The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1875-12-29
A TROUBLED TURK,
The Sad State Of the Sultan's FL
nanceS.
THE OTTOMAN EMPIRE.

PEOPLE CRUSHED AND HoPELEss-DTsAF-
FICTION GENERAL-PREss cENsoRsHIP-
A PRIMITIVE POSTAL SYSTEM.
The Constantinople correspondent of
tho New York Tribune writes: Careful
inquiries made In various parts of this
country show a condition of affairs so des-
perate that suppose there is but little reason
TO expect the sultan to pass safely through the
present crisis. At Erzroom in Armenia the
tax-gathereis are pressing the people with
all manner OF viole nee to pay ''arrears." These
arrears may or may not have an actual ex-
istence For Instance, widow is called
upon to sell her household furniture in pay
ment of the military exemption tax due
from her husband for the ten years since
his death. In Cappadocis correspondent
assures me that the people are now being
called upon to pay taxes which VIII not be
due till 1877. In the same region the people
are but Just gaining strength again
after two years famine, and are being
forced mercilessly to pay up the taxes
"forgivan" them on account OF that famine
A gentleman of long residence in the
province of Broosa told me yesterday that
the same rigorous collection OF taxes was
being made in that province. L asked him
IL the people were grateful for the relief
from taxation afforded by the recent impe
rial decree which reduced the produce
tax from 12H to 10 per cent. He
fairly laughed at my innocence III suppos-
ing chat the decree in question was OBJ
served by the tax gstherers. 1t was In
tended for effect In Europe, and to people
who claim the benefit OF 1t the answer Is In
vsrisbly returned that the decree will not
90 into effect until year from now. This
Is understood TO mean that 1t will not go
into effect at all. The fact Is,
THE FINANCIAL SITUATION
is one of such great and pressing necessity
that the governm mt is obliged to gather
money by fair means or foul, and in doing
1t 1t is even ready 10 kill the goose which
lays the golden egg. The people are we'll
nigh driven to despersti IN; but, said one OF
the very Armenisns who are suffering the
most In this way: "Our people have been
crushed so long without hope that they will
not riss-they can not. The people in
European Turkey are not so broken spirited
as we are, and we look to them for our de-
Iversnce!" 1t is reported on good author
ity that some hundreds OF these ArmenlaDs
in the region of Mount Ararat have lately
become Mohammedsns in order to escape
the fearful burden OF oppression which the
Turks had put upon them as Christians. In
European Turkey there is no question but
what the whole OF Bulgaria needs bat
spark to bring on revolt. The Turkish
troops in passing have been guilty of un-
checked atrocities, the people have muir
INJURED, more troops have in consequence
been poured into the " dissffected
districts" and the government has
committed the terrible blunder every
where of undertaking to break
the spirit of those whom it might have con-
ciliated. Whole districts which two months
ago were peaceful aud perfectly free from
dislOyalty, are now burning to avenge
series of wrorgs which have been burned
into the very soul of the inhabitants. In
this city public opinion is deprived Of ex-
preston, tn? press is muZZlei 1, the publics-
tion ofnews Il absolutely prohibited, except
1t has the official sanction. This sanction,
of course, is given to nothing ct an unfa-
vorable nature, aud so the public is lett to
invent where IL can not learn the truth.
STOCKS ARE AT THE LOWEST FIGURE
consistent with the quotsti ms of the same
stocks in London aud Paris. Operators
here see that for some reason operators in
Europe are willing to pay % for a bond with
100 face value, and so what feeble transsc-
tions take place on 'Chsnge are ruled by
the kilograms OF each day from the European
markets. Were il not that these quotations
seem TO show tha, those who ought to know
of the destiny of the "sick man"
than do those Immediately about
that individual the Stock Ex-
change of C0nstantinople would have no
business to do. Here the feeling is very
strong that the January coupons can not be
u6L Nv luo kONcTu mOT6ON6T, There
is marked expectancy of an absolute end
OF all Things Turkish teiore very long
Out OF this feeling grows q rather dangerous
race jealousy between Mosems ane Christ
ians in this city. The Mohsmmedans have
not as q general thing the means OF ini0r-
nation to current events which
are possessed by their Christian
neighbors. The censor of the press
has a sliding scale by which he
gta1uates the allow nee of news made to
h 80 L. t.. ~NCs.-
are tit only for The Lsvsnt Herald, other
items suitable Tor that paper are not fit for
French papers having different class of
Tesders. The Greek aud Armenian papers
have TO content themselves with very
limited range amongte matters permitted
to both Eoglish and French papers, while
the Turkish papers. intended only for
Mshammedsns, contain but a small selec-
tion of the news oftue day, and that
GARBLED TO SUIT TaE NECESSITY
of the Mussulmau editor who must make 1t
plain to all bis readers that the Ottoman
power is In its highest glory to-day. These
Turkish papers have s,eadily represented
Herr 9govins as pscifed, have failed to pub
lish the reforms" in that province prom
ised by the government to the foreign
powers, aud are &c day representing TO
their readers that the press OF Europe
Is unanimous in approving the " financial
measure" OF population of the coDsoli-
dated debt. With this understanding OF the
condition of their country the Mohsmme-
dams Of the ma feel bitterly aggrieved on
theariDg the political talk current among
their Christian neighoors. The lie Is freely
given In such cases, aud 1t Is a word and a
blow 10 these days. So the bitterness Is
now growing up which will doubtless have
fruitage Ia blood befJre the Eastern ques
tion is disposed OF, unless the srbiters of
our destinies are more careful of the
details OF their arrangements than
emperors are wont to be in
their divisions of coveted territory.
But in the midst OF this feeling that the
Turkish empire il do )ued there is also
other strong fesling that the same jsalousies
and the sane political necessities, which
have kept Turkey intact so long, may again
prolong th9 days OF the Sultans. There IL
nothing 80 permanent, says Victor Hugo,
as the pile of stones tbas Is lefs tor few