Weekly Trinity journal., 1877-08-18
CIRCASSIANS IN TURKEY.


The Circassians in European Turkey
are now estimated ut 200, 900, and they
ARE the terror ot their nrighhors, whether
Turks ar Christians. Their drpredstons
als. Their interest at high quarters
through the introduction of their beauti-
tul girls To the principle harcms at Com
staulinuple aud elsewhere is so great that
it is found difficult to get convictions
against them. They wrll know their own
powrr, and unless stringent measures are
taken tn stop ttuther immigration, and to
enforce the aw strictly over those who
ARE c1lunilrd, they will prove thorn in
the side of TLrkrv for many a year To
come, aud great bar to progress. n
Circassmn village impressed me with tho
fact that | had been among u set of men
with remarkable force ot character, but
whether they possess sufficient amount
OF self-cun,rol Ia enable them To become,
as u nation, civilized members ofsoeicty,
is doubtful question. One day tho
chief of II vilnge-who had been ah,ent
during my vi,it-returned my call. He
WAS II dark man, of middle height, dress
ed IN the usual long, dark, cloth huck-
coat, with trousers aud long hoot., hs
top. ombroidored with silver. II worca
lel for u cap. aud | noticed that hi4 feet
and hund, were remarkably small. His
weapons consisted ot pair of hetutitul
silver mounted flint aud ,tce' pistols, and
silver hilted dagger. lie va, II chrery,
Independent chnnctrr, with u sufficient
amount OF dignity, and he made himself
quite Mt home. HIS sharp aud somewhat
trrcr eyes ruugrd quickly over everything
Tint wa, in the ro"n, aud lhrlc was m
eNpro-siun IN them that bespoke but litlle
respect Tor moam and hum. lie wns in
Not, The very picture of II rohber chief
He was II man at great influence nmong
his rnrc mud from hi II learned TINT tho
CuCns, s,iAns have m organization hy
which they Cnu assemble n number OF
armed holscmcn on any point in nn in
clrdihly short spHco OF time, nnd that by
| giving the signal ha could in two days,
hive 900 Ht hl- own village. l. so hap-
prned that ut this very period II disputo
was going ON between the Turkish nu-
thoniic- and hi, own village with regald
to the slave question. A body of cap.
HchS (unlve mounted poIicc) had hcon
sent t. enforce Justice, upon which two II
thcm were seized hv the Crcn .>ianr, tied
up mud Il ggcd, nnd sent hnck 10 their
/ Government employers. with the message
| TINT n worse lRte would await any more
Of those trouhlc.omr Officials who .hou,d
think Of iatrudng their ollcious persons
within the sncrcd precinct. OF lh- ,illage.
! Thi. was rather too strong dose of 70.
/ h'llion for the Turkish Goverument
/ Pnshn, sln body of 25) Tu klsh cavalry
were s,nt 10 the vllnge to emf rec order
md law but the Clcn.siuns know well
that they we're coming. nud tho Turks, IN
their arrival, found ,000 Crcn4sians r-
| regular cnvHjiy rangcd up before the VII
lngr. 1t would evidently be n serious at-
/ ltlr ma might cause trouble, 80 the Turk
/ ish force retired tor "urders." The Cir.
cnssians, reinforced, moved their ouud
to strong position, and powerful foico
| o! IIrNsh GrO1p-, consisting of three
arms, was sent nghiust them. The Turk
/ lsh commander Wns loath 10 fight. not
I ON wnnt Oi coutHge--lur from 1t but
who knew whnt influence some OF those
! Circu uslan, had ut Count ? He therefore
/ tt1ed conciialion, mud summoned them
tn surrender, Other wise he would bnundcr
the painful necessity ofodriing charge.
/ There was nothlng the Cipassmn- would
/ like better, So they begged the Turks to
come on md Try II. There wns no
help Tor It, 80 the order wa- given to ad-
vance, and forty Turks were inm dlntcly
! placed h0rS de comLut by II volIcy ON
the Clrchssmns Another pnrcy now en-
sued, md urgotihtioDs were prolonged
until the Clicn.sHns were allowed 10 dis
! prIss, and the affair wns 10 be settled ut
! Con. tintiuople, but ! afterwards heard
/ that the whole business had en hu n II
4 up. | end Avortd to bo pres NJ ut hi,
IN lee, bat there was 50 mash din iu.ty
and mystery in gaining infjrm ,tion that
/ WI. over on m; arrival. The numbers
Inccrned wore probably much exagsar-
atrd, ~ they always are in Turkey
/ Bakei's Tarkey