New-York tribune., 1877-06-11


successful blockade runner during the war OF the
rebellion and naturally il enterprising for TURK
| ish slotbs Another Englishman in Turkish service
| Is ex- Col Valentine Baker who is high military
authority but was refused active service by the
| Moslem bigotry of the Minister of War lie mas
been commissioned as brigadiergeneral III the lurh-
| ish service and assigned the work OF organizing
constabulary force. Something has been attempted
in this line already, and several Christians were en-
listed for the patrol service before Col Baker TOOK
the matter in hand. As soon. however, as tbey pe-
gan TO take the field one and another was shot oy
bushwhackers, and the enlistment OF Chrlstiahs ior
| this service has come to an untimely end
CHRISTIANS AND THE ARMY.
The Christians are now to have opportunity OF
| serving their country" in the army. Hitherto
Consantinople has been free. by special privilege,
from the conscription well as from taxation lhls
year both the cOnscription and taxation are 10 DC
applied in the city, and the conscription is To he APP
piled experimenaly to Christians rs well AS 10 MOS
! lens There is an evident dislike for the service
among the Christians, but their objection to II is
often frankly stated to be entirely based on glouhus
of personal safety. The Government VIII hardly le'
its new conscripts see the front, however An III
superable difficulty in the Turkish mind to the en-
ployment of Christians for army service Is the re-
ligious character Of the service. When the sultan
appealed to the feelings of his troops they started
for the Cacasrs the other day, he simply reminded
them that the sword the gate OF fara-
disc, and that if they died they would
be martyrs (shehid or If they surViNeu
they would be saints of the sword lshaal'
1t would he difficult to devise n general order i"f
the encouragcment Of Christian corps which would
not sound tame and cold by the side of these fierce
incentives addressed to the Moslempart OF the army
BOLD CRITICISM ~ PARLIAMENT.
10 1aNral min ~ a
race antagonism between members which the Gov
ernment careessly fosters by Its acts. The Assem-
bly is doing much more in the way of independent
discussion than was expected, but the division be-
tween Moslems and Christians is probably going to
prevent any serious advantage arising from the m
stitutOn of Parliament. Nevertheless, 1t Is pleas
ant to find men who can stand up in the Assembly
and tell the Government that its law OF the press
NAV more ftly be entitled a penal code, and who
| can rally about them n majority sufficient to vote
down the obnoxious clauses OF the law, one aftef
the other 1t is pleasant also IN this country, where
so long silence has been enforced, to man qct
up and face the Finance Minister in the Assembly
and charge home upon his employees corruption, and
carry the whole Assembly wi(h him in the CHARGE
or to see another man oppose the greed and selfish
ness cf the Pashas who call upon the people to sup
port the treasury in this crisis ana give nothing
from their own luxury. 1t is agreeable to see
these things; but what good is to come
from them after all even if Russia does rot
accomplish her sacred mission this time Ii s i'm
possible TO 90 into The Turkish Parliament without
feeling that in its war with The Ministry II Is AT
disadvantage and cannot prevail. The Parliament
hail is arranged Ike a great schOo-rcom, with
straight rows of desks ard seats runnng across the
room. The desks are almost exactly modelled after
the American school desks of fifteen years ago, and
the members are SO like schoobOys under the rule
of the teacher, who sits up on the platform in
front that there seems nothing ncOnCruous IN the
Arrangement Tie President, who takes the place
Of the teacher Is despd against whose viii there
is no appeal and it requires great nerve 10 insist on
the Yeas and Nays after he has said that meas
ure has been adopted by the House. And even
after a hard fought battle and victory the Pres
dent is to bring mp the defeated bill again
with the remark that the Ministry have made eX-
plantations in committee. and the committee has
now report to make, the result being that the
bill is reported upon fayordby by the committee and
adopted without ballot before any slow moving in
eec has risen TO the hight of calling for the Yeas
| and NAYS again. Meantime She Sulan's bcnc violent
order of amnesty to the Bulgarian prisoners has not
| been executed, and tho watchful English Embassa-
dor has had 10 interfere three times TO save the
Turkish Government from the scandal Of appointing
Shcfhct pasha Of Bulgarian renown TO high Office IN
the army While these things are so, there may
to be some reason for the tears rchcrnaye is said to
have shed when narIating the mseres of Turkish
Christians TO the Emperor Alexander. The Chris
tiaAs M Turkey do not, however, take much stock in
! this pathetic They say quite generally: We
VIII be glad 10 see the Turks well whipped, but let
not Russia bayc any advantage from it, for Russia is
more to be dreaded than Turkey
OLD TINE TURKS.
saw battalion IF IuTkiSh volunteers the other
day which is just leaving for the Caucasus, and
which has been organized by man at his own cx-
pense. lie pays feeds, clothes, and eQmps the men,
and will only cease his expenditure for this regI-
ment when it actually embarks for the scat of the
war. Such things DO not cost much here as in
America. This man has equipped and rationed for
two weeks so men for about $4,000 in gold. but
the money is worth more here than in America, and
shows The patriotism of old Turk. Another
Turk, who is a hero in the hearts oi the people, Is
| the Bashia-Bazouk chief who has had command of
the iregulars who have so far resisted the Russian
/ attacks Batum. This man, Ali Pasha
| of ChouTouh Son, when a boy OF thirteen
went wluI his father TO take the Russian
! Fort ST. Nicholas just the border, during the
! Crimean war. The party surprised and massacTed
the garrison by night, having scaled the walls by
means Of their swords stuck into the walls for lad
| ders BE seems to be a 6t son of such a father,
reveling in blood and holding his Thernopyie
/ against the feTcest assaults The Government is
breathing freely since the ambassadors of the
/ European Powers have returned and the period of
| dspeasure which followed the breaking up of the
Conference may be said 10 be- passed. The satsiac-
/ tiOn of the Government is however slightly nc0m-
plete since Prince ReOss, the German Embassador,
has taken possession of the Russian legation at
/ L. Il i oIt 49,,