Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-01-02
THE TURKS COMING FALA.
Signs Of Decay Everywhere Visible M ore
and More.

anu mofS.
From, a ConstdntjnoDJe Letter 30 the London
DGIV Ne1os.
The popular movement for the union of
the two Bulgarias took every one in Con-
stantinople by surprise. The Porte was
bewildered by the news. 1t turns out
that information had oeen given to the
authorities OF what was passing In East
ern Roumella, but they were incapable Of
BELIEVING it. There is a ready explanation
Of such incredulity. The army OF spies
which is the one active department. of the
state is so continually discovering in
cpient rebe!liODs and cOnspiracies that
when something really serious is found
cut the news is disregarded. When the
! Porte and the palace realized what had
| happened the first thought was naturally
! OlrestorIng the former state OF things by
/ force The Sultan is admitted on all
/ hands to have been the one VINO Kept his
| head cool, and calculated what could be
| done and what the consequences of basty
action might be- His indignation is I'M
/ derst0Od to have been very great when he
! found what the actual condition of the
army and naYV Was-LhR army hugely
! diminished. reserves which have never
! been called out since the war with Russia,
I ne soldiers in rags aud in arrears Of pay
/ "A navy not a ship OF which has had steam
| up for years. A few days soon dispelled
! all the nonsense about the military and
naval strength of Turkey which English
/ officers IN the Turkish service either
4 thought 1t their duty to believe or actu-
| ally believed. His Majesty asked In plain
| language what troops were ready, and
/ having received a more or less correct
statement of the facts dismissed the NJ in
istry which had deceived him. and adopt
ed the statesmaniiSe course ne has up 10
the present maintained.
The recent events nave shown striking
! lv that siuce the Russian war the decline
Of Turkey has been very rapid. Some
months ago l called attention in the
Daily Ne,cs to the fact that Turkey was
| falling to pieces, and / mentioned many
circumstances which justified me in ar
| irving at such conclusion. The events
of the last month have shown that /
rather under than over estimated the pro
gress OF her decadence. Turkey has no
longer even such statesmen as she pos
sessed in 1875. Able men like Haireadin
Pasna and Achmet Vevyk will not take
office. Many others have been banshed,
and are tretting their lives away in re-
mote cOrne Of the empire. The cOndi-
tiOus under which Ministers have been
compelled to hold Office have distinctly
lowered the standard of the public service
al the Porte. M department OF the gov
ernmentis SO efficient as it was 10 years
ago. The signs Of decay ara everywhere.
The machine Of government can hardly
be made to go even at a snsils pace.
The law courts are worse than ever.
Corruption Is more general than ever.
Ten years ago the Turkish feet could be
| mentioned ia comparison wtth those OF
Western nations. The ships made Two
voyages year--one from the Golden Horn
to the BOsphOrus, a distance of say two
miles, and another back again after the
summer season spent opposite the inn
perial palaces. Occasionally a Turkish
man-ot-wer went on q cruise. This
amount Of activity was not much except
in comparison with what has been shown
of late years, The biennial voyage has
ceased; the vessels remain in the Golden
Horn and never move. So, too, with the
other departments Of State.
The most suicidal policy has been
shown in reference TO public works. His
Majesty has expressed TO members Of
Parliament who have been permitted 10
see him the highest appreciation Of the
necessity Of railways, Of roads, and OF
0thcr reproductive works. Virtually
nothing Whatever has been done. C0nces-
siOns are not given TO foreigners because
the Lnrks believe they would enrich them
selves aCtne expense Of the country, and
luey nave NOT uceN NlFeu 10 udtiNeS De-
cause the latter have not the capital neces-
sary to carry the concessions into eXecu-
ton. With the money in Western Europe
so cheap as 10 has been during the last
three years, many attempts have been
made by Kngiishmen, fgenchnan
AID Germans 10 find outlets
FOR their capital in the Turkish
Empire; ana ii an enlightened government
had existed in Cons antnople there m INT
have been public works executed and new
markets opened which would nave already
added largely 10 tae wealth Of the cOuniry.s
could give scores Of Illustrations OF the
loss which IL caused 20 the inhabitants
by the absence OF means Of communica-
ton alone. Here are two " heat
brought from AnVOra 20 the port OF lsmidt
cost last year ? plastres per kllO more IN
transit than its market price In thg latter
plrs. American corn mas already been
sen no profit 20 >alouica-ihat b. The
seaport OF Macedonia, the great granary
of Inc empire. The Department 0i she
Police sprJb4bly worse than % has over
been. The gendafmc SEE scheme van bned
completely. The pera scandal. whore the
chief Of tlc police aud several ~ his
suu0rdlnates were CHARGED with cOusplr.
800 with thieves t1 levy OlHckmah. was
described 10 your readnrs. Brirandage
Was never 30 rife a. ~ is ~ present. How