Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1876-07-13

characters 800 years ago." The loss
was then discovered, and a strict
search begun. Finally Gomez found
it at Nucala, and he tells us he '.kissed
it again and again for joy.,' This man.
uscript brought fl33..
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 calilh. and has a
re igious rather than politicel signi-
tication. The title sultan is of Persian
derivation, and is only about 900 years
old. tits 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 as much faith in, and as much re.
verence for, such succession as they
confide in as the stiffest churchmen
have for what they call an apostolic
one. The Mogammedan succession hr-
gins with the great prophet hincelf.
and all his genuine ''successors are.
caliplls of the true and imlisp,t;.ble
line. Persian MOhamme.l:Mi>ln, though
nearest the seat of the religions origin
has, somehow or other, IL looser hold
upon original anchorage than Moham-
mechanism IF another type, which is
for the present concentrated in Con-
stantinople. The I'ersians are the
broad cllurchmen Of MOhammedanism,
and so they care less for an old line,
and an old title, than their brethren
on the frontiers of Fr;,nkish infidelity,
who feel committed to an ancient faith
In its distinctest an most belligerent
form. It seems singular that they
who are furthest from the fountain
should he the truest representatives
of the fountains outflow-at least in
their own imaginations. But in this,
the stricter Nlohammedans 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 or
earth. All Christendom, besides hel
and her dependents, is schismatical OF
heretical, and is on it's way to minor
or major perdition, leaving herself a:
the sole proprietary of paradisaca
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 t.
Christendom, and meaning the terri
tory of the faithful. The caliph O.
Constantinople is the head and from
and leader of the armies of the fals'
prophet. True, in condescension t.
political associations he general,
bears the title of sultan, which ha
been copied from Persian example;
single act of afiiliation with Persia
which Persia has taken care to repu
diate, calling her sovereign a shah
This differs from sultan about as mucl
as king differs from monarch-is ;
dissimilarity for the sake of dissimilar
ity. The sultan of constantinople doe
not however become the full ruler o
his people till the softas (Mohamme
danism's fersest votaries) have carrie'
him to the old church, once calle'
Sancia Sophia, and invested him witt
the scimitar of his more martial tina,
sacerdotal predecessors. Then if h
unfures the green flag. and summon
the disciples of Mohammedanism, the
are bound to follow him to the deaf
wherever he leads them. We kno,
that in one sense, the Turks ar
Calvinists of the first water. The
believe in predestination to tn
grimest of it's conclusions, and rus
recklessly on any ''changes an
chances which may confront them
There are no such things in the cal
endar of their prefixed destiny. The
belive, with Puritanic perseverance
that in acts Of obedience to the sut
cessor of the gretest of all prophet
they are on the high road to suprcm
felicity, be the road rough or smooth
straight or crooked, long or short
broad or narrow. To them it is al
the same and one.
So the unfurling Of the green flag i
one of the most significant of syml
toms possible of the internal status
the anim:,s and plans-of Mohammt
danism as a military religion.
means the waking up Of the old col
centrated and direful hate of Christian
| ity which caused the Turks to invad
Europe, and to batter at Europe's wal
till they had established themselvt
in one of Europe's noblest capital
the seat of one of its Oldest sovereign
ties. 1t may be that Mohammedanis
holds the present to be crisis whic
demands old experiments, and its U
most gathering of energy. 1t may I
that in it's suspicious. or it's dread, tt
time has arrived for its actual deaf
, struggle. 1t may be that it is goiI
to die, if die it must, in such fury ;
: the sultan of the sea INDUCES when I