The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1877-05-29


From Appleton'S Journal.
Tho TurkiCh Empire embraces
what was once the cradle of civiliza~
tion and the mightiest nations of
earth, Egypt, Syria, the Babylonish
Empire, the Assyrian, Phnnicia,
Palestine, Lydia, Ionia, &c, &C. But
there is but little homogeneity among
the races dominated over by the
brutal conquerors. Many of them
are but waiting an opportunity to
throw off the hateful yoke.
The history of tho world docs
not afford another instance of vast
multitudes of vanquished subjects
SO grievously oppressed for cent,l-
ries in their own native land by n
mere handful of conquerors. It has
been principle of Ottoman govern
ment to allow no official survey or
census ; but it is believed that
the total population of the empire
does not exceed thirty~two millions,
and of these about thirteen millions
are in Europe. Of the latter
only three millions are Moslems the
rest belong to tho subject races and
religions. Turkey is not really q
Mohammedan country. The faith of
Christ has existed in Constantinople
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
Sultan. 1t is the very diversity of
the 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 oppression
which gives them no chance to re-
volt, that have kept the Moslcm
minority in SO full and continued
power. The SorYinns and Alban-
lans nre different tribes, with differ
ent tongues so with the Greeks
and Bulgarians, with the Arnenians
and Syrians. Between many dis
trlcts even u similarity of religion
does not exist, and companionship
IN misery forms the only bond of
unity in interest. Besides all this,
the Moslems alone possess arms. It
has always been q fundamental
principle that the entire military
force shall be drawn exclusively
from the ranks of the faithful and,
although recent reforms have set
aside this maxim, yet the condition of
the Christian seems not to be altered
for the worse. The Turks have the
fortresses and the harbors, the arse
mails and the treasury, incompatible
in Constantinople and all the cities.
The Rayabs, 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 tho land on
which he tolls out his days. Tt
should be said, rather, that this
latter statement was the law for four
centuries, until abolished by the
recent ZuaaSinsat of Abdul Mediid in
1856. But we are considering the
causes of decay in the Ottoman
Empire and no reforms of recent
date can affect tho subject, especial
ly as these usually fall dead upon
their PRONUNCIATION. The Zanzimat
itself, a constitution of which any
Christian nation might be proud, has
produced pitiably small results,
although it promised perfect Uto-
pia. No Christian, then, however
wealthy in money, however power
full in his tribe, could be landed
proprietor. The titled fields, the
boundless pastures, the luxuriant
vineyards, all remained in the grasp
of tho Turks, who are poor in money,
lacking in enterprise, and unable to.
90 any thing with their possessions
but to let them out to the despised
Christians, from whom thoy wiring
the last farthing by taxation. Then,
when they come round on their too
frequents visits Of collection, they
invade the sanctity of tho home,
and make the Christian feel the
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