The Cairo bulletin. [volume] (Cairo, Ill.) 1872-1878, 1878-02-08

A DefenseIess city that Has Been Re-
Taken Nix Times.
A Constantinople correspondent says:
"The defense OF Constaniinople il hardly
worth talking about. There IL q ridge Of
heights fifteen miles TO the north Of the
city that stretches over line of seventeen
miles from point near the Black Sea to
the sea OF Marmora. Some batteries and
other works have been erected on them,
cannons mounted and bitches dug Even
If they were as formidable as they ought
to be we have no army to hold them.
Hasty levies OF citizens cannot be depend
edupon. The Russians would carry them at
any event, and would push for he heights
OF Daoud Pasha..and the plateau behind Cas-
sim Pasha. These positions overlook all
Stamboul, and from them plunging fire
could be directed into II that in few hours
would render It untenable. The Crusaders
and Mohamme III. brought the Greeks to
terms by the heavy cannOnading they kept
up upon thea from these commanding ele-
vations. Neither Of them have any forti-
fed lines that would give the Russians
trouble, The fact that the city cannot
stand siege is doubtless the reason why
an effort is being made to bring the Rus.
SLAMS to a halt by the armistice.
"Constantinople has undergone more
sieges that an other city In the world, 1t
has been besiegeo twenty-three tines
Twice by the ancient Greeks;,thrice by the
Roman Emperor; once by the Lstins;
the Perissns, the Ayares, the Slays, and
by one OF Its dethroned soyereigns,
Michael Paleologus; twice by the Bugarl-
ans; once by the Byzantine rebels; seven
times by the Arabs, and three times by the
Turks. 1t was taken but six times: BY
Alcibiades, the Roman Emperors Sept
mus, Severus and Constantine, the Doge
Dancolo and Count Baldwin, the Emperor
Michael Paleologus and Mohammed ii.
.In 6T2, under Constantine H., 1t was
besieged for seven years by the Arabs.
They made the surrounding country
desert, upfooting trees, leveling villages
aud habitstjons, and converting the -four
ishing environs into vast. Then came
the Crusaders Ia 1904. The devastation
committed BY the French and Venetian
champions Of the cross exceeded even that
Of the Arabs. They burned the richest
and largest quarter OF the CITY, and inllct-
cd such blow on II that 1t never recov.
cred its former wealth and prosperity
They profraned the cathedral OF st. Sophia
broke into the tombs of the Byzantine.
Emperors, dragged out their skeletons and
scattered their bones in the streets. They
fred the public hararies, ridiculed the
Greek religion by decking their horses
with the vestments OF the clergy, and their
heads with the pontiical tiaras. ....
"Wers it not for the Incompatible beau.
ty and advantages Of its situation, Con.
stantinople could never have risen again
from Its ashes and survived such terrible
calamities.
what now 10 most to be apprehended
is that II the conditions of peace prove
very hard, and the sultan Is obliged TO Oede
q large extent Of territory TO the Russians,
the partisans Of the deposed Murad, may
attempt q revolution and the dethronement
OF Abdul Hamid, II is easy by methods
often practiced in Ottoman history to put
a reignng sultan out of the way. His own
seryitors may strangle or poison him.
There has not been an hour since the pres.
ent sultan WAS on the throne that plots
have not been devised to open the way to
q successor. Not long ago thirty or more
Of Murad's body servants were seized in
the palace of Tchirigan In the dead OF
night and strangled on suspicion Of con.
spring fer his restoration to power. The
court party is deseryedly unpopular. Da.
mad Pasha, the brother in-law of the sui
tan, has marred the plans OF the wisest
generals; has piltered right and left, and
obtained such q complete control Of the
sultan that his majesty Is no longer master
of himself"