The Grange advance. [volume] (Red Wing, Minn.) 1873-1877, 1876-07-12

results from mich cows are careful to
keep the animals as quiet and comfort
able as possible. All excessive travel
or labor in obtaining food, all pain,
fear an anxiety are disturbing causes
that check the secretion of milk to
much larger extent than most people
imagine.
THE GREEN FLAG.
Some Interesting Facts About Mohammedan
ism and Its Votaries.
From the Hartford Centennial
If there is any truth in the rumor
that the Turks have unfurled the green
flag, that is the most important news
lately received from Europe. The
green flag is the banner, not Of the
sultan, but of the caliph, and has
re igious rather than politicel signi-
fcation. The title sultan is of Persian
derivation, and is only about 900 years
old. It is equivalent to the old Roman
title. imperator, or to our modern title
emperor. But the title caliph goes
much farther back, even to the times
of Mohammed himself. 1t means s'suc-
cessor,'' the Turks having in their
way rs much faith in, and as much re-
verence for, such d succession as they
c0ntide in as the stiffest churchmen
have for what they call an apostolic
one. The Mogammedan succession be-
gins with the great prophet himself,
and all his genuine ''successors'' are
caliphs of the true and indisputable
line. Persian Northumberland though
nearest the seat of the religion s origin
has, somehow or other, a looser hold
upon original anchorage than A1oham-
mechanism of another type, which is
for the present concentrated in Con-
stantinople. The Persians are the
brOadachurchmens ofsMOhammedanism
and so they care less for an old line,
and All old title, than their brethren
on the frontiers of Frankish intidelity,
who feel committed to an ancient faith
in it's distinctest an most belligerent
form. 1t seems singular that they
who are furthest from the fountain
should be the truest representatives
Of the fountains outflow-at least in
their own imaginations. But in this,
the stricter Mohammedans compare
curiously with those who call them
selves the strictest of Christian-the
adherents of the pope of Rome. Rome
is much further from the birth.seat of
Christianity than the Oriental Chris
tians and yet Rome Tor now rather
the smaller part of it) processes to
have the only true Christianity on
earth. All Christendom, besides her
and her dependents, is schismatical or
heretical, and is on it's way. to minor
or major perdition, leaving herself as
the sole proprietary of paradisacal
realms.
This we suppose is talking in what
may be called Mohammedan rhetoric,
the style pontifical of Contantinople.
This city is now the Rome of Islam
Islam being word corresponding to
Christendom, and meaning the terri
tory of the faithful. The" caliph of
Constantinople is the head and front
and leader of the armies of the false
prophet. True, in condescension to
political associations he generally
bears the title of sultan, which has
been copied from Persian example-a
single act of utilization with Persia,
which Persia has taken care to repu-
date, calling her sovereign shah.
This differs from sultan about as much
as king differs from monarch-is 4
dissimilarity for the sake of dissimilar-
ity. The sultan of constantinople does
not however become the full ruler of
his people till the softas (Mohamme-
danism' 3 fiersest votaries) have carried
him to the old church, once called
Sancia Sophia, and invested him with
the scimitar Of his more martial than
predecessors. Then if he
unfures the green flag. and summons
the disciples of Mohammedani they
are bound to follow him to the death
wherever he leads them. We know
that in one sense, the Turks are
Calvinists of the first water. They
believe in predestination to. the
grimest of it's conclusions, and rush
recklessly on any ''changes and
chances which. may confront them.
There are no Such things in the cal
endar of their prefixed destiny. They
belive, with Puritanic perseverance,,
that in acts of obedience to- the sue
cessor of the gretest of all prophets
they are on the high road to supreme
felicity, be the road rough or smooth,
0rrpc ooked ,-~ long or short,
broad or narrow. To them it is all
the same and one.
So the unfurling of the green flag is
one of the most significant Of symp-
toms possible Of the internal status
the animas and plans-of Mohamme-