The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1882-08-10
The Slave Trade in Turkey.

hourly pass. 1t has since transpired
that two female children-one already u
slave, the other an incorrigible gadabout,
whose description answers to that of the
little maiden in ~question-are missing
IRON their homes, having probably been
kidnapped by dealers in human flesh.
But though this case is particularly nota-
BILE from the audacious openness with
which the crimo-for such it is even in
Turkey-was committed, the law is fire.
quently and flagrantly violated, as the
columns of the local press bear witness.
A short while back, a wretched girl es-
capped from the harem in which she was
confined, and carried her scarified and
bleeding shoulders to the nearest police
station, where it was clearly proved that
she had been stolen by Il Circassian dur
ing the refugee panic and traded away
for 4 few pounds to an exceptionally
brutal mistress; and the authorities at
Salonica quite recently rescued four
young negresses from a caique, just on
the point of landing them. These I'M
happy beings, who were lying in the
| bottom of the boat, declared they had
belonged to a party of ten, that after a
| years captivity at a port of the Nile had
been brought by the dealers on board a
coasting schooner. and crammed, half
naked, into a small sitting cabin, in
which they had to be packed so close to-
| gether that they were half piled on top
Of each other. After enduring the hor-
rors of that passage they were smugglcd
at night into the bark as described, but
| they could give nc information relative
Ito their six companions in misery, who
are doubtless, therefore, by now in hope
less bondage. 1t does not appear that
their master was arrested. If these ex-
amples are accidentally dragged to light
how many girls are disposed of without
the cognizance of the lax officials?
When l was in Damascus, some three
years back, 1 was led by a native into
several of the slave dens, but always
found them empty. On inquiry. it turned
out that Midhat Pasha had sternly put
down the bazaar traffic. But what was
the result? The slaves were distributed
amongst private houses, chiefly of Chris
tian Syrians. There they passed for
servants, but were in reality as freely
exposed to the genuine purchaser a
those who in ancient days had to suffer
the bitter shame of the public market.
At Aleppo | could not completely satisfy
myself on the subject, but have excellent
reason for believing that a like system
was pursued there.
In the capital itself the trade has OF
late encountered no further checks than
such as the increasing scarcity of Circas-
slams, Russia having to a great extent
shut off the sources of supply, and gen
eral poverty of the Turks afford. The
merchants, however, manage to find
victims, and, provided your money
is ready. you can easily crafty
your tastes as to color, age, beauty, etc.
An English lady of my acquaintance was
taken by a black driver, who had learnt
that she was curious in the matter, to a
place ut STEAMBOAT, into which she walked
without the slightest difficulty, cabby,
with his smattering of French, acting as
interpreter through a grating in the
door. When she entered the sale-room
"a large, barely furnished, and very
light ap~artment-the mistress of the es.
adjustment conducted her to a divan,
and slaves instantly fetched sweets and
coffee. No aStonishment was betrayed
at the intrusion of a Giaour women on
such a scene. Anumber of white girls,
of ages varying from twelve to eighteen.
were then led up to her one
after the other, each in her turn
standing motionless before the sofa
till signed to yield her position to
her next fellow. They are described as
for the most part coarse, clumsy and
heavy, with cowed, sullen faces, and
muddy, yellow compfexions. Their
dress consisted of Il gauze cap and a
loose frock, short sleeves, and reaching
to the ankles, which was fastened down
the front with strings. Declaring that
her husband desired to present an odaltk
to a Pasha, the visitor asked to see some
prettier maidens, but was told there
were Zone on hand, though a selection
, would shortly arrive, when she certainly
: could be suited. Two Turkish women
!, were during this time choosing slaves.
{ No sort of consideration was paid to the
feelings of the poor girls Under ex,
animation they united their single gar
ment, according TO the requirement oil
, purchaser or threw it off entirely if sc
: wished. Their teeth were looked at anC
, hair let down, their persons punched
and pulled about. The buyers, wanting
sound, useful articles, tested theil
strength and searched for blemishes il
the same ~unconcerned mannera as is done
at a horse fair. No doubt they did no
!. intend to be cruel, but objected to get
+ ting worthless slaves, and probably die
. not waste u thought on the pain thei
: unceremonious proceedings must have
inflicted. As for the girls, their attitude
was invariably that of absolute, uncom
planning submission. They stood witt
7 downcast eyes and dropping limbs
simply doing what they were ordered
and never loosing for a moment theil
e look of stupid, hopeless indifference. /
n was their fate to be ~enslaved, weeping
and struggling would have beer in vain
!. and they had apparently grown 81
hardened to the chain that my frient
: did not detect a tear, a sigh OIL even
e blush.
! But enough of these details, and witt
: the treatment of the damsels in the ha
Il rems 1 shall not at present mcddle
What I have said is sufficient to Prov
that the trade in slave girls still flourishe'
Y in Constantinople. But it will continue
to flourish till England insists on y stric
e observance of the treaties which forbit
: it. Our squadrons and Consuls may rem
der it difficult and costly shortly to OBJ
tain victims, but the real root of the evi
lies in the big towns of the Ottoman EN-
pire, and there it should be attacked
Close the private markets, and you taxi
Almighty stride toward the total abolition
of slavery. If once it become dangerou
. to traffic in girls and enuchs (the latte
$ all come from Egypt on account of thu
punishment which should strike boil
: buyer and seller, people would 500 dis
d cover that they can do without them
. and we should be able to withdraw man,
of our gallant seamen from the dead,
$ climates where they are risking thei
:. lives. We and Russian have failed t.
e cut off the supply while the demand ex
e lists. Let us change our tactics and en-
8 deavor to stop the demand for ncgresse
I and Circassians; for, if we succeed. tn
supply must, as a natural and inevitabl,
v consequence, overwhelmingly Cor
London NeOS.
An eye witness of the lynching o
: McManus, in Minnesota, says that tn