The daily gazette., 1877-07-02
July -. 1877.

TURKEY IN EURcPE.-The tyranny of
the Ottoman Government is proverbial.
and the hatred of the Turks, when their
anger is aroused, to all Christians and
other sects, is well understood by all who
have made the individual conduct of this
people matter of observation. Turkey
in Europe embraces 207, 900 square miles,
or is about three and half times larger
than the State of Michigan. This por-
tion Of the Ottoman government, exclu-
sive Of the dependent provinces of Rou.
mania and Servia, has population Of
about 9,s00,000, of whom not more than
about SOC, 900 are Mobam medans, and
small as this number is, it is said never
to have been greater. And yet they i'm
pose themselves as dominant race upon
ten or twelve millions of Europeans.
This fact is enough to excite wonder /;
and still more is our wonder excited
when we find that this small number Of
barbarous Turks in Europe have held all
these people in horrid subsection for
more than four hundred years. The
Turks are of Tartar origin, land are, there
fore, different from the Arabs, who are
also followers of Mohammed. The Arabs
have been the most obedient followers of
Mohammed for twelve hundred years /;
and the Turks, with wonderful unanimi-
ty, embraced the doctrines of the Koran
as their religion yet they are distinct
and isolated people the barrier that sep
arates the Ottoman from the Arab has
never been overcome, although both put
their faith in Islamism.
We are told, upon excellent authority,
that the Tartars in their Asiatic homes
are passionately fond of intoxicating
drinks. But when the Turks accepted
the Koran they found it taught swine is
an invention of the evil one let a man
avoid it if he would prosper" and they
have remembered this through all the
subsequent ages and remained conspicu-
Gus for their sobriety. But the Koran
also 'tiustifies, both in letter and l. spirit
every form of persecution of the unbelie.
Ver." Four centuries of oppression have
well nigh destroyed all thought of oppo
sition to Turkish atrocity. Travellers tel
us that to see an atle-bodied Christian
floeged with stick or whip in tn,
hands of Turk is daily occurrence
no resistance is offered, but simply
holding up of the hands for protection
The Christian subject is not allowed
arms he is not allowed to own land
The landlords are all Turks. Everythin!
that the Christian can call his own i
subject to specified tax. The Tml
comes along and takes possession of tn
= field, whereupop the Christian can onl
recover by resort to the courts but tn
courts are all in the hands OF the Turk.
and the testimony of the Christian i
practically inadmissible. The tax col
lector, with troop of horse, visits tn
Christian home and takes what he like
without pay. 1t often happens that til
wife, the daughter or the sister is one {
his requirements. Resistance is imposs
BILE. The Turk may commit upon th
Christian every crime with lmpunit,
SIN spite of all Europe he may cut dow
the Christian father whenever he refuse
to surrender his daughter to his lust
Such is the condition to which a one
brave people have been reduced by bein
deprived of the right to own and carr
arms. And such might have been IL
condition of the people of the South ha
the carpet-bagger been allowed to pursu
his course to the logical end which
proposed for his rule in this country t
the help of Federal bavonets.