The sun., 1881-01-30

Immediately contiguous province OF Alum.
from the Beni- -Sukhr. and recovered arrears OF
taxes from the mos, refractory Of the local Arab
aheikhs These incidents, coupled with thoiacts
that Mr.. Oliphant was abe to trnvcrso a.
most tho whole district Of Gilead without pay
ing iarthing Of blackmail. and that Protes-
tnnt farmer was already sotlcd in security in the
widest pnrt OF tho country-making large in
come ont Of land for which he had never paid,
md for which he held no ttle-soon TO afford
abundant evidence that tho Arabs nre becoming
reouccd TO order, and that tho Turkish Govern
mont could n II chose. protect any settlers VINO
should como to colonies tho country under its
ausrices
nut will the Porto lend its countenanco 10
echcmc o, Hebrew colonization IN lalcs'ine
That is OF course. the final inquiry loI "n,VH
Tho aiacugsions and researches recorded IN ms
volume have laid n solid basis ANA 10 wh'ch
Mr.. Olpnant sought an answer NJ Cohs'oul-
no,J. nftor concludin. his Investigations IN
Palestine. He laid his project boioro hha',
rcddln Pasha at the timH Grah' N'"'or' """
thcr, ia lt,lo doubt that had that onl!Ghtenrh
orI patriotjc states man been nbln TO MAINTAIN
bimsclf in mower II would have received the
snnction OF the Porte. Mr.. Olphant eSi'hIh'u
lhnt the proposed colony was IN no sohsp
srhcnc of disguised nuueNation. coneciNsd IN
uo interest OF Western power. lie shoWea
tbnt on tho contrary It's successful cs'ao.lSh-
mont would signally benefit tho ottoman nov
arnront 10y Increasing It's rcvonues, ~ iudlnHto
tho number of its Industrious and lnw-aoidng
subjects by forming nucleus o! producuon
md prosperity on desolatc and cNpcson IRON
Ner and by permanently occupying strategic
,oint az great importance. commanding rs 1t
noes the high road between Syria hnu ENyht.
ua addnd TINT nothing moro would he requested
of the Sultan by the company which might un-
dor,,l,e tho work of colonization than such n
concession OF unoccupicd crown lands as had
rcnestcdly been granted. and such guarantees
oforaer and partial self government ns had al
ready with satisfactory results, been assured
to the inhabitants OF the Lebanon. Khaireddin
poaba n ,nnears. perceived az onco the erits
n, nm cxporiment that might be made suscepti-
ble of further application II its success should
he proycd on a small scnlc. and might afford at
once A pretext and model for the decentraiz-
ing process. which alone can remedy tho abuses
of existing Ottoman rule. With the fall. however.
of that statesman tho reform elomont in Turk
ish politics was again eclipsed. and tho worst
exponents OF bureaucratic corruption became
predominant In the council and the palace. To
such men tho faintest suggestion OF decentrali-
cation and local autonomy meant the thin edge
NJ , wedge aimed at the root OF their system ol
bribery. fayoritism, and embeZzlement. From
them accordingly Mr.. Oliphant although his
nlan had received the unofficial approval o
the English and French Governments. had
nothing to expect and after some months
wasted in frutless attempt to obtain some
definite concession. he returned to England
Itshould be borne in mind. however. that In
this preliminary stage OF negotiation with thu
Turkish Government the author OF this volume
was alone and comparatively unaided. SO fal
from being discouraged, his late expert
- tnU.
him that the scheme is, in all respects. practi
cable 1t is only necessary. he thinks. for Thu
English people to take It up supported by thei
Government. in order 10 overcome the resist
nuce which ths author encountered at Constan
tnopc and which seems 10 have been due Il
IN altogether exceptional combination OF ad
verse influences. Mr.. Oiphant considers
impossible. under any circumstances. that " th
region which comprises within its limits th
luxurant pasture lands OF Jaulan the mag
niiicent forest-clad mountains Of Alum, tn
rich arabic plains OF Moab. and the fcryit
sub-tropical valleys OF the Jordan can re
main much longer neglected. Whether.
he concludes we regard II from an nr
ch@ological. a commercial or a politicd
point OF view. this territory possesses an in
tcrest aud importance unrivaled by any trai
OF country OF similar extent in Aslatic TuI
key" II will be observed that here. IA through
out ms book. the auteor. Win an austere COL
tinencc. refrains from urging any OF the col
sderations which appeal to tho religion
feelings and imaginative sympathies OF h
readers. He could indeed safely trust b
theme to suggest those considerations. to touc
those springs Of patriotic OF generous enotio
which are tho great motors of mankind. \
man can ponder without n thrill project whoi
large scope conteul plates nothing less than II
vindication for tho House OF Israel OF 1
birthright among the nations. We do not VOL
der thu. Mr.. oliphant's plan OF colonization
the land westward of the Jordan has bee
hailed by many Israeitos with something lii
enthusiasm. Here. at last. the disnh erited N
ticn discerns something moro substantial tha
a dream. Here they have assurance that fC
the hardship and heartache. from which tc
many OF their race in Russia and Galicia Ell
suffer there are solace and balm in Gilead-th
for the outcasts Of Roumania there is a hon
in tho broad heritage which Joshua allotte
more than 5000 years ago unto Reuben, M
unto Cad. and unto the half tribe OF Manasse
NJ. W. ii.