Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1876-02-18
Turkish Manners.
Correspondent ofthe Pan Nor On

ltOTTeSp0ltde1l Of the Pal Nal Gazette
The patriarchal character Of the Turkish
home Is its chief characteristic. Every
morning the household gather around their
head and respectfully kiss his hand no
empty formallty with then, but necessary
and even INDISPENSABLE token, in their ewes
of respectful allegiance. In the household
too, are included not only the children but
those whom we are Obliged by the poverty
OF our language to designate as slaves"
Nowhere as in Turkey is the precept OF ST.
Paul so fully realized, "Servants, be obedient
TO your masters" If on the other hand IT
be true that the unit of the state is the faIni-
~ and not the Individual, on the other hand
II may be said that the true idea of the fami-
y only exists in the east Nowhere else
too, do people live so continually in the
presence of each other. A Roman once said
"Build me house where shall be seen bv
every one every hour in the day" This is
literally the case in the east. Living, too,
community IN the presence Of each other,
their conduct is subject to and influenced by
The public opinion OF those around them In
way that no Europeans can be- Two
things are 10 be seen in Turkey which at first
sight may seem contradictory, but are in
reality intimately connected-the entire ah-
sence of caste, and the instructive Difference
and respect paid to every degree OF rank
There is no such thing in Turkey as the
So paratiOn OF classes, each living shut I'D by
Itself, suspicious Of each other, like autagO.
niStic and hostile forces: there is no such thing
therefore, as class divisions, class hatred s,
class interests, and the revolutionary pas
slODs engender. Consider FOR moment, when
you talk so glibly of driving the barbarIans
out of Europe, OF the strength with which
Such fact as this gives TO n nation. am
inclined to think, deliberately. that the only
nation-in the proper sense OF the term-in
Europe is the Ottoman. Now, what renders
this inteTmixture of all classes in Turkey
possible, and the absence of which would
render the same thing impossible in Europe
IS exactly Turkish pOliteness, formulated In
fixed code of manners, which regulates the
Intercourse of the different classes with each
other, and renders impossible that familiar
lty 10 which, but for this barrier, such gen
eral intermixture would be liable, aud witch
would quickly dissolve IL into general con-
fusion and mutual contempt. If this view
be correct, with such facts as this before our
eyes 10 would be difficult TO talk lightly OF
the value OF politeness and etiquette It is
not too much to say that the very bone of
society In Turkey Is respect; that politeness
is with them The elaborated ode OF respect
and that this respect and this code of polite
less are the first and most important lesson
inculcated in the harem. II takes the form
OF hlial respect-the source and spriug of an
respect-and then, in natural progression of
honor to all those to whom honor is due.
And so IL becomes the very basis and founda-
tlon OF the Ottoman character, the secret OF
theIr military discipline, and the very boad
OF their society.