The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1877-04-26
THE TURKS.
A Band of Foreign Oppressors that Ought
to be Expelled from Europe.

to be Expelled from Europe.
TFrom the Chicago Times.]
The recent message of Earl Derby to
st. Petersburg that, if the Porte rejects
the protocol, it need not expect any as
slstance from England, Notwithstanding
England's reservation of the right to act
independently of the protocol in the
event OF its rejection-may be accepted
as an acknowledgment by the British
Government that the British policy of
the past on the Eastern question must
be abandoned. This position is forced
upon the Ministers by popular senti-
ment, aroused by the Bulgarian atroci-
ties and educated by historians and PAM
phleteers who have been conducting an
anti Mussulman campaign in the public
mind of Great Britain during the past
two years.
Chief among these campaigners are
Mr.. Gladstone and Edward A. Freeman.
The latter has created an intense feeling
OF prejudice among the more intelligent
classes against British interference by
his little book entitled "The Turks in
Europe, which is so compact that it
may be read in half an hour, and so de-
ceptively Judicial in style that it carries
the reader along by its appearance of
calm dlslnterestedness. Who and what
are the Turks ? he asks, and he answers
IN the words which Richard Labor Shiel
once used with such thrilling effect.
when defending the Irish soldiers in the
House OF Commons: "Aiiens in blood,
aliens IL language, aliens in religion.
But this, he adds, is not enough. Ma
lions which are alien may live together
in friendship but the Turks are aliens
in sense not true to other nations. All
other European nations belong to one
family all have their history and many
of their memories in common they have
all adopted Christianity they have a
common civilization they all live under
their own national governments. But
the Turks in Europe are simply band
OF strangers-a foreign army, whose en-
campment is called Turkey. The en-
campment began 500 years ago. Why,
in that long period, have they not be-
come one with the nations they found in
the land? Why is the Turk still
stranger and an enemy? "The reason
is because the Turk has no share in any
of the things which bind the nations of
Europe together above all, because he
processes a religion which hinders him
from ever having any share in them"
The Turks have no share in the orig
inal blood, kindred, Or language of the
nations of Europe. Whatever civiliza-
ton they have is not European, but Ara
bian and Persian. Their forerunn ers
the Bulgarians and Magyars, have en-
braced the religion of Europe; the Turks
remain Mohammedan, and Mohamme-
danism and Christianity are hopelessly
antagonistic Mohammedanism makes
it the duty of the true believer to fight
against every man not Mohammedan,
and bring him into bondage. This radi-
cal difference in religion maintains
complete difference in politics, morals,
and social institutions. Eastern govern
ments have always been despotic; the
only check upon the sovereign's will is
the religious check; and this religion al
lows slavery and polygamy, and enjoins
the persecution and bondage of non-be-
levers. It is, therefore, impossible for
the Turks ever to enter into European
fellowship. Besides, the Government Of
the Turk never can be national gov
eminent, because a Mohammedan ruler
must make all non-Mussulman subjects
inferior to Mohammedans; the Christians
in Turkey have no part in the Govern
ment to which they are subject and to
which they pay taxes, and the funda-
mental principles of the Government
the religious principles-make this sub
lection absolute, obligatory, and per-
manent. Their sovereign is simply the
head Of band Of foreign oppressors.
What have the Turks done in Europe?
They have destroyed and they have
oppressed. They have stopped all prog
ress in that part of the earth. They
have made promises and broken them.
They have shown themselves cruel,
lustfrl, and faithless." They have car
ried out the law of Mohammed, that the
unbeliever must be killed, or pay trib-