Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1879-08-08
DISHONEST TURKS.
Why a Nation JTiLh tie Finest Soldiers IN
The World Is DecayinQ.

Why a Nation JTilh tie Finest Soldiers II,
The World Is Decaying.
Lieut.. Gen. Valentine Baker Pasha, the
hero of the railway carriage assault and of
numerous exploits during the recent war in
Turkey, writes the following in his work on
"The War in Bulgaria. 'sWhy is it that,
in modern milit.ry history, Turkish cam
paigns have ever presented SO many instan
ces of jealousy, incapacity, corruption or
treachery2 Look at the Turkish private.
Where will you find grander specimen of a
man? Brave, patient and enduring; sober
and temperate; ready to fight and die upon
crust of bread and draught of water: a
first rate marcher, and innately possessing
the grand instinct of military intelligence
and battle power which, well organized and
employed, so surely leads to victory.
He is the very type of an ideal soldier.
Why do we SO often find tue reverse of
the picture in his commander? There can
be no little doubt that the results from the
deteriorating Influences of the usual routine
of Turkish official life among the better
classes. A most intelligent Turkish officer,
holding high official position accounted to
me for tie evil as fellows: In Turkey
there exists no aristocracy, properly so called,
which nay show an example of honor and
honesty to those Immediately below them.
For this, to considerable extent, the social
system IS to be blamed. But we must seek
farther than this want of an aristocracy
among the better classes for that general sye-
tenn of corruption which is the bane of Off
cial life and of all prosperity. This kills
the patriotic feeling which alone can long
sustain the existence of nation in times of
trial, and utterly debases the whole fabric of
social organization. For the origin of
the evil, We must look to the con-
slant system of change in official positions
which seem to have become almost inherent
in Turkish government, and to the system
of protection which will So constantly raise
people of low and often mental posi-
ton to the highest Offices Of the state. The
result Is that men VINO have no fortunes of
their own. and whose tenure of Office is like
~ to be limited, seek to make tho most Of
their opportunities by rapid and wholesale
robbery. From this springs system Of
bribery, extortion aud general corruption
Every man is trying to jostle his neighbor
out of some post, in order that he may Sc
cure 1t, either for himself or for friend
who may be useful. The State is bad
paymaster, yet rapid fortunes must
be made. This once accomplished, and
the power to bride being available, the of
fetal may rest pretty we'll assured that, even
if reverses come upon him he will not be
long left out i'll the cold. The result is in :.
tense jealousy, distrust and intrigue! No
one unacquainted with Turkish life can be-
lieve the extent to which this jealousy ia
prevalent, nor how the desire to GUST some
civil rival from his position seems to be the
all absorbing idea of nine out of every ten
Turkish officials. The canker extends to
the army, more especially to the higher
ranks, and it is to this that we must trace
tie conduct of Suleiman in the late cam
paign, as we'll as most the disasters that have
befallen the Turkish arms in previous ones.''