Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1873-07-16
O Shah

through the most refined capitals of Europe
The performances, considering the circum
stances, are the most ridiculous afforded as We
Oh the comic stage Of the world in the latte
half OF the nineteenth century.
The Persia Of olden time. which held un
der it's sway numerous neighboring nation
aud numbered its subjects almost by th'
hnndred million, may partly explain Thu
matter, and the wish of Russia and England
to use every available means for the increase
of influence in the East must account for
much more of the consideration which this
man of ba / manners receives at the hands oil
European sovereigns. So much have they
made OF him, that no doubt there goes with
the report of their adulation, the idea thai
the Shah is a man of more brains and the
ruler of a far more important country than
be is
The Persia of to-day is mainly important
from IFS size and from its lying between
civilized Europe and the wealth of the Indies,
OF which several European nations long tc
get the lions share. A country nearly as
large as France and Germany combined, a
dozen times as large as New York, it has YET
a sparse population, numbering some five
millions of people only, according to the best
authenticated accounts, although by some es-
timated to contain two or three millions
more. The population, but little more
numerous than that of the state of New York
is a mixed mass of Persians, Koords, Turko
man Tartars, Arabs and tribes of lesser note.
A third OF its population is nomadc, wan
deriDg about among barren wastes. A large
number inhabit filthy. ill-built cities. whose
main and only decent buildings are Moham-
medan places of worship and the palaces of
the rulers. The remainder of the people
carry on rude agriculture, living mostly IN
villages and striving to irrigate the dry SOL
SO that decent crop may be raised.
The visions of the poets Of the beauties of
their land are mostly visions merely, though
north OF the capital, Teheran, on the south
ern slope OF the great mountain range which
traveIses the country from its northern
boundary toward the east, are beautiful
gardens, and scenery that justifes the des-
criptiOns even in Lalla Rookn. What the
country might be under systematic cultiva-
ton, in which the fields should be watered to
the fullest extent. is far different from that
which it really is under the present lazy and
inefficient management.
The prevailing religion IS that of Moham-
med, and the country is in just that lad
condition where it knows too much to learn
more. Nasr-ed-DeeD, the present Shah, is a
fit ruler for his wild subjects. While the
cries of famine are hardly dead in his land
and the begging for help from the working
world has hardly ceased, this fellow ap-
pears with an equal abundance of wives and
jewels, dazzling the eyes and offending the
nose of benevolent humanity.
His revenues are ample to preserve him.
self from the horrors of starvation The
taxes in the Kingdom amount to ten m illion
dollars each year, and of this sum one NIL
lion finds its way into his personal treasury.
He has besides laid up seven or eight III Hons
of money and has a dozen millions more in
vested in gold vessels and jewels The
government is strictly personal, and has ali
the arbitrary character Of the oriental system,
as well illustrated by his suggestion to the
Prince of Wales that be had better kill
duke at whose house the Shah had been
msgnifceDtly entertained, as SO powerful a
noble could but endanger the safety of the
English throne.
From his entrance into Europe be has ex-
hibited himself as a conceited barbarian, too
well satisfad with his own outlandishness to
learn to do better, and has marked bis course
by keeping his hosts waiting for his appear
ance, suggesting the decapitation of their
powerful subjects, eating meats with his
fingers and throwing bits whose taste did
not suit him down upon the garments of the
very high and well born danes who have the
felicity to sit next to him. The Empress
Augusta received the most pointed of his at
tentiOns in this last respect. perhap sbecause
OF her position which can hardly be denied
to be that of the " first lady of Europe
Nasr-ed-Deen's most remarkable trans
action to this time has been the grant of a
railway monopoly in Persia for the next
seventy years to Baron Reuter- of Lond m
This Reuter-, whose original name was Julius
JOsaphat, is well knewn by the Reuter-
kilograms, having established a virtual mo-
nopoly OF telegraphic news. 1t is reported
that for the sum Of a million dollars he has
obtained the privilege of constructing rail-
ways in Persia and is to enjoy the profits, by
payment of royalty, for seventy years
Reuter-. once Josaphat, will be pretty old by
that time as he is already fifty two, but will
very likely find his head cut off shoald he
trust At In Persian territory. The Herald
reports this contract as already annulled by
the Shah but later reports affirm that he will
abide by its terms. If the Reuter- contract
is executed it will give England standing
place whence she can gradually obtain quite
an influence 10 Persia, and the Shah appears
to have been more favorably impressed with
his reception in London than in Russia. As
he is only lorty-three, having come to the
throne at the age of eighteen, his personal
likings will 60 good way to help any nation
that be takes fancy to.
The wealth OF Asia is not however to be
reached by way of the desert sands of
Central Asia, and the friendship of Japan
for the United States promises more than
would the visits of dozen Shahs full of
caprice and ignorance. The contrast be-
tween the " Yankees of the East - and the
Persiaas is great. The Japanese are workers
and willing to learn. Their country is fruit
full and their population many times that of
the miserable jewellers east of the Persian