The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1882-10-06


thoroughly Russianized and Professionalism re-
moved. Instead of all that every department
of missionary work received a great impulse.
The American college founded by Mr..
Robert in 1859, the first Christian college of
the Eastern world, was the prelude to great
development o. education and was followed
by the college of Beirut, Syria, the college at
Harpoot at Avntab and at Saiout in Egypt,
and by money institutions established by the
people,
Contemporaneous with all these movements
another change of the deepest significance, the
fifth and g.eatest ofall had been quietly I'D
vancing. Fen lie education was comir g to the
front The old oriental theory of woman has
disappeared from among the Christian races
of the Orient and here and there shows signs
of weakening among the Moslems.
But black po tentious cloud, unseen byus,
was at thi, time rising out Of the month Of the
bottomlc3s pit and the air of all tae Eastern
world is still da-kened by reason OF the smoke
of the pit out of which have come 'ocusts
and frogs and scorpions of the earth and
every unclean and hateful thing.
In order to ex plain this prodigy must re-
vert for a moment to the old Crimean war OF
54-55.
At the peace of Paris May, 1856. Turkey
was put under bonds to reform Ter admins
tration according to the principles of the
Haiti Humayoun.
Lord Stratfo-d de Radcliffe 1.-THE great AM
bassador' knew well that the strong arm of
power could alone secure any real reform in
the Turkish government and insisted that
portion of the allied army and navy should re-
main and enforce the proposed reforms.
Unhappily Louis Napoleon had climbed to
that height Of power that he proposed to di-
rect Eastern affairs and insisted that the
great Ambassador should be recalled and
shelved Palmerston, England's Premier,
bowed his head and said "Thy servant viii
do it!''
Who was appointed in Lord Stratford de
Redcliffe's place. Sir Henry Bulwer-a man
after Louis Napoleons own heart; master
of intrigue, bribery, of infamous morals in So
cial life but of unquestioned ability in the
arts of diplomacy.
Generally he set himself to undo all that
Lord Stratford de Radcliffe had done. His
first great achievement in that line was to
assure the Turks that England would not
protect Turkish converts. The slumbering
fanaticism of the Turks was easily aroused.
Some of the converts were thrown into
prison, some fed, some disappeared, some
recnated some remained faithful unto
death. This rude shock arrested inquiry,
aroused fanaticism, and has checked to this
day, a remarkable movement bright with the
promise of salvation to Islam. Palmerston,
Disralei, Gladstone, all had occupations too
engrossing to allow serious thought to
mere missionary affairs. Goodell's forty
years, Chapter XIII, page 425.
The other destructive measures intro
duced, by all the malign acts of Sir Henry,
to both Turkey and Egypt, was that madness
of enormous and successive loans on terms
| incredibly onerous and unjust, under a
most m IF rrOfft ah
public improvements. These loans were
partly used in building few ironclads and
badly managed railroads, but mostly they
went into the capacious pockets of the
| Sultan, few pashas, and the capitalists:
| Sir Henry's always insatiate in consequence
of never being sewed up at the bottom.
| Taxation grew apace, free trade abolished
many important industries of Turkey
bankruptcy, discomfort and misery have
ensued.
| INSTRUMENTATION, in which Turkey al
ways held high rank, has climbed to
increditable height. Let Sir Henry Bulwer's
name and memory perish.
We may trust that England's course in
Egypt will now bring some remedy to all these
accumulated evils. She has found herself COM
PEELED to pursue the plan Lord Stratford de
| Radcliffe marked out twenty six years ago.
Henceforth in Egypt at least ifa Moham-
| UeQdu 5uOuAQ DeCOmc d O1I1Sldl1 IQeTe WILL
| be no Sir Henry Bulwer to deliver him
over to Turkish fanaticism. This is all we
ask, freedom of conscience and we care not
who rules the East.
/ have mentioned these disastrous events in
order the better to look at some of the mis-
sionary results following all along from that
| Crimean war of 1876.
Q) The Haiti Humayoun like the Haiti
Sheriff of Gulhone, although constantly
trampled upon has acquainted the people
with their rights.
(2) The abolition of the prosecuting
power of the ORIENTAL Patriarchs lifted an iron
yoke from the necks of the people.
(3) Dating from that period there has
been rapid advance of education amsng all
classes far beyond direct missionary influence.
A new generation is coming forward in
Turkey better prepared for the freedom that
must ere long come.
(D The native pastorate has grown in
numbers, efficiency and power.
(5) The churches, embarrassed by the
deepest povery, are notwithstanding active
working, progressive churches.
(6) The distribution and the demand fol
the Bible received great impulse at that
time, end the same Is true of all the products
of the press.
(7) No race received SO sudden and
mighty an impulse as the Bulgarian. Tbeil
serfdom was abolished, and out of great igno-
rance and degradation the Bulgarians COM
meneed their upward course.
Of that great struggle these are some of
the undeniable results in which all friends
of missions may rejoice. Political hopes
| may have proved false; the kingdom OF
Christ has gathered he fruit
The late Russo 7 rkish war of 1878 was
another of those great events which take
their place in history to mark great world
changes.
1t was the most destructive war of mod
ern times considering the brief time it occu-
pied. 1t has been estimated that in little
more than one year it involved the loss of
one million of lives. Unheard of atrocities
! accompanied its whole history, and they did
not cease; they rather begun with the ces-
sation of battles. The CONFUSION has been
followed by continued and intensified nat
ional bankruptcy, by famines, pestilences
and msrule in both countries, Turkey and
Russia by brigandage and assassination,
the Tar uncrowned prisoner in his palace
the Sultan in his Harem; Nihilism defiant
in one and Islam instinct with hate and
wretchedness in the other. Was ever a
bloody war followed for so long a time with
such persistent horrors? We shall hear
nothing more at present of either of these
dark and bloody powers being leaders in civ
| ilization- When we turn our attention
from governments, from despotism to the
| people the prospect brightens.
The renovation of Turkey must come
| through the three chief Christian nationai-
ties, the Armenian Greek, and Bulgarian
What Eli Smith saw so clearly in 1882 the
| half century has placed beyond question.
Their progress has been revolution. There
| is discomfort still. There is conflict, the
| whole creation groaneth but IL ia the n a