble-that France under the Bonapartes
Is the friend Of the Sultan, and that so long as
Bonaparte sways the destinies Of France no
Russian Gar will water his horses in the
lIellespont or be sole master of the holy
places. The attention paid to the Empress in
Constantnople shows that the Sultan was fully
appreciative Of the importance of the situa-
tion. One other matter of political cha
racter deserves to be mentioned here. The
reception in Venice was not SO warm as
it might have been. The Venetans were
not forgetful of The hopes and dissappoint-
ments of 1859. 1t will not be wonderful if
events not distant give evidence that the
Emperor Napoleon's attachment to the Italians
generally is less warm than it once was.
Socially, so far as the East is concerned,
this tour of the Empress, if it has not pro-
duced, has revealed, a revolution. 1t is long
since Lady Mary Wortley Montagu gave us
her account of life in Constantinople 1t is
long since Sir Walter Scott, in one of his most
interesting novels, gave us an imaginary pic
ture of tournament in the desert, and up
until this time we have not been permitted to
think that harem life had changed in any
important particular. Our correspondents let
ters have shown that the force of Western civ
ilization has begun to tell, and to tell power
fully, on the social and domestic life Of the
East. In the estimation Of the simple-minded
Mohammedans nothing like this visit has hap
pened since the Queen Of Sheba came to Jeru-
salem to behold the wisdom and glory Of Solo
mon. But they do not see, they do not con-
slider the results that are to flow from it. A
Western Empress, Christian Empress,
has actually dined with the Sultan
and his Ministers. Not only so. She
has been specially honored by the harem.
From the Sultans mother and from
the queen of the harem, the Sultan's favorite
wife, she has received most costly presents.
Time was when the eye Of the Nazarene might
not gaze on the unveiled face of Eastern
beauty, and when the touch of the Nazarene
implied pollution which could be wiped out only
by death. The peculiar institution of the East
still lives but Mohammedanism is becoming
more flexible, and what with imperial visits,
and Suez canals, and railroads aud telegraphs,
promise is abundant that il will and, indeed,
must become more flexible still. If it be true
that reforms begin at the base of the social
pyramid, it is also true that example, whether
for good or evil, is most powerful at its sum-
nit. The example which has just been set in
high places cannot fail to have telling effect
on the social life of the Mohammedan East.
One other feature of this tour deserves to be
mentioned. Thanks to the telegraph, the
Emperor knows the whereabouts Of his spouse
not only from day to day, but from hour to hour,
and the entire reading world, thanks to the
newspaper, shares his interest How different
Is the world of to-day from the world OF the
Crusaders! How different is the world of
to-day from the world of fifty years ago!
Steam power was a wonderful discovery.
Wonderful, too, was the application Of that
power. But the telegraph leaves all other
discoveries and applications of science far
behind. We march on to something still
higher. Thought is still impatient of delay.
Swift as are the means Of communication, they
H. nd ~ al; ;n,,Ir io;a
Science is still young, hopeful, eager-eyed.
Whittier does it lead us? We know but in
part; we can but dimly see the future but
we do know that IL leads onward and upward.
One hundred years hence, when some future
Eugene makes grander Eastern tour, how
slow and how stupid will seem the world of
to-day.