Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1877-10-27
RUss AND TURK.

1Ooo nv ANARs
There is q certain spirit Of ~chiyalry,
says an exchange, which springs eternal
in the average American heart, which
a Always lends to sympathy for the under
dog in the fight" and out of this has
grown, during the Turco-Russian war, a
sort Of half confessed siding with the
moslem in this struggle, although as
events have developed themselves, he has
not been the under dog in the fight to
any alarming extent except theoreti-
cAlly. Now, however, the tide OF battle
seems to turn and doubtless the Cross
will crush the Crescent down before an.
other serious change occurs. This
American sympathy for the Turk has not
crystalized into a general moral support
yet, and ever if it shcnld, how much or
how little good it might accomplish for
the 0sman need not be here considered,
but we should seriously consider the
probable effect Of such a feeling upon
ourselves. A little volume recent.
ly published, by Mr.. Freeman,
the eminent English historian, upon
the Ottomas power in Europe,
should command the attention Of every
American s%ympathizer with the Turk.
This volume shows very clearly the Be-
cret Of those hideous atrocities which
have been perpetrated by the Turkish
army in its conduct Of the present war.
1t explains why no Russian soldiers are
permitted to live if they fall into Turk.
ish hands; why the plains and noun
tsins Of Bulgaria are strewn with the
mutilated bodies of her people; why the
streets of Adrianople are daily witnesses
to the execution Of ~Bulgarians; why the
people of towns and villages are muir
dered by thousands; why women are VIC
ltsed and children tortured aud mutt.
lated; why those who have escaped death
or torture by the sword are dying Of
starvation, and why the men who perpe.
trate these horrors are rewarded by tie
porte. 1t lis we'll known that the reli
giouS element is the allcontrolling inhu.
ence that chsracterizes the Turks in the
conduct Of the war. The military insti.
t%utiens, as their political institutions, are
based upon religious beliefs which are I'M
%changeable. The law Of Turkey, says Mr..
Freeman, declares that the blood of the
infdel is Of no value till it is protected
by the amanl" The "aman," he in.
forms US, is a pardon for the crime of re.
fusing to embrace Islamism. The cor.
ditions of the "emao'' are horrible. The
infdel who accepts the "aman," and
thereby protects himself, must pay what.
ever tribute the Mussulman may impose.
1T may be a part Of his substance, or
the wife Of his bosom, or the fruit Of bis
body" he is not allowed to bear arms,
and has no right Of self.defense. He is
not even permitted to testify ia court.
Hindoos, Chinese and the whole pagan
world are entitled to claim "aman. "
They can be put to death at pleasure.
AS to Christians, Mr., Freeman says: AT
this moment the Turk is under no obi.
CATION by his laws or religion to spare
the lives Of his Russian eaptives. They
have not asked, nor has be
granted them, the 'aman;' aud without
the 'amsn' the life Of any Russian
whotalls into his hands is forfeit. If he
spares him, it is a concession to Euro.
pean opinion, which it might be awkward
to offend. But to take the life of a Chris
tan, fighting against Mussulmans, is to
do a meritOrious act; and the more such
lives a true believer takes the greater il
his reward in Paradise. That is the in.
grained belief Of every soldier in the
s%ultan's army who is loyal to his creed,
and it is a doctrine which ia preached BY
multitudes Of ulemas and dervishes
throughout the Turkish empire" Ia the
face Of such facts as these it is hard to
understand how any one who is not a
Turk a sympathize with the Turks ia
their struggle with the Russians, who,
after u certain barbaric fashion, ar;
Christians. The Turk cannot be civil
lied because his law is Interchangeable
and bis religion makes his law vicious t
the last degree. The Russian, half saw
age, as be is, has within him the germ o
civilization, because his religion t~oleratei
progress and change for the better.