Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1876-06-17
The Rulers Of Turkey,

Writing from C~onstantinoplc on May
18Th, the correspondent Of the London
Times says:
The simple fact hat Constantinople is
now governed by the nominees Of a mob
Of priests and students-if students be
not too good a name TO apply to men
whose studies consists almost exclusively
in learning to read the Koran. These
nominees hold office subjsctsto the will
of the mob. The question. therefore,
may well be asked, S0f what is the mob
composed r. The term Sofia, when
used: in the general sense in which
every one has EMPLOYED it to state that
the movement in Constautinople has
been made by the Softas, includes all the
persons connected with the mosque,
Ulemas, Imams aud students of theolo-
gy, OF OF the jurisprudence OF the Koran.
Most ofthem are distinguishable here by
wearing q white turban around their fez.
The last Sultan endesvored TO induce his
subjects to wear a European dress, and
succeeded so far that almost without ex-
ception every one except the very lowest
in the public service adopted it. But
the Sofas to a man retain the old-fAsh-
Toned baggy slouching dress which Alb
dull Medjld wished to get rid OF, This
trihing circumstance is an Illustration
Of the conservatism Of the class. | am
not aware that priests in any country are
accused of being too DESTROYS OF change,
but the Soltas, who are the nearest ap
proach to a priestly caste which Moslem-
ism allows, are the very stronghold OF
everything conservative. Under the
leadership OF a few more civilized men
they may be going to become an army
of reform, but it will still be true that
they are the men who have hitherto
blocked every scheme of reform since
the day Of Mahmoud. Most Of them are
marvelously, or, to one who does not
know the country, ineonceivably, igno
rant. Their fanaticism equals their ig'
norauce. At the present time the aver
age Sofia attributes all the difficulties OIL
tie Empire to the neglect Of the teach
; ings Of religion. Allah is especially
! pouring out his judgments upon the
Faithful because the Sultan visited Yves
l tern Europe, not as a conqueror OF inh
dels, but as their guest. The new pro
2 grarnme now under discussion will con
i tain o number of provisions intended to-
Western Europe, but if it ever sees thu
light, some OF the provisions will aston
ish the admirers Of Young Turkey
l Here, for example, are some which hav.
d been given to a friend of mine, VIII
!. speaks Turkish as we'll as he speak
English, aud who received them from
Sofia, | confess that they appear to m
much more within the comprehension G
an average Sofia than others which hav
a been talked about. The Sofas deman
that the Sultan should give daily aud
ences to all Mussulmsns, and that ever
n faithful believer should have the right q
any time to hand him a petition; that To
q. Sultan shall be requested to 20 abou
: incoq like Haroun al Raschid, in orde
e that be may see for himself the conditio
a. of his subjects; That Gully a limited nuu
Der of newspapers shall be publishe'
9 and these in Turkish, and the Sulta
shall be requested to read each of then
OIL in order that he may be informed Of III
re state Of his Empire; that in future Turi
IN shall no longer be taught in6del lai
to guages, or urged to wear infdel dres
but that the precepts Of religion shall |
e. strictly. observed, and a strenuous efo
at made to return to the old condition
st things when Turkey was the strongs
"a nation in Europe, and when all Christis
/. nations stood in awe OF her.