Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1884-09-05

Grand Nizier, said Pasha, has been in |
office more than two years One marked .
aim of the Sultan's policy is tocut off. one /
by one, the special privileges which for
cigners have long enjoyed under the so
called "Capitulations." Formerly no for .
eigner need trouble himselfabout travel /.
ing permit. Wherever he went his hat |
ensured him respectful oftentimes, obse- /
quious attentions. Now every foreigner
like native, must obtain a "teskereh' or
license when he starts on Il journey or he |
is liable to arrest. 1t is true, Il foreigner
may hold real estate now, as he could not
formerly, but whatever litigation may
arise he must 90 before native court and
take his chances with the natives of the
country. Until the present time foreign
post offices have been maintained in Con
stantinOple and such seaport towns rs are
visited by foreign steamers Now the
| Turkish government has given notice to
foreign governments that these offices
must he discontinued and the whole pos
tai service pass into the hands of the Tur
kish government. There is an effort also
to bring all schools whether those of the
Christian communities or those in the
hands of foreigners under the direct SUI
perviSiOn of the government. Doubtless
one object is ultimately to suppress all
foreign schools. The press censorship is
also more severe than ever Before the
war it was very common to point out free
~ in the papers, abuses that prevailed in
all parts of the country. Now no paper
can live Il day that does not maintain
tone of obsequious toadyism towards the
sovereign and his government. lncrCaS-
ing difficulty is experienced in getting per-
mtS to print books. especially in the Tur-
kish language, and when printed with the
proper authorization in the title page,
their free circulation is hindcred by new
and VcXatOus regulations. The indiCa-
ton is that if it were practicabe to do 50
the government would gladly put Il stop
to all book publishing except of its own
initiation.
The tendency of the present reign is,
therefore, plainly towards despUtism in
stead of enlightened liberalism. If in
this course the government had the sym
pathy and hearty support of the people, it
might succeed in its object. But not only
the fact that such Il tendency violates this
spirit Of the present age, but also the fact
that great discOntent prevails among the
people, indicate that the present policy of
the government cannot prove successful.
This discomfort is very marked among the
Mohammedans who should be the hearty
supporters of their sovereign. But they
have suffered so much that their patience
is about exhausted, 1t was their blood
that was spilled in the war. 1t was they
, who ad trusted the good faith of their
sovereign, and accepted his paper prOmis
es The Christians, though accepting the
paper currency in trade were careful day
by day to change the paper into gold. But
iIlt lullIllul ttStIlN bpuSli lllt ttJIt
ciablc paper confident that it would ap
preCiate and they would be the gamers
But now their confidence has been 50 re
, peatedly abused, and the eNactions of the
government daily more severe they are
t getting uneasy and are looking vaguely
= for some new source of relief. They look
a ed hopefully to Arab, but when England
;, nterposed and defeated him. they were
q greatly embittercd, toward her, and be
= gan to see whether the Mahdi could dc
T. anything for them. \ few days ago /
!. fanatical Movlah. in ii district Il lttl,
q west of this, aroused the hopes of the
+ people and gathered one or two thousanC
@ followers by protesting miraculous ant
/ prophctical power llcis now arrested ant
we Shall probably hear no more of him
+, There Is IL great need of railroads ant
!, carriage roads. But the government ha'
:; no capital to put into roads, and ii is sus
# picious of corporations of foreigners. -
q railroads remain unbuilt, \ few carriage
. roads have lately been completed, hll
: only by forcing the already impoverished
y and ONerhurtlcned people to work without
pay. Thus far these roads have proved o
q little use as the people are both too poo
q to run wagons, and too unenlightencd t
q devise anything better than the old ways
a How soon we shall see the dawn of
q better day for Turkey, will not ventur
Il to predict. NJ L. l..