New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1875-07-31
CENSORSHIP OF THE PRESS.


TIE Turkish GOVERNMENT RESTRICTING RELIGIOUS
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. INTEHVENTiONS CALLED
FOR
Tothe Editor Of The Tribune.
SIR The regulations by which the Turkish
Cavern aent PROPOSES to institute censorship Of the
press throughout its entire domnions have been Officially
announced. without specifying particular GLASSES
of books which Turkish officials may deem 1t important
to suppIc 49, these regulations evidently intended 10
have q direct application TO works which may be IN some
respects sntagonstio to the Mohaminedan religion
They require that In future the manuscript OF every
work intended to be published at C0rstantlnopie
shall DO submitted TO the Ministry OF PUB
Lie Instruction which, If advisable will give provisional
permission print. When the printing is oomplhted II
IL to he rcxamned, and il 1T is found to be an exact
reproduction Of the original manuscript permission to
vublish viii be given Publications from abroad from
the provinces in whatever language will be detained at
the CusOiuf Ouse for examination ny the AUTHORITIES,
who will stamp as "authoriaed such as they approve
All works judged TO be of improper tendency viii be
eonfseated Newspapers will not be allowed TO publish
authorized works feaUotoa Works imported Into to
provinces will be examined by tho local authorities
have discretion TO copfscate or allow them to pass
Regulations like these. which virtually suppress alb
publications which certain officials dislike might well
have been issued In tho dark but very much his
take the spirit of tho nations which officially repre-
sened al the Sublime Porte they will not require the
Turkish Government to Remove these arbitrary rostrie
tons and fulfill the pledges which II has pItyomsH
made to gSn rr lire 10 bs M 81 as am, am
IL he m CARDS this thing To be handled gnsery: Mr.
Maynards opportunity To speak as an American III De-
halt Of civil and religious liberty sautes nm as he
CROSSES threshold of the Legation at CoiistnuoIe
III will do the Sublime Porte good 10 hear u milo
plain speaking from other nations II has been dln-
living with this too long and this proposed cen
sersbp Ia In direct conflict with assurances Formerly
given, but for long tine disregarded have be
fore me "a copy of letter written by sir Henry L.
Blu wer IN 1861 to the Committee VI tie C9isatropic
Branch OF the gelical Alliance in which b. says ta
note has been addressed him by the Porte, say Ing
that obstacles will be opposed to tho printing ana SAFE
of the Bible SultaDs domniOns In accordance
with this permission the Scriptures were Tor several
years printed and freely circulated In all parts OF e EN-
pire until about ~ months ago In January
1S74 an der from the ViZcr suddenly came forbiddlS
the sale OF the Scriptures i'll the Turkish Language, and al
the attempt was made Ivy the r1ee 10 seize
all Bibles aud Testaments in that language iie attempt
at seizure frustrated aud AT the renonSfrance OF the
American aud English Embassies. the Government wa,
competed 10 apologize. The restriction upon the
facire and sale, however does not seem 10 nave been
withdrawn. and the intervening months nave shown
how SLOW the PROCESSES OF dpl0iIacy ID eNactlnS
from al anwInng sovereign compliance WIN supui@-
tiOls and covenants by which he Is justly bound
Over aud again, during the last - months the
Government assured MI. Boxer and the English Em
ba ssadOr that permission would soon dc sreiicd 10 plEt
the Turkish Bible aud Often. one pTctXT or another
the formal authorization has been Withheld unu IL looks
II all their Representations and DENIAL were Regarded
as chiids play. Whatever the motive prompting TIE
present cd!ct, trust that the reprcsenatlYe OF th
United States of America viii axe firm stand against
such yacatiOn aud against the bgOtIy wllcL sugcciS
every pamphlet and book printed abroad 20 the censor
ship Of CusenlhOuse officials aud gives the Ministry or
lication OF every manuscript Which it does moi care 10
sanction coDiiscae whatever II Judges 10 he or
inulropef tendency E. W. G..
Nee- York, July II, 1873.