New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1870-06-09
ROUMANIA OR KoUMELIA.

We repr oduce the following Interesting
The writer evidently understands the sub
ject: 9
Owing to the manipulation of the tele.
graphic news from Europe by ll-informed
Geographic operators. some confusion has
arisen as to the locality OF the recent
outrages upon the Jews.
Rumelia or ROumelia Is province OF
Turkey proper, embracing the territory OF
ancient Thrace and including in its bounda-
ries the cities of ConstantinOple, Adrianople,
Gallipoli, Phil!ippopili, aud other pOpulOus
cities. It is the principal seat in Europe OF
the Mahommedan population OF Turkey.
The Christians there are subject race and
glad enough to be left in peace themselves.
The Turks reserve the privilege OF any per-
scouting that is to be done, but to their
credit be it said, they rarely exercise the
right in any active form.
The Lame Rumelia, as also ROumanla, Is
from the Turkish Rum-ili, or Roman land.
When the Turks overthrew the Byzantine
empire, they assumed, IN spirit OF SELL
laudation, to have conquered Rome, and SO
called their new provinces from the roman
name. What has been since short time
after the Crimean war known as Roumania,
is composed OF the territories covered on
the maps by the names Moldavia and Wal
lachia Those provinces constitute the
Danubian principaities, about which the
great powers!of Europe troubled themselves
and the readers of newspapers so much
lew years ago.
Under the provisions of the treaty of
Paris in 1856, the settlement OF their affairs
was referred to a conference OF the repre-
eentatives of the great powers, the Porte
and Sardinia, which in 1858 agreed upon a
new plan of organization. Soon after
Alexander Couza was elected hospodar tor
life by both principalitles. This was not In
exact accordance with the programme, but
by the influence of Napoleon, who wished
10 develop the national spirit and interpose
barrier to Russian progress toward the
Bosphorus, the election was allowed to
stand. Couza was assassinated in 1865 or
1866, and by the influence OF Bismarck. the
Prussian Prince Charles, of Hohenzollern,
was elected hospOdar IN his stead. he ls
the present ruler of the country. Nominal.
ly he is the vassal of the Sultan, but the
tenure by which the Sultan holds the country
is very slight. The principalities are under
the protectorate of the great powers, and
the principal sign of their dependant con.
ters are accredited to the court OF the
hospodar, and consuls are the only repre-
sentatives of foreign powers IN the country.
The inha bitants pride themselves on their
Roman descent, and in Difference to this
sentiment the united provinces 90 by the
name of Roumania. The population numbers
about 4 000, 900 souls, OF whom only about
$50 900 are Jews, and the remainder mostly
Christians, OF the Greek Church. Very few,
if any, Mahomedans are found in the coun,
try. The Boyars are the most influential
class of the population and represent the
political life of the nation. The mass OF the
people are debased, servile and cowardly
race, and, like all such people, cruel when
they have power.
II was among them that the late massacre
of the Jews took place, and as we have
heretofore. remarked, it is to be hoped that
the Sultan, exercising his power OF sover-
elgnty, will send troops enough to prevent
the recurrence of such outbursts OF savage
malignity, despite the prOtectorate OF the
great powers, which has shown itself thing
OF nought, so far as any security to the
people under 1t is concerned.