, 1876-10-28

Sir,-Pray allow me to place on record in
the Times q fact which furnishes a striking COM
mentary on Lord Beaconsield's assertion that
"an Oriental people, in general, and the Turks
10 particular, "have seldom resOrted to tor.
ture, but generally terminate their connection
with culprits in a more expeditions manner"
On my way to this place l traversed a con.
siderable part of the frontier line which divides
Bosnia from Austria. Along the route were
several Turkish military stations and two Tur-
kish aenoampments. / was accompanied by
DR.. Liddon, who would corroborate what I am
now going to relate. At the first of the mill
tary stations we observed some sharply pointed
stakes, about 20fT. high. On inquiring what
they were intended for, we were told that they
were used for impaling the Christian insurgents
of Bosnia. In fact, any Bosnian Christian
found with rms in his hands was, and is nov,
exposed to this treatment.
D. your readers understand what impaling
means2 The victims hands and feet being
fastened, he Is raised aloft and dropped in a Sill
ting posture upon the pointed stake, which is thus
driven into his body. There he is left to
writhe 10 agony til death puts an end to his
anguish, which happens, on the average, at the
end Of about two days. If his powers OF endur-
ance are good, be may liager for three days.
But what evidence had Dr.. Liddon and my.
self that those stakes were used for 50 iendish
q purpose : That is a question which may be
asked by those who began by denounciug the
stories of the Bulgarian atrocities as " coffee
house babble' retailed " artistically" by news
paper correspondents, and then, when the
truth could no longer bo concealed, protested
that their fine sensibilities were hurt by the re.
Oital Of such " disgusting" horrors. | confess
that | feel more sympathy for the impaled
Christians Of Bosnia than [ 40 for the iusutfarablo
prigs who have been exhorting US with " damna-
bio iteration to keep our minds in a state Of
philosophical repose at the sight Of human mis-,
cry and Iherefore | do not scruple to give what
YOUR readers will. I think, accept as sufficient
proof that the Turks, Lord B9aconsield not
outstanding, are in the habit of 1" terminal
ing their connection not merely with cul.
prits," but with those whose only crime is that
they are Christians, by q mode of torture
which is anything but "expeditious." The
officers Of an Austrian steamer which passes
ND and down the Save twice a week assured
DR.. Liddon and myself that they often saw
human beings writhing on those cruel stakes.
And we saw with our own eyes the CHASTITY
confirmation Of their story in the shape of
a body thus impaed.
This has been done and is being done still,
remember, not by wild Bashi. Bozouks, but by
regular troops under command Of well-educ Gated
Turkish oficers-pleasant, sunooth-toDgued men
wiEhswhom we came in contact, and whom |
have heard belsuded by delicate ladies in
London drawing ,rooms. These c%rueltiea are
perpetrated as part of a regular system, and it
is only when an outbreak occurs aud some
courageous newspaper correspondents ferret out
a.few Of the works of darkness that we hear of
them. The route by which DR.. Liddon and
myself came hither is out of the beaten path,
and has remained for the most part unvisited by
tourists and correspondents. The Turk feels,
therefore, that no can indulge in safety his un-
bridlsd passion for cruelty, and he INDUCES it
accordingly. Is it possible that humane and
Christian England can, for any considerations
of policy whatsoever, allow the cruel rule Of the
Turk to prolong indefinitely the agony Of these
Christian populationsI Is it possible that she
will be a party to the punishment and humiliation
Of Servia for CALAMITY drawing her sword, at the
peril Of her national life, in defence Of her own
kindred, whose :" anguished cry. I" to quote the
phrase of Oavour, was daily 10 her earsi Ire-f
main, Sir your obedient servant. .'@''
Belgrade, Sept. 81.
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