New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1886-10-31
PERSIA.
r,oNs OF AN AMERICAN ENV'

Mn lately United 81 .t.s Minister 10 f'''~
,sti 5O7. Ticknor q 70. .uar
n;om;n being an experienced raVeher'
,r,oa with many Jarts of the world hh'"'
-. things in q foreien country are oe"' 80
a.sc,;bng because most unlike "n'c ~
s.,ra elsewhere; and his ofnciai psuo" -
-. valuable by the marked frlenoiheSs vi -"
s,sah toward our country, gave nm oppor'u'"@
~ seeinc much from which The oroipai' ""'
- .xch,aed. With these advantages he mas m"'o
. highly Interesting and instructive pooN' a =.
-. ,whlishers have spared no pains to present IL
n'S pIs. II is amply and excellently illus
s,n,ed and beautifully printed. The pace per
80 hos n rather scant margin. but otherwlSe
:. a. n,rdsome pleasant TO read. as we'll as ei"'o
~, q. Tho artistic sense Some Of the woooc"'o
~ a comparatively small portion OF the 'e~' m,'o
.nroorea in various magazines, but mosI Vi 'i'0
book is quite new ,;;,, +reveI,er
ND although jouIneying in Persia Is always
6orasbip. he avoids the common error Oh e'S
.oasoned adventures. who weary their Naueis
..;,h tho yexations Of the road instead OF de
sc,ibing its novelties He has higher aPpleN .a
en- % Persian scenery than most OF his Peoe
s.sso,s Tho harsher features OF the parcheo
- ,ond affect most OF them so strongly that they
- tho grand effects OF mountain outlines ana
few of them perhaps have penetrated as MI
BENJAMIN did. TO romantic recesses anioie "io
bn,s reached only by long ana dilculV h'a'0i'0'
Ia Ia, -, extensive train of servants and horses,
md a cimbrous camping outht On 'heee ON
ou,s;ons made during the blazing summer the
c,ravan travelled only at night, ana the way o>cr
she mountains was sometimes eNceeonSN uai-
rerous but our countryman ana his family INC
soolx ladies and children with HIM seem to have
been well paid for their toll. MIR Zen
estimate of the PEOPLE is in one rsnect unusually
fovorab,e lie believes that Persia is still strong
nation. with a great deal of military capacity
which NAV vet test the power of Russia Sc erey
and he is deeply impressed by their universal
love of the beautiful destined he is confident 10
find expression in a new artistic ACTIVITY not uh
worthy of the ancient glores of the Kingdom
lie is struck by the intelligence and culture OF
the ruling classes. for whose hagrant mlsdeeds
he is inclined TO pallatOns If not excuses
But his sober Judgment is scarcely in harmony
with his genial temper The Persian people are
thieves liars and sensualiss almost to a man and
their rulers add TO all the vices of the lower
classes special line of wicledness appropriate
to the heads of q rapacious and blOodthlsty so
ciety. The influence of Weste ideas IS aPpa emf
in the occasi' nj introduction of chains, French
cooks. and certain other material mXurles. ana
in the deterioration of art or the only true
progress-elevatiCn of characcr-there is no ira
and il needs resOlue Optimist to discover In The
condition OF this villanous. fanatica la"e. whose
aesthetic sense even is only love of emery ating
luxury, any promise of better fate than that OF
other Oriental despotisms which have persisted or
yet linger dying. 1T is. difficult says Mr.
BENJAMIN, "when conveTsng with some Of the
courteous gentlemen Of the Persian court and the
royal family. to realize what arbitrary and some
times needleSsly brutal deeds they have per-
petated and with what cold-blooded indifference
they have administered torture and death Judg-
Ing from what / have Of the khaar tribe.
10 which the present dynasty belongs. l am in
clned to think that they have more of the
Btohditv AMI deliberate rIthlessness Of the Turks
than other reIsians of similar rank at the present
day Our author gives some striking instances
of the brutality of these polished. French speak
Inc murderous gentlemen from the Shah down
But they are often amiabe. kind. and courteous
that they cannot be wholly bad. Mr.. Benjamin
chaIitably remarks that "the necessity of actin
with quick decision in despotic government
and the Iower to do So familarize the mind t
harshness and blunt the sympathics One O
the most crafty and cruel officers in the kingdom
is the Zili-Sultan. the eldest son Of the Shah
lie is not the heir to the tmone. that dil nifty
being vested in the second son by virtue of the
higher rank Of his mother; but he has great
influence with his father. enjoys vast wealth and
power. and is ambitious. SO that he Is It unlikely
10 contest the succession. He is q warm friend
of the English and he hates Russia
Plundering is a pursuit TO which all classes
devote themselves with passionate intensity
Whether with open violence, or craft and stealth
br under the disguise of gi' ing presents which
exact a profitable return. every man robs his
neighbor When q present is offered the receiver
is Obliged to ecompense the servants who bi1n2
It, and then TO send gift in response proportic nee
not to the value of the first gift but to the rank
Of the person who made it, The higher mans
rank therefore. the he makes out of The
present system. Great mobiles can it to pay
their serN ants as well as To enlarge their OWL
revenues and to the Shah it is handsome in
come When Mr. BENJAMIN arrived in Persia n,
was met and escorted to the capital by cour
officer called the Mehmendar, or entertainer O
the royal guests whose special function it wal
to receive in this way ambassadors and other dis
finc,ished persons whom the Shah wished Il
honor He was All agreeable. wemannered gen
tleman who had spent several years in Euop
md sroke French with facility. Most OF u
would have hesitated to tip 80 fine parsonage
but Mr. benjamin rightly Judged that it wal
safest not to be too delicate
On arriving at Teheran, therefore presented
him with a new saddle and bride hsd orougn
the proposal of such a present but returned tnt
saddle after inspection, on the plea that 10 was
sbopworn, and that ont OF respect 10 me he would
prefer not to show to his friends gift that seemed
to be unworthy of Minister OF the United States
As the saddle entirely new and In perfectly
good condition, saw at once that his object was
70 receive q more valuable present possibly in the
shape of money | therefore sent the saddle back
TO him with a message that did not need instruc
fions "a TO what KIND of a present should give
and that be ought to be thankful that had re-
MON bered him at all. European gentleman, who
might have been Consul for ten years and held the
RANK OF General aud Receiver of the ROYAL Guests
TO whom such a message should be sent, would
probably reply with challenge; put had not
inistaken the Oriental character. The saddle was
accepted " it'll profusion of thanks.
Nothing could better show how destitute the
Persians are OF self-respect Our author gives
another anscdote which illustrates the same garing
fault in their character. prominent official at
Tabreez in the course of an alteration with an