Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1878-04-03
CoNSrANTINOPLE OF TODAY AND OF
THE PAST.


CoNsrANrIEoPLE OF TO-DAY AND OF
THE PAST.
To the student, or even the casua.
reader of history, what memories
are recalled by the great events
which have eliminated around
Oonstantinople within the last few
months. The city Of to-day is a
tumble of inconsistencies and in
congruities. The population is not
definitely known, but is estimated
in the rough all the way from eight
to nine hundred thousand, lnclud-
ing Scotari. More than half the
people are M~ohammedans. The
other half Tor nearly half, are de-
scribed as Armenians, Bulgarlans,
Turkish Christians, Greeks and
Hebrews-the Armenians alone be-
ing estimated at nearly two hundred
thousand. But there are people OF
other nationalities, races, or rell-
gions, besides those named as being
present in large numbers. There
are many Italians, Germans, Hun
garians, Poles, Russians, French
and English. All these make a
polyglot of languages, nearly or
quite a dozen in all, that can be
heard at any time near the bridge
from Stamboul to the Pera suburb,
and many Of them are displayed on
the signs in some parts of the city.
Looking back over the pages OF
history we read that 1900 years ago
Belisarius saved Constantinople
from the Bulgarians; now a Mus
coyite army rescues the Bulgarians
from the power of ConstantinOpie.
Byzantium, ConstantinOple, Siam
boul; Greek, Roman, Saracen
Pagan, Christian, Mohammedan
What history is embraced within
the compass of these names. The
little colony OF Byzantium had be-
gun to grow before the Persians were
made tributary to the Scythians.
About the time when it was founded
(667 B. C.), Esarhaddon was max
ing his war at Jerusalem against
the son Of Hezekiah. 1t was vel
grown before Xerxes or Darius o.
Cyrus. Since those days it has
furnisheda battle-ground to Greeks
Persians, Macedonians, Arabs
Cloths, Huns, BulgarianS, Russians
Venetians and others Of lesser note
Its annals bring before US many 0
the most renowned names in his
tory. Pausanius fought Their
nearly five hundred years before
the Christian era. Alcibiadei
captured it three-quarters of
century later, and Lysandcr
few years after that. Philip II q
Macedon assaulted it and was dc
feated, in the years 359 and $40 b.
fore our era. 1t was then an all
of Athens, and the defeat Of til
Macedonian king before Byzantiul
is attributed to the eloquent
and the energy Of Demosthene
1t subsequently became Roman, an
then Severus and Constantine can
upon the scene. Constantine r
built and repeoplcd it. Theodosil
II built part of its walls, and An
stasius another portion, some
these being still standing, Justil
ian built the world : renownt
church of st. Sophia, now a sacr,
mosque Of Islam. B~elisarius Ii
been mentioned. The Veneti,
Crusaders took the city in 40
and the conspicuous great nan
after that event is that of the fer
Mohammed II, who captured Go
stantinople in 1853. Every one
the characters mentioned was Il
nucleus Of eyentful history, al
the names of all Of them clu
ter about Constantinople. r.
treaty of San Stefano, t
friendly intercourse Of Russian al
Turkish soldiers, the visits Of t
Grand Duke Nicholas to the 81
tan, the prospective il not aetna.
accomplished alliance Of Russia a