The Hawaiian gazette., 1873-01-08

VIrc O.

4 fiustrian Corresponds ,,.st
The fall Of Mahmc
power Of Iidhat Psbs We with
great satisfaction. ms which
the former had won for himself az me outset Of
his career. by his energetic and almost reckless
measure against corruption and pecuIation, had
I long been lost by his later conduct which left
out title doubt that, weary Of the uphill work,
and anxious above alI 70 maintain his position he
bad come 20 lbe conclusion that h,-Ii-- with
the wolves was, after alt, the wsest thing to DO.
While thus on one side nothing could be ex-
pected F5m him in the way. of internal reform,
his rather too intimate relations with the Russian
Embassy were not calculated to recommend him
specially with US. When, therefore, he fell into
disgrace there was a natural disposition to well
come his successor, whoever he might be, as an
almost certain change for the better in every
respect. The welcome was so much the warmer,
as the name Of Midhat has had for years a very
good sound here No other foreign Government
is more interested than this in the good govern
ment of the neghboring Danube provinces;
none, therefore, followed with more interest the
salutary activity of Midhat as Governor-Genera
of Boumea. Instead of considering his mission
as sort of exile, only to be sweetened by the
prospect of accumulating the means wherewith
to regain influence in the capital, he set earnestly
TO work, and succeeded by his energetic but at
the same time enlightened rule, in making his
Viayet the model for all other governors. Re-
lentless against those who aimed at subversion,
he studied the real grievances of the Christian
population, and did his best to remove them.
Were this done everywhere the agitators would
have but small field left for their activity. 1t
is not any national aspirations, or even any in
ordinate desire for selfgovernment, which keeps
agitation IN these parts alive but far more tangi
BILE suferings and sores. Thus, probably few
persons know that the chief real grievance of the
Christian populations of Turkey is that, in spite
of Haiti Humayouns and equality on paper, the
Christian population has practically no freehold
property, but only a sort of feudal essehold
property, which has to pay yearly sum to the
Vakouf to some member of the Imperial family,
to some one of the local families of Spahs and
Beys, or to some other Mohamedan proprietor
who may have acquired the fee simple. The evil
would, perhaps, still be tolerable if there was a
fixed yearly payment, but, although legally but
the uthe it is in reality at the discretion of the
landlord. Before Midhat left the vilayet he had
succeeded almost everywhere in introducing
fixed yearly payment, comforting thus the greatest
boon on the Christian population. and showing |
himself a practical reformer such as Turkey |
wants.
From Rustchuk to Bagdad is very long way, /
but greater even is the difference between Rou-
melia and Arabstani and yet Midhat learnt to
know the wants of the latter as well as those of
the former and never before had that outlying
province been more quiet and orderly than under
his rule. 1t was this undoubted aptitude for adj
ministration which was his chief aud primary
Recommendation here. OF the political man little
or nothing was known, but every one was willing
to suppose that, ss in the smaller so in the larger
sphere now opened to him, he would prove in his
place an enlightened and energetic Minister. As
for his foreign policy, the choice OF Hall Pasha,
late Ambassador in Vienna, as his Minister for
Foreign Affairs, secured a guarantees for the most
cordial, nay intimate relations with this country.
The late Ambassador has made himself very pop
ular here not only as one of the most enlightened
Turks, bat likewise as one OF those who under
stand that Turkeyhas no truer and more disin-
terested friend than this country. With Midhat
as Grand Yizier, and Hall as Minister OF Foreign
Affairs. there seemed at last the lOug-expected,
but hitherto unrealized, combination formed BY
which the affairs of Turkey would take the turn