The star of Pascagoula. [volume] (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1873-1878, 1877-07-06
TURKEYS DECLINE.
The steady Disin,es ration Of she Once
Powerful Ottoman Empire.

Powerful OttOman Empire.
In the first half of the sixteenth CEN
fury, during the reign OF Sultan Sulie-
man, the Turkish empire had gained
control of its greatest reach of terri.
tory. At that time the armies OF the
sultan had gone 80 far west and north
as to have their encampments pitched
under the very walls of the city OF
Vienna The capital of Austria was
really in great danger of falling Il prey
to the rapacity of the Turks. The then
kingdom of Hungary had almost fallen
under the power of that mastery ruler.
Roumania, Servia, Greece, the islands
in the Egan and the present posses
sions in Asia and Africa were all firmly
in his grasp. Turkey was then notably
n of the most powerful empires, rs it
is now one of the weakest and most
oosely.constructed governments, known
to civilization. 1t gave manifestations,
at that time, of its greatest vigor. The
reign of SuIieman was its golden age.
| Compared with other periods OF its own
history, Turkey was a cause OF great
alarm to all Christendom. The world
stood in complete awe of her power.
The Turks were, at that time, in control
of the best part of three continents
where man had made hisgreatest achieve
Aments in arts, literature, culture, refine
ment, religion and civil government.
This region was the very paradise OF
human grandeur in the whole history of
mankind.
The first great triumphs Of power on
the part of the Turk were achieved in
the destruction of every visible sign of a
former civilization, and the reduction Of
the inhabitants of those beautiful coun-
tries TO a condition of primitive helpless
ness and vassalage. Having fairly ac-
complished all this, his only anxiety
seems to have been to keep his subjects
in this abject condition of helplessness
and oppression.
Austria was tue first power that offered
successful resistance to the victorious
Turks in their encroachment on the
west. From this time onward the
Turkish empire began gradually to
wane. After a c%entury's sway over
Hungary, the ancient kingdom of the
Magyars was ~re-established; and the
Turks removed their e%ncampment far
away from Buda-gradually retreating
TO more limited quarters. The black
sea, which had been for centuries com
pletely within the limits of the Turkish
empire, was in part given up; and little
by little Russia, continuing her encroach-
ments on the north and east, has gained
peaceable possession of W. sides OF that
great inland sea.
In 1915 Servia's repeated revolutions
against the power of Turkey came to a
successful termination. Her home rule
was acknowledged by the porte, and has
also been maintained to the present time.
In 1866 Moldavia and Wallachia were
recognized under the name aud title of
Roumania, with the right and authority
of managing their internal affairs-on the
condition of paying a nominal tribute,
and in turn acknowledging the
sultan as their feudal lord. A few
DAYS ago Servia and Roumania both
declared their independence of the porte,
and they are now ready to support
their position by the arbitrament of
the sword. In 1921 gallant little Hellas
struck for revolution and Independence,
and, after several years of dire conflict
and extreme suffering, in 1929 her indie
pendence was a'so acknowledged by the
porte. Thus, within the limits of about
two centuries, there has been chopped
away from this one formidable empire
territory enough to furnish homes for
about %, 900, 600 souls.
Tunis, Egypt and Syria are to day
held by only a slender cord. Any sud.
den revolution may burst the tie that
| still holds them subservient to the en-
pire. Nearly all Of Armenia has within
one month yielded its control to Ru5sia's
victorious arms. At the present rate of
progress, it will not be long before a large
part of the southern shore of the Black
sea is destined to be in the power of
Russia by the right and rule of conquest.
What shall we say of Epirus, Thessaly,
Macedonia and Bulgaria? These are only
waiting for a good opportunity to carry
revolt to a successful termination.
This is indeed a sad, yet truthful, pic
ture of the condition of the once-power-
full Ottoman empire. Can it long survive
the present attacks threatening on every
hand p Chicago Journal