Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1880-07-02
Letter From COnstantin0ple.

Letter From Constantinople.
The assassin of the Russian Colonel
Coumaref has not yet been sentenced.
The whole affair is one OF the best ex.
smples of Turkish management of at.
fairs. "Yiwash, yiwash" Slowly,
slowly is their motto.
After the man was arrested the Turks
declared that he was mad. In support
OF this theory they informed the local
press that " he did, on the day preced-
ing his attack on Col. Coumareff, spit
in tie august and reverend face Of his
Imperial Majesty 3 head Imam" (priest).
This theory having been started, they
claimed that If the man was mad it
would be wrong to hang him for his
deeds. They requested the foreign
embassies to allow their medic.l at
PENDANTS to examine the man, officially,
as embassadorial doctors. To this Sir
Austin Layard objected; he said the
doctors might examine the man, but
not officially. This somewhat Giscon-
certed the Turks; nevertheless they had
lunatic asylum in Scutari, and an as
semblage Of thirty doctors examined
him (enough to make sane man mad
to report upon his mental state. After
o good deal OF deliberation they decided
that special committee out OF their
number should be appointed to watch
the man; also that they should send to
Bosnia for detailed biography of tho
man, to show whether, when in his
native land, he showed any signs of
madness. Here the matter rests for the
present.
If the man was mad, why was he al
lowed to remain as one OF the guards
at the palace, and why was he allowed
to carry arms publicly?
If he had been q Christian, the Turks
would have hung him the day after tho
crime was committed The man was
caught red.handed, and they will have
to hang him, for the foreign embassa-
doris we'll know the bad effect it would
have upon the safety of the foreign
residents of this city if Turk is al
lowed to shoot o Christian with i'm
punity.
The few far. sighted Turks see very
plainly that the reign of Mohammedan-
ism is over, and are doing all they can
to bring up their children with q
knowledge of European languages and
modes of thought and action. There
are now five Moslems among the pupils
Of Robert College, larger number
than ever before. The college is now
fourishing. The whole number of
students exceeds 200. Wherever the
treaty of Berlin hes given the people
the right OF self-government, the grad
yates of Robert College have taken
honorable and responsible positions.
One is private secretary to the Prince
of Bulgaria, another to the Governor OF
Roumelia, another is interpreter to the
Russian Consul General Of Philipopo-
lis, and another is the secretary to the
Bulgarian Agency and Consulate. Gen.
eral in this city, besides many teachers,
preachers, doctors, and lawyers, etc.
The distress in Asia Minor is terrible |!
One telegram from Van. the Capital O
Armenia, says: "Your letters received
and answered by the committee of this
city. which is not losing heart, but its
task grows every day more arduous
from the want of grain. All our hopes
depend on the supplies expected from
Bitlis." We turn to Bitlis from whence
the supplies are expected and We hear
this Telegram: The poor have hitherto
supported their privations without
complaining. All resources are ex-
hausted, and they piteously appeal to
the public charity, aud without prompt
assistance their lives are in danger"
And one day later: "All are suffering
from famine. Children, abandoned in
despair by their parents, are helplessly
wandering through the streets. Take
pity on u.s." Then from Mouch: "All
of US, poor and rich, are dying of hun
ger. For the love of God obtain for
us some corn from the government
stores"
And thus from all parts of the coun-
try, from Van, Mouch, Ergroom, Bird
iik, Gueyne, and even Ismidt, a few
hours from the Capital, the same heart
rending appeals come to us.
1t is not the fault of the husbandmen
that the people are dying of hunger
and disease. The Koords have pill
LACED and murdered: the taxes have
been collected for two years in advance,
and the people either have nothing
left with which to till the soil, or have
been obliged to sell every thing to meet
the demand of the tax gatherers.
Would any other people under the
sun have endured ouch oppression and
not rise against despotism SO crush
ing? The mass OF the Turks still cling
fanatically to the belief in the creed Of
Mahomet and the sovereignty of the
Ottoman, and If the Podishah says.
Give" it must bet is "Kis met
fate.-Cincinnati Gazette.
LIMA, PERU.-A correspondent trav-
cling in Peru says that Lima now has
about 10000 inhabitants, and looks
ike European city. 1t is lighted by
gas, and it has water works, street. cars,
hacks and all the modern improve.