The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1875-02-24

II is interesting to read that the Sultan OF
Turkeys in the enjoyment Of an income OF ten
millions Of dollars year, and that his entertain
ments are fabulous for their splendor, variety
and quantity. No one knows how many
dishes he has at every dinner, and the CORE
spondents are constantly instructing us about
the progress of his new palace. These an
Inducements coming to us Immediately after
the graphic description of the return Of King
Alfonso to Madrid, and his increasing the do
nation to the clergy by several millions
year-although Spain cannot pay the interest
on its debt and is borrowing money from
every pawnbrokers shop in Europe-an
gratifying evidences of the extension Of
the royal system. But it is painful
to observe in Turkey that the iberality
of o sultan does not produce more happiness
to his people. A subscription is now under
WY in England to relieve the distresses of the
inhabitants of Asia Minor. "Over On area OF
forty thousand square miles there were more
than ten thousand persons" says an English
journal, "who died for want Of food. The
distress is increasing rapidly, and the large
portion of the population that survive only
survive upon herbs, grass and the skins Of
animals" The efforts of the Turkish govern
ment have not been able to check this famine,
nor is there any reason why it should exist.
Asia Minor is a country, according to
the Saturday Revie,O erich in all nat.
ural resources, once alive with the
most buoyant activity, favored above
other countries, facing on the sea-
which has been whitening away under the
deadly grasp of the Turks" The evidence
shows that Improvement, corruption and
diverting the resources of the country from
their true sources of benefit to the people
underlie this famine. We saw something of
the same in Persia, whose monarch left
starving people, to scatter diamonds over
Europe. Even in the best governed countries
there will be famines, or periods of want, great
natural disasters. In our own country we
have had misfortunes arising from floods and
prolonged drought and grasshopper plaques.
But our system of government always arrests
the evil before it becomes national calamity.
England, by the exercise of the wisest and
highest craftsmanship, arrested the stu.
pendous Indian famine before it gained head
way, and saved that rich and interesting EN-.
pire from terrible calamity. But famines
from misgovernment, as is the case in Asia
Minor, are crimes on the part of monarch
which have no parallel in the calendar Of
crime.
In looking into this Asian famine, this Car
list war, the famine in Persia and many other
events in our own generation, arising from
the misgovernment and ambition of monarchs
and aspirants to monarchical power, the ques.
ton arises whether all the crimes attributed
to mad republicans in their moments Of pas
sion and vengeance would be drop in the
bucket compared to the crimes that can be
attributed to the royal system since the begin
ming of civilization. The famine in Asia
Minor will pass away and be forgotten in q
short time, but no one ceases to remember the
excuses of tho French Revolution. Yet
which is the greater crime against hu.
mainly?