New-York tribune., 1877-09-29

dividual has not been received at the palace. The
change favors English influence over the Sultan.
Turkey is not yet entirely under British tuteage,
but whatever Mr. Layard officially requests is very
likely to be done. II Mahmoud Pasha's influence is
really impaired, one step more has been taken to-
ward Anglicizng the Turkish Administration. The
new Minister of War seems to be only figure-head.
He is field marshal Mushirl. Of long standing is
quiet, easy going sort of man, and has been chosen
because he is not likely to interfere very much with
the commanders in the field The court-martial on
the ex-Ninister Redif and the ex-Commander-in-
Chief Is very slow. It's first session has resulted In
placing poor old Abdul Kerim in confinement in the
barracks while the ex-Mnster Redif, being ''inds
posed" is still allowed TO be at large. Should the
war by any possibility end before Winter the pro-
ceedings would no doubt be entirely abandoned
New recruits. new companies of Bashi-Bazouks.
new regiments of home-guards, still arriv-
ing. few hundred Circassians came in yesterday
from Sukum Kae. They had no horses and were
not heavily armed, but every man of them had
whip in his hand. The whip is the early promise OF
the horse which each of them will have picked up"
before many days. Where the thousands OF new
troops come from is mystery Some OF the aston
ished Ottomans suggest that the Government has
purpOsely falsf ed its returns in past years.
1t is likely that the Government itself did not
know that it had so many men to draw upon Again
and again stories to the surface of whole vii
lagos discovered in Asia Minor or in Syria, whose
existence has been concealed from time immemorial
as part of the arrangement by which the local
officials have purloned taxes In this city the new
civic guard has taken a firm hold Of the popular
heart. During moonlight, the citizens drill until
midnight, and every man has his little paper-cov-
cred volume of tactics which he studies as much as
the Koran.
Hard times however, continue. Many of the re-
cruits drill while they quite hungry III 1t were not
that the people can subsst on scanty fare they must
have been conquered long ago. The village fare
is bread-with fruit a cucumber, or sardine, or
an onion. Bread IS the main reliance. II a man
wishes to say pleasant thing of ten year old boy
he says "nne or ten full of bread will make
man of him." And it is literally true. In America
meat is the staff of life; in Turkey, bread. As
the war goes on, the people lower the quality OF
their bread They mix beans with the wheat, sban-
don wheat eat barley, and then millet and finally
mix straw with the millct The difference in cost
goes to the maintenance of the army. THIS economy
is sometimes practiced willingly. and both the peo-
ple and the army live and labor where we should
expect both to become utterly demoralized by prl-
vatiOn.
The Sultan has responded to the feeling of self
denial now popular by refusing TO have the custom
airy ilumnatons in honor of the anniversary oi ms
accession. polite notice, published III the turkish
papers, tells the people that If God wills
next wear the anniversary will be celebrated with
more than ordinary splendor, IN honor Of victory
The Sultan's birthday was however, celebrated III
quiet way Oh Sunday. Salutes were fired from the
Bosphorus forts and all the ministers went to the
palace TO the Rikiab. This Rkiab was held III the
great hall of state at the palace The hall was made
of vast height, in order to impress you with the
greatness of tho sovereign who uses 1t. Its effect on
the m4nd commonly is, however, 10 throw INTO re-
lief the smallness OF the person of the head OF the
| Osmans. The ministers and all other high dignl-
| taries bow down and kiss the hem OF the Sultans
robe on this occasion, and then gracefully back out
into an ante. room for sherbet or coffee
SKOBELEFFS DARING DEEDS.