New-York tribune., 1884-03-01
TROJTBLEDTURKISH POLITICS
THE soIDAN REyOLT-RfGHTS OF CHkls-
ANS-MISCElLANEOUS.


AZ loo. no lost natience when he himself came down
with tho measles and he oxpostnlated WI"
ProyiSeucc in these terms "Oh, Alah' mcr0'"''
remember that although my name IS 'oo' ""' ~
the not.larch job. lam only the bi"eksh','" 90"
on,v rs,,s,,her thisw The Pachas are inclined 10
ihius flat the TRIALS of their iaith oAc''" ""''
ehould be expected of reasohaoio n',''
Tronbles political and commercml uo"o'o'
internal and external, are constantly arising
from nothing. aud having arisen they always
ran.in Besides the regular gIiefs of the Turkish
Ministry. two thorny religious questions now tor
Inent the PacEaS into perpetual Cabinet councils
Both OF these religious questions. the question
Of the M&hd and the question of the rights OF
Christian clergy in Turkey, contain material that
Nigh! produce an explosion with small excuse
The success OF the Mahdi in the Soudan has been
partly due TO the unanimty with which the Arao
slayc-dcslcrs support movement that VIII remove
obstacles from thctraiic in human flesh. But II
cannot DO denied that this success owes much to the
religions feeling Of the African Moslems state
Of fsnaiica obullihon in the heart of Northern
Africa las long existed Tho French enterprises IN
Tanis havo had much to do with convincing inc
fery MOsoms Of the regions beyond the sahara ,h't
tho Moslems Of Turkey not doing their du'y
in the matter of holding tight rein upon the III
flel world. Hence the eagcrness to strike Tor the
glory Of tho faith. The date is auspiciouS for a
ouirod tie appearance Of leader to insure the glad
allegiance of the expectan: AIlcans.i
The Turkish Government is anxious as TO the
p-ogress of this man. for the Holy Traditions all
say that the expected Malldi will be opposed by the
powers that be- Hence any opposition OF tIie
authorities may have the effect of confirming 'iic
people in 4 belief that the present claimant has
right 70 bo called Mald, and is Indeed that blessed
Imam who is to right all wrongs in preparation for
A. "A NJ OF
stroying the pretensOns OF tins man ~ therefore
problem most disagrccably many sided.
The Mahdi OF the Soudan claims that IN dream
lo has had private orders from the prophet Ma
homet and has been furnished by an angel with
miraculous standard of fire lie has been informed
in the most positive manner that tie Turks are not
true MOslous. Hence lie promises his followers thc
plumber of Turks together with that of all other IN
1aelS Plenty Of Arabs in all parts of Turkey have
long held that the Turks arc not true Moslcms In
fact many subjects of the Sultan habtually speak
Of the Turks as ROum (ItomanS> To combat the
powerful influence of the Mahdis claim III this re-
gard. some Of the highest MOSleln authorities have
issued paper in which thoy undertake to prove
that tie Turks are good Moslrms. The argument
of this curious document is that whoever SAYS
6 There is 10 God but God and Mahomet is the
prophet Of Cod" is Mosle'n. and that only God
has right to inquire whether this confession Is
from the heart 1t is evident, therefore that what
ever the deeds of the Turks. they are MOslems, and
that tho Sultan OF Turkey is the true Calipn VI
islam. Accordingly the clam of the Mahdl OF the
Soudan that there is no Caliph of Islam, ls false,
and the Mahdi himself has no call to appear since
the traditions say the Mahdi iso come when there
IS no Caiiph. The document goes on to recte that
the Mahdi is thus proved liar, and il disposcs OF
the Whole matter by adding that the Prophet has
said: He that lies with prcmodtation will have
his abode in the fire"
But all this does not tighten the task of the Minis
try as TO a decision about recOnQuering the Soudan
fnothing is done, the weakness of the Empire Will
be apparent and the sO-called Nahdis strength Will
be cver.cstimated by the people. When the defeat
of General Hicks first reported here, certain
officials took pains to give the people the impression
TINT an English army had been destroyed. Their
anxiety to belttle the English overshot the mark
These short sighted gentlemen now see that this
statement increased immensely the Mahdls I'M
portance IN the eyes of the people 10 send troops
TO the Soudan and fail would be almost certain to
raise up Arab rebels in host Not to send troops
10 the Soudan will be to sacrifice one more cholce
appurtenauce of the Turkish Empire, ana VIII
thereby afford aid and comfort to the macontentS
10 whom the Mahdi is tower OF hope Thus the
Ministry sits in a hopeless dilemma. Meantime the
lack of money for campaign in the Soudan leaves
the Government to face the evils of the situation
with but IIcbsous choice
The other religious question which has arisen to
make the Ministry curse its day is the question of
the privileges of Christian priests. Daring four
hundred years the Christians of Turkey have been
treated by the Turks very much az If they were
foreign nation. The Christian clergy have had Su-
pretre control over their hOcks with Independence
of the Turkish authorities in all internal affairs
The Greek and Armenian Patriarchs have been
treated Hko grandees of the Empire; and provincial
hos q
almost supreme AT the conquest of Constantinople
Che Sultan gave the Greek clergy the right OF ex-
emytion from demands of the Turkish courts.
Greek ecclesiastical courts were 20 try the clergy
for all offences according TO the can0ns OF the
Church. Only the higher clergy were directly
amenablo to Turkish law. and they were placed he
yond the reach of any ordinary court. special
bigh commission under the presidency OF the Grand
yizier was made the only means by which tho
Turks could reach bishop charged with offences
ocoirst common right. If bishop found
ouiIty bv this high tribunal, his dignity was still
nat 10 be violated by the hands of the Turk for the
Patriarch was charged with executing the sentence
OF late Years the agitation about refoIIn seems to
Love produced in the minds of the Turks the idea
that the great need Of the Empire was the re-
e+r,ction of the privileges of Christians Great
difficulties have been placed in the way OF church
lu;ldinr; no school can now be carried OH without
q speciM permit together with revision OF all
school books by board of cehsors who abhor ms
tory as poisonous to the youthful mind. The Gov
ernment has numbered the clergy in making pastoral
tours and within the last three OF four years has
decided TO make the clergy, including the bishops
amenable 10 Turkish courts. 1t has also ordered
that any clergyman sentenced 20 imprisonment by
a Turkish court shall take his chances in Turkish
prisons, instead of being let off with the more len
ont prison discipline which he would enjoy at his
Patriarch's hands.