, 1877-05-26

holy Piaces agalp lel into Inc hands
Of the Infdels.
The Turks SO much hated and dreaded
by The Crusaders, though of the same rucs,
were not OF the sam tribe as the present
rulers Of Constantinople with whom we
now have to do. The Seljookians never
entered Europe; this triumph was
reserved Tor a tribe about $4,000
in number which migrated at q
later period from the highlands Of Persia
towards the west, settling fist in Armenia
aud afterwards ia Asia Minor. About the
year 1900, Osman or Gilman, a prince OF
this tribe, established a kingdom on the
southern shore Of the Black Sea and not
far from the Bosphorus or Channel OF
Constuntinoplc. 1t is from him that the
names Ottoman9 and OsmanIis, applied to
the Turks, are derived.
He excited the enthusiasm Of his follow.
ers by declaring that he was commissioned
from heaven to defend and propagate
the Mohammedan faith, o task which by
his great strength, courage, and skill in
arms, he was well fitted to perform. His
very name, Sigoifying b9ne-breaker, was
ominous to those who opposed him.
II is related of Gilman that he had o
Cream in which he saw a tree grow from
his body and extend its branches over
Europe, Asia, AMI Africa. The tree then
appeared to 0ristlo with swords all point
i0g to Constantinople. That noble city
appeared in his vision like a diamond
set in a ring in the midst Of sap
phires and emeralds, and he was about
to place the ring on his finger when
suddenly he aWoHe. Gilman did not
live to attempt the fu0dlment OF this
dream, though his successors soon set
about it and finally achieved 1t after q
lapse Of over 100 years. Othman's son
and successor, Olchan, extended his
dominions in Asia Minor, and established
the famous corps known as Janissaries "a
word signjfyjng aew sotdiers) by training
captive Christian children to arms This
force was at 3 later period one Of the
chief agencies in making those extensive
conquests which for a long period made
the name of the Turk q terror in Europe,
Orchan captured the city of Brusa and
made it his capital. Here he issued his ediCts
from the gate ofhis palace, and called it
the Sublime Gate or Porte: hence 1t is
that the Turkish Government is to this day
called the Sublime Porte or simply the
Porte. 1t was in the reign of this prince
that the Turks first crossed into Europe.
At that period the whole of Greece. the
country south of the Balkans, and part of
Asia Minor, were under the rule OF the
Greek emperors r%eiSning at Constantine
pie. Orchan married the daughter Of the
then reigning Emperor, but this did not
prevent his son Soliman from crossing the
Dardauelles aud certifying GalIipolli on its
northern shore, an event which took place
in the year 1354and gave the Turks their
first foothold in Europe. Orchan was sue
ceeded by his second son Murad, who IN
1860 captured Adrianople and made it his
capital. Adrianople was the capital OF the
the Turkish en- pire for nearly a century.
After its capture the Turkish SuItans con-
tinued gradually to extend their territories
until in 1853 Mohanmed II besieged and
captured COnstantinople itself, and the
most remarkable part OF Othman's famous
dream received its ful6lment. Suisse
quent Sultans added Syria, Egypt, Arabia,
Tuuis, aud Tripoli, to the Turkish Empire.
The highest point OF prosperity was at
tanned under Soliman the Magnificent who
came to the throne in 1919. Under this
monarch the Turks invaded Austria, and