Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1878-06-22
THE PERSIAN MONARCH.
The shah No Longer "a Lion in West
ern Europe.

London Times, June LIST: The shah of
Persia has entered the Russian capital In
state. He was received 10y the car in person
with those honors which a great military
monarchy is able to bestow IN magnihceI
pro'usion. The curiosity of the Russian
people was naturally excl ed by the visit, but
1t Is evident, our correspondent has told
US, that the enthusiasm which greeted the
advent of Mastered Deem a few years ago is
not to he revived The shah was then en-
veloped IN cloud of mystery and romance
such as that which still wraps the far-away
royalties of China and Japan. He was ac-
cepted upon trust as type vi ban harian
splendor. History unfolded all the assocla-
tons that have been amassed around the
name of Persia since the days of Cyrus. The
spell of its departed greatness under score
of dynasties fingered around l., and gener-
ated some harmless illusions respecting the
political and commercial consequences to
be expected from the visit of It's despotic
ruler. The shah came to Europe and was
three months wonder. The magni6cence of
his jewels, the eccentricity of his manners,
the interest with which he seemed TO regard
all the machinery, to him SO strange and
wondrous, of western civilization, did not
disappoint popular curiosity. But the the
atric effect of his appearance, and coming, as
as it were, out of another world, cannot be
fore the cold light of familiarity even
if ruder practical shocks had not fol-
lowed. Before the shah had completed, in
the summer of 1873, his tour among the cap
itals of Europe, the sentiment of wondering
interest that met him in st. Petersburg and
Berlin, and even later In London and Paris,
had begun to be qualified by closer expert
ence. When all the pageantry was over, and
the diamonds nc longer dazzled mems eyes,
an uneasy suspicion grew up that "barbaric
pearl and gold" masked too real barbarism.
The superficial Representatives, of an ex-
citable and tickle nature, the cupidity aroused
by the riches of the civilized world, the levity
and duplcity which are among the most
conspicuous marks of the semi barbarous au-
tocrat, were suspected before they came to
light. But soon after the shah's return to
Persia it was found that all the brilliant
promises upon which the credulous founded
their hopes of a field of enterprise in Persia
were so much wasted breath. This discovery
shattered the speculations OF those who antic-
ipated important political results, whether
favorable or unfavorable to English interests,
as we'll as of those who looked for the spread
of commerce and the extension of civilizing
influences between the Caspian and the Per-
sian gulf among the results of the shah's
visit. The shah has come again, and 1t is
probable that the altered character of his
welcome will surprise and irritate him. He
will find that neither his splendor nor his &C.
centrlcities any longer pique European curl
osity, and that no imaginative hopes are ex-
cited by dreams of enlisting him among civ
llized and civilIzing sovereigns. 1t is not
likely that he possesses such power of self
analysis as will reveal to him the
share that his own character and ac-
tions have had in causing the change. 1t Is
quite certain that he does not understand
enough Of European society to appreciate the
other causes which have cooled the enthusi-
asm of five years ago. The people of Persia
are among the most abominaby governed of
nations and in none has misgovernment
more disastrously perverted and degraded
the national character. The despotIsm of the
reignlDg shah has, perhaps, been practically
mitigated N some respects if we compare it
with the hideous records of his predecessors
rule, but it is in It's essence corrupt and cruel,
repudiating every guarantee for life and lib
erty, and crushing all movements of industry
and enterprise through caprice or greed. The
result is that the population Is dwindling, and
the great salt desert is winning back the soil
formerly conquered by human labor. The
character of the Persians is we'll understood
in the east, and Is worthy of little respect. 1t
Is no eXaegeratlon to say that In morality and
civilization they are as lar behind the Turks
as the Turks are behind the nations of the
west. In spite of a superficial grace of man
ners and keenness of wit which have OBJ
tanned for them the name of 'the French of
the east" in spite, too, of the literary dis
tinction which their language still preserves.
their intellectual power Is now of a low or
der. False and frivolous, they cannot be
trusted, and do not pretend to trust one
another. Their vices are deeply rooted;
strength and courage are perishing from
among them; they are, In fact, dying race,
and but for the more virile element in
the northern provinces, their decay would
doubtless be even more rapid. On such
people misgovernment, famine and pesti-
lence fall with terrible effect, and national
feebleness approaches a state of utter pros
tration. For long time Persia has been
substantially a vassal of Russia because of
her own utter weakness and the command
ing presence of Russian power at her gates
She could do nothing to help, as she could do
nothing to hinder, Russian advance upon
Herat, the only point at which British inter-
ests seem to be brought close to Persian in
tervention. Separated from Turkey by sec
tartan feuds, by jealous rivalry, and by
long standing border disputes, the Persians
have nevertheless been unable to iotict any
serious damage upon their neighbor even in
the hour OF her greatest dlstresses. This
may be accepted, indeed, as the measure of
Persia's political and military impotence.
Her alliance would probably be secured with
the greatest ease by Russia, if it has not
been secured already, but the instability of
the Persian mind and the capricious nature
of Oriental despotsms make such arrange
ments altogether worthless. This the Rus
sian government well understands, and the
shahs visit is likely, therefore, to be as bar
rem of political results as of those CONNER
cial and civilizing advantages which were
anticipated five years ago, but have now
wholly vanished