The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1878-01-30
CONsT.iNTINOPLE DEFEHCELEss.
A city that has been BesieGcd Twenty-thres
Times aud Taken STA Times.


CONsTANT1SoPLE, Jan. 2.-The dcfcnccs Of
Constnntinope are hardly worth talking about
There Is n ridge of heights fifteen miles to the
north Of the city that stretch over n line OF seven
teen miles from point near the Black sea to
the Sea Of Mnrmora. Some batteries and other
works have bcrn erected on them. cannon
mounted. and bitches dug. Even If they were
~ formidable rs they ought to be- we have no
army To hold them. Hasty lryics Of citizens
cannot be depended on The Russians would
TN" heights OF Daoud pnsha and the plateau be-
hind CaS~im pa-ha. These positions overlook
all Samboul. and from them n plunging fire
would render i untcnqhe. The Crusaders and
MOlummrd III. brought the Greeks 10 terms by
from these commanding elevations. Neither Of
them have any fortified lines that would give
the Russians trouble The taG, thu, the city
why an effort is being made to bring the Rus
sans to Il halt 10y an armisticc
Constantinoplc has undergone moro sicgcs
than any other city in the world. II has been
hcsicgcd twcnty-thrce times; twice by the an
cicnt tircrks thrice 10y the Roman Empcrors :
sovcrcgns. Michael pncologus twice 10y the
times by. the Arabs and three times Ivy the
Turks. It was taken but six times: by Al
SrvcruS. and Consuming the Doge Dandolo
aud Count Baldwin. the Emperor Michael
IulcolOgus. and MOhammcd IL
In 672. under Constantine H.. II was bcsicgcd
for seven years NV the Arabs. They made the
surrounding country desert. uprootng trees.
dwelling villages and habitntions. and convert
ing the fOurishing cnvrOns into a waste. Then
came the Crusaders in 1901. The devastation
committed 10y tn" French and Venetian cham-
pions Of tho cross exceeded even that of the
Arabs. They burned tho richest and largest
quarter Of tho city. and inflicted such blow on
II that II never recovered lis former wealth and
prosperity. They profaned the Cathedral OF
St Sophia. broke into tho tomhs OF the Byzan-
tine Impcrurs, dragged out their skeletons.
and scattered their bones in the streets They
fired the public libraries, ridiculed the Crock
religion by decking their horses with the vest
mcnts of the clergy, and their hoads with the
puntilira tlHra-.
Were /, not for the Incompatible beauty and
advantages oi its situation. Constantnople could
never have risen ngain from its ashes and sur
viyrd such terrible calamties.
What now is most to hc apprehcndcd is that
II the conditions II peace prove very hard. and
the Sultan il Obliged to ccdc n large extent Of
territory TO the Russians. the partisans of
the dcposcd Murad may attempt y revolution
and the dcthroncmrnt OF Abdul Hnmd. II II
history to nut u rrigning Sultan out of the way.
His own servitnrs may strange or poison him.
or his guards beiray him. There has not been
an hour since the present sultan was on the
| throne that plots have not been devised To open
the way To- Il successor. Not long ago thirty OF
| the Palace Of lchirigan in the dead Of night
and strangled on suspicion OF conspiring for
| his restoration TO power. The court party Is
dsservcdly unpopular. Damat Pasha, the
| brother in-aw of the Sultan. has married the
plans Of the wisest Generals has piltered right
thu. sultan that his Majesty is no longer IL aster
| Of himself