Morning appeal. [volume] (Carson City, Nev.) 1877-1906, 1877-08-11
SOMETHING ABOUT THE TURKS.

been collected from different authentic
sources: The Ottoman Empire may properly
be divided into the mediate and immediate
possessions of the Sultan, the former being
under pashas or governors appointed directly
BY the Sublime Porte las the government is
called), and the latter acknowledging his su
zerainty and paying tribute but governed by
their own officers, whose selection, however,
to be valid, must be approved by the Sultan
The political divisions of the country are SO
arbitrary and so constantly changing that 1t Is
almost impossible to give any satisfactory
statement in regard to thsm. Perhaps no
country in the world is inhabited by SO great
q variety of races as the Turkish Empire.
The Turks are divided into two races : The
Osmanlis, or Turks proper, the ruling race
and the Toerkomans The Turks are in gen
eral robust, well formed race with grave
commanding countenance. They are lntelh-
gent and capable of readily acquiring knowl-
edge, generally courteous and hospltable to
strangers, constant in their friendships, but
given to dissimulations, indolent, bigoted,
The Osmanli is too indolent to engage will
inely in severe labor. He is exempted from
the capitation tax which the other races are
compelled to pay; he sometimes condescends
to engage in trade, though no match for the
sharp Greek or the willy Armenian, but, I'M
less in a very abject condition avoids agricul-
tural and mechanical pursuits. The Toorko-
mans and Koorks are shepherds and herds
men, often migratory, but sometimes occupy
ing villages and cultivating the soil. They
are more industrious than the OsrnanlLs. The
Slavic races, the Roumans and the Abanians
are the principle agriculturists IN European,
and the Armenians, Syrians and Druses IN
Asiatic Turkey. The government Of Turkey
is pure despotism, or absolute monarchy
The Emperor has the titles OF Sultan, Pads
hah, Grand Seignior, Khan, and Hunklar'
Though professedly absolute his power Is
practically very much limited by the sheik ul-
Islam. who is at the head of the combined re-
Igious and judicial order Of the nstion, called
the chain of the ulema The first executive
officer of the government is the Grand WISER.
The State religion is the Mohammedan, but
Christian, Jewish, and other sects are recog-
nized snd permitted to conduct their worship
in their own way. Previous to 1856 Mo
hammedan who became Christian or Jew,
if of Turkish birth, was liable to be put to
death, but in that year the Sultan abolished
this penalty and now they are at liberty to
embrace whatever religion they choose. Both
the law and the religion being founded on the
same common basis, the Koran, the clergy
and the lawyers form but single order, dl-
yided however into two classes, the ministers
of religion, and the ministers Of justice, TOR
the prayers and additions prescribed by the
Koran are SO numerous and SO frequent, that
the ministers of religion could never find lels-
ure to execute the Office Of Judge, they form
therefore separate class, leaving the admin
istration justice to the cadis Every Osmanh
is entitled to become member Of this body,
but he must first receive suitable education
After few years study, and an examination
Of his capabilities, the candidate may be ad-
mitted to the service of q mosque, but once
having become an Imam, his career is closed,
unless on a new examination he is found ell
sible for the judicial order. Those who as
pire to higher honors continue their studies
for longer time, and after several examina-
tons. obtain the rank of mulazim, which en-
titles them to hold the Office OF deputy to
cadi OF Judge. If their ambition urges them
still farther, and they wish to obtain the de-
gree of muderis or doctor, their novitiate
must be continued seven years longer, and
they undergo final examination in presence
of the multi The title of muderis being once
conferred the first dignities Of the magistracy
lie open to their hopes. Riches, birth and
patronage, the powerful instruments of
worldly advancement exercise their usual IN
fuence in this body The whole system of
internal administration in Turkey was directed
to the accumulation of money. Before 1859
every Office was sold corruption pervaded
every department of the State, civil, legal,
and ecclesiastical and under it's baneful in
fuence the provinces have been made deserts
and the Empire brought to the verge Of ruin.
Unless as regards the mass of the lower or
ders and more remote provinces which remain
nearly unchanged, the state of society in Tur-
key cannot be Judged from the past. On the
sea-coast steam navigation, which is every
where established, has facilitated communica-