Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1877-05-31

and religions. Turkey is not really a
Mohammedan country. The faith of
Christ has existed in Constantinople a
Thousand years longer than the creed of
the Prophet, and is to-day held
with surprising tenacity by three
fourths of the subjects of the Sui
tan. 1t is the very diversity of these
conquered races, and their almost total
separation from each other by mountain
ranges, by deep, broad waters and by lack
of roads, as much as the merciless op-
preston which gives them no chance to
revolt, that have kept the Moslem minor
ity in so full and continued power. The
SeTvians and Albaniaus are different
tribes, with different tongues; so with the
Greeks and Bulgarians, with the Arme-
mans and Syrians. Between many dis
tricts even a similarity of religion does
not exist, and cOmpanionship in misery
forms the only bond of unity in interest.
Beside all this, the Moslems alone possess
arms. 1t has always been fundamental
principle that the entire military force
shall be drawn exclusively from the ranks
of the faithful; and, although recent re
forms have set aside this maxim, yet the
condition of the Christian seems not to
be altered or altered for the worse. The
uIhS HdNS luC dLu luc udI-
bors, the arsenals and the treasury, in
comparable ConstantinOple and all the
cities. The rGYGhs, poor and crushed by
centuries of slavery, are scattered far and
wide over the country, and have only
their humble homes and little patches Of
ground, covered with taxation.
Even these do not belong to them. No
Christians family is inviolate, nor can he
own foot of the land on which he tolls
out his days. 1t should be said, rather,
that this latter statement was the law for
four centuries, until abolished by the re-
cent 11anzimot of Abdul Medjid in 1856
But we are considering the cause OF decay
in the Ottoman Empire, and no reforms
of recent date can affect the subject, espe-
cially as these usually fall dead upon their
pfomulgation. The Tanzinaat itself, a
Constitution of which any Christian ma
ton might be proud, has produced pitt
ably small results, although it promised a
perfect Utopia. No Christian, then, how
ever wealthy in money, however power
full in his tribe, could be landed propri-
'etor. The titled fields, the boundless pas
lures, the luxeriant vineyards, all Re
manned in the grasp of the Turks, who
are usually poor in money, lacking in en-
terprise, ami unable to do nything with
their possessions but to let them out to the
despised Christians, from whom they
wiring the last farthing by taxation. Then,
when they come round on their too fire.
quent visits Of collection, they invade the
sanctity of the home, and make the Chris.
tian feel the heaviest yoke that ever CALLED
the neck of man. No beautiful wife or
daughter is safe from the lustful Turk
The victim of his fancy is ruthlessly tern
from the weeping and stricken household,
ana, despite all the fine edicts and prom
ises of recent years, the ruined husband or
father is fortunate to eera1c away Win his
head, if he goes to make complaint. But
few weeks ago an aged father, whose
daughters had fallen under the evil eye of
the Collector, remblingly declined to
lodge him, as is the custom, until the vii
lage taxes were gathered. The enrag ed
Turk saddled and bridled the man, and
rode him back and forth until he sank
with exhaustion. on.-AppletOn's Journal for
T1toa