News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1881-12-22
LETTER FROM TURKEY.

the memory OF man goes Dack TO tn'
time when the United States as wei
as Turkey had this same institu
tion-the slave trade-within its Dor
ders. The local news, papers have
lately given signs of the existence o
this trade In this city by advertising
for runaway slaves. Not that thu
trade is new. 1t has always existed
here bat has been we'll kept out O
sight.
A short time ago Turkish paper
announced that certain gentleman
had been prosecuted for dishonesty
in trading a woman for a diamond
brooch. A French paper published
here called attention to the item by
the heading "THE SLAvE-TRADE." The
next day a note from the prosecutor
in the suit was sent to the editor Of
the French PAPER, explaining that the
woman was not worth the money paid
A few editorial remarks from the
news paper called out an official state
ment that the crime for which the
dealer was punished was the crime Of
selling the woman, who was confirm.
ed runaway, at the price of a good,
docile, stay-at-home kind of slave.
1t was not until the editor of the
French paper had written a long arti-
Gle upon this official evidence of the
existence of the slave trade, that the
Turks got it through their thick heads
that the point in the Frenchman's
mind was the sale of human beings, in
this city; instead of being as they
verdantly supposed criticism on the
justice Oft the punishment melted out
to the slave dealer.
Last week man was arrested for
having sold and stolen back again his
two daughters II and 10 years of age.
But the punishment awarded by the
court was specifically stated to be a
Punishment for stealing the girls. Of
the crime of selling the girls nothing
was said.
These two instances show how the
Turkish authorizes wink at the practiC 9
although it is against the law. So the
trade goes on unchecked. When a
slave runs away the owner makes a
complaint to the police, and the police
turn all their forces into the pursuit,
until they find the fugitive. The fugitive
found is brought into court, and the
owner enters charges against her for
theft-the property stolen being of
course the clothes the poor girl has on.
Since she is a slave, of course she has
no claims upon her clothes. The
judge rolls up his eyes in horror at the
of the person who can steal
from a reputable citizen. And
then he tells the frightened girl that
the penalty for the theft is years i'm
but that her benevolent
owner is ready TO forgive the theft if
she will 90 back to his home and live
there quietly. The girl having to
choose between going to prison and
going back to her master, generally
chooses the latter alternative, and so
the slave is restored by the Court to
the master without any fugitive slave
law and without official notice of the
peculiar relation between the culprit
and the prosecutor. There seems TO
be no possible way of reaching this
traffic for the Turkish officials cannot
be induced to stop it, being interested
parties in it themselves. The Turks
arein miserable way in their finances.
The Government is collecting taxes
two years in advance and is living on
the proceeds. What it will do two
years from now no one can predict.
Many think it will go to pieces like
the lone horse shay" The army is not
paid and the soldiers suffer terribly
IN consequence ardN make the people
suffer too, for they have n disagreeable
ashton of plucking unwary travellers
1y night, on pretence of their violation
If some imaginary law in venturing
abroad after nightfall. Within three
weeks there have been two murders
near one of the soldiers guard houses
N the outskirts of the city and there is
little doubt that the soldiers were the
criminals. But the Government does
and can do nothing TO punish
DR. prevent such crimes.
There is great Kowrdish dignitary
the Sheikh Obeidullah-here. He is a
sort of a prisoner, too important
man to be roughly treated, but too
dangerous to Turkish interests to be
allowed the liberty of returning to his
home on the Persian frontier. So he
S a guest of the Sultan-but compell-
ed by the laws of etiquette to remain
1 guest until the Sultan permits his
departure. A week or two ago the
Sultan had long talk with him, told
lin how much he loved him and how
lie proposes to send him back to his
lomc with great honor in few days.
The character OF the Turks is very well
Illustrated by the Interpretation put
lpon this gracious behavior of the
sultan by the object of it. The
Sheikh returned to his house, ordered
lis retainers to be ready for an attack
It any moment, loaded up his revol-
-ers, and appointed Il night watch of
our men to picket his house. He be-
ieves that the kindness of the Sultan
S a ruse intended to put him off his
,uard, and that an attempt will be
made to assassinate him. So he lives
n continual anxiety, and is really
thin because he fears every
lish set before him may be poisoned.
Our winter rains have set in. The
Weather is cool but we have not
bought of frost yet and the lemon
rees full of lemons and blossoms stand
,ut doors yet without danger. Some
IF your agricultural readers may be
Interested in the comparison OF eli
mates between Morrisvillo and Con-
'tantinople indicated in the fact that
planted radishes lettuce and such
mail wares this month and that we
low reyel in such produce from our
garden. 1t is all very fine to have
garden stuff grow in November, but
would give more for one Whit of the
tormy bracing air that dances over
he sparkling snow fields of Vermont
oday, than for all the "garden sass"
his side of China.
HENRY 0. DWIGHT.
Watch Carefully your Health.
Are your hands and feet cold? Does
our pulse beat irregular? Does your
Ieart quickly palpitate at the least exer-
ION. Worriment. or nervous excitement? |