The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1876-05-20

very Dau neWS-ueWS Oh u fepetitlou VI tno
tragedy of Salonica on a far more extensive
scale. In any city in the world it would be
a horrible event for tho scum of the people
to be arrayed against all who are socially
their superiors. Paris once had faint taste
of the possibilities of such an occurrence.
1t once saw for few days what might hap
pen if all the repressive machinery that COM
monty preserves order is set aside and the
ferocious instincts of the mob are freed from
every restraint. All who are familiar or have
only slight knowledge of the darker side
of life in London can conceive the carnival
that city would furnish in such circum-
stances, and even here the people have
once or twice had a vague sense Of this hor-
TOR. But in every city in Christian country
some thought of humanity. some ray of COM
junction, would mitigate the evil, as, even
at the worst moment of the Paris community,
the city was in condition of tranquil secu-
rity compared to what it might have been.
But the Sultan's capital is the only city
in Europe where murder, arson, robbery
the general butchery of third of the popu-
lation-could be presented to the minds Of
the perpetrators in the light of acts of the
highest virtue by the priests of the orthodox
religion. of the country Perhaps the class
of the Moslem population whom the softas
could most influence in this direction would
not 60 far out of its way to perform any acts
Of exalted virtue; but if acts that were agree
able to their impulses and that opened the
way to rapine and plumber were presented
in that attractive light it would increase
the zest with which the knife would be
handled. Unfortunately the world has seen
what uses may be made in Christian coun-
tries, by bigotry, ambition and political in
cirque, of the zeal of the people in the cause
of religion that teaches charity and good
will to all men. How much more terrible
might it be to set loose the fanatic ferocity Of
mob which is taught from infancy the bar
barous lessons that every Christians life is an
obstacle to the progress of religious truth!
But if the crisis in which the foreign res
idents of Constantinople suddenly find
themselves shall pass away without tragic
episode then the Christian subjects of the
Sultan will ultimately have cause to rejoice
over the demonstration of the softas for
politically the effect of this event must be to
deprive the Ottoman government of its last
hope to resist the enforcement of such re-
forms as must practically deprive Moslemism
Of oil power to do further harm. As an
actual government-as one of the political
realities of the age-as an administrative
machinery, which might be held responsible
for the good conduct Of many millions of
people-the great Powers dealt with the
Porte on terms of quasi equality /; they re-
spected its existence and they have on
this ground repeatedly refused to take
action or to permit action to be taken, on
the ground held by Russia, that this gov
eminent was only fictitious remnant of
Asiatic conquest-a mere serpents slough,
from which the serpent once terrible was
gone. But now the Powers have their
eyes opened to the truth Of this view Now
they see for themselves that the government
of Turkey is in the mosques-that the Sultan
himself is the creature, the plastic tool of
the last expression of the densest bigotry in
the world In the ages when the Sultan was
sustained or dethroned as he acted the
of dignity and splendor compared to this,
for it was no prejudice to the prestige of a
ruler in the eyes of foreign nations to say
that he held his throne only at the pleasure
of the finest body of infantry in Europe.
Roman emperors held their thrones on no
other tenure. But the power that was held
by the janissaries must exist somewhere in |
every State. Countries that have no such |
institutions as exist in constitutional coun-
tries for giving force to national purposes
must have resolute and great willed sover-
eigns; and when that resort fails the power
to determine action in critical moments Of
the nations history will drift and lodge in
some unexpected place, and in Turkey it is
found now to have lodged with those who
make q trade of the national religion. 1t
was to no purpose, therefore, that the
janissaries were rooted out, since the Sultan
has became not independent, but only the
slave of more contemplate master,
though of master capable of terrible harm.
Negotiation with the Porte by the great
Powers must now all be seen in q new light.
Such negotiation was necessarily based on
faith in the Sultan's power to carry out any
terms he might make with others, but the
guarantee apparently given to Russia in the
appointment of vizier is already broken.
And if five great Powers are to formally con-
fer and lay down programme for the gov
eminent of Turkey and to be treated on the
first occasion just AS Russia has now been
treated, that sort of politics will become very
farcical. 1t has been held by Count Andrassy
that the execution of the reforms which
would make life and property safe in Turkey
might be intrusted confidently to the Turk
ish authorities. Austria does not wish to see
the disintegration Of Turkey at the present