New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-03-05
SOMETHING NEW1N TURKEY.
.,ysTERIo,.s SIGNS OF THOUGHT AMONG TIE
AsIATIC PEASANTRi.
Constantin0plc, February >.

% .ho noonl. in Asia Minor. On the night vi '""
49,, ,ho door of every police station in almost
.rv Town and village in the provinces OF .Ah2o'a
and Siyas was decorated with hectoSraph p'o
clamatlon which declared the Sultan Nl""' ""'
usurpcr In the morning when 'ie "'''.
police hastcncd 10 carry the awiui ooo"'''"V w.
~. Covnrnor's house they discovered in every
case that the executive mansion was
.rraronted with the seditous sheet. AS 'he Pc'
ole went forth to business or To prayer ''y .ha
tha same document affixed TO the doors OF ''e
,S.u,os and .cbools The Christians shuddered Win
,nrror IN find the same paper pasted on the uoo'e
~ their churches. Almost every pnoiic ouii'i"I
An region containing some 2o'ooo Squ'''
r,,lee of territory was made TO serNe %
bulletin board for the placard-stlckers' l"c p'"
cards were written in Turkish. and were sls''''
~, o..a,,on poonlor They offered no sug-
oestions as to action, merely declaring an op'''on
and hope of relief. Puerie enough was NV az:
of hosting such placarls, II the men WIN Wv
had anv purpose of acting. 1t was unworthy VI
notice ~ they did it merely in bravado bno the
rost;no Of the placards if regarded as the 2ropiS
after help of people too ignorant 10 st" way ~
holm themselves touches chord OF Nihpt'nN III
many hearts among the Turks; whiie TIE '''""'
neousncss Of the act in all that VIA" reso" s''''
Il a gravity in the eyes OF me "o'er'''e"' NV
Tho prisons Of the two provinces are luli Vi
,,oor,o arrested on suspicion. Arrests have peeh
,r,da with great lberality Of judgment. ior 'heie
4. hardly a clew TO the possible authors ol 'iis
,,;oco NJ impudcnce Last year number OF 'he
softas or theological students. were suddenly ar
.ostad and sent away from the capital for poii'i-
cal apitation and it is supposed that ''eN are
IN the group of bill-stickers, so that many y.
them are now cooling their ardor IN jail n"'
tho Turkish authorities say that. aithou"h '"e
,n.r who did il are undoubtedly many oil thehi
Mabometans, the Alahometan mind Is ho"
c,ever enough to invent the idea of simultaneous
demonstration in a wide region. Some Chrls'iah
,nust have thought ont that part OF the soheh"'
Tn this city it is commonly declared by 'he "o,
ornment that the Armenians, those e>ci-ie'''
d;sturbers are at the bottom of the ahaif. UREA.
,,nrrhers ~ Armenians have been arrested. and
are being pressed to confess their SINS nv torture
an some cases it is said; while the houses OF
Arr,or;,ns are being searched throughout the
country for evidence which is not forthcoming
rrb malls are being pretty carefully looked lhto'
tor vour Turkish police official is not to be stopper
IN his researches by any mere sentimental ho'ion
~ the invioability of private correspondence
Anv man who is found to have books IN HIS
house ia taken to be cOnspirator. as iha''cr
NJ course An itnerant preacher mas 10 c'a"oo'
and Bible Society colpOrteur has got 10 Prov
that he did not stick placards, or he VIII rot III
tail since the man who admits that ne hapi'"inN
travels from place to place has aoihi''e" S"''
beyond recall. In one case II was '"c ""'''
.o,,,.rv nrcscnt at a ncighborhood prayer meet
inc who had the misfortune to be seIec''a oS '"'
clio "a the glilty ones the evidence being the
Tot that they were all together in one room the
verv night that the pacards were posted Al
thav were not arranging to post the placards. VINO
wasp In another place man who went 10 'Ie
postofice TO buy some stamps was arrested Inc
fact that he wished to buy stamps on the morn
inc after the placards appeared was cVldehty
duo n his having used all Of his stamps on the
nrevious day in mailing the sedltious papers 10
other places.
t,ne curious result of this affair has becn
series of demonstrations by the Mahome'ah rao
HE in several towns against the Christians Such
demonstrations to be regarded az the quickest
method Of proving loyalty 10 the Sultan Al
Marsovan, in the province OF Slvas, Is ihlssloh
station Of the American Board. which includes
within its premises the buildings OF Ana'oha Coi-
lege a theological seminary, and a girls boarding
school besides three residences OF missionaries
This establishment has also fallen under suspicion
IN the general epidemic. The Governor of the town,
on seeing that the placards were printed with the
boctopraph said at once that il must be the work
of Anatoia COLLEGE, since there is a hcctograpi
there The remark created a great deal OF anns"-
ment at the moment, but the pig-headed oi'lciai
kent repeating it until some OF the jealous Ma
hometans Of tho town became quite wofkcu up
about il, and made threats of getting up party
IN 90 out and destroy the college buildings. but
even this was not taken seriously. for the MISSION
has stood there some thirty years, and has been
often visited and admired by the higher lurKis
ttn,n 4
officials of the province. The excitement coh'ihue'
to grow, however, and oil the LIST OF feDruary d"
attempt was made to burn the MISSION station
C,na of the buildings i1e new structure list being
finished for the girls boarding school, was Se' VII
fro and burned to the ground. For day or Two
.ho Americans there were in the greatest danger
tb,oucb the folly of this drunken Governor. BAT
90 coon No .he news of the state of affairs reached
(,orstan+inonla the Government, remembering lts
.xno,;enca when the mission house at Bourdour
was burned az the result Of the lingo TAX OIL '''
Governor of that place, made haste 20 take meas
ures for the safety Of the missionaries anu ''''
remaining buildings at Marsovan.
Turkey cannot afford to have ae'a.ioh c''.'
among the common people. Such SUI "s '''i'
affair has made may have the most serious r.
~nI,s The tc,egrams OF loyalty which have
poured into the Sultans palace have more '''ah
once been coupled with hints OF Willingness OIL
the mart of the MaLometan popuiacc 10 go III
and clean out root and branch their CHRISTIAN
neichbors as enemies of the human race Such
expressions together with numerous petty assaults
IN Christians which are being reported. show that
the smouder;ng sparks Of fanaticism may easily
bc brought in contact with explosives which no
power of regrets can hold back from deadly ac'
fion. The times are critical. The whole affair
may prove to be without results, but at present
the common expectation is Of new and wide
suread disturbance of the peace in which European
Powers may be forced to take more than super
fetal interest
The Armenans are credited with rather too
largo a share of the political troubles of Turkey
There are among them some who love to create
a.H.vIt;os VLnra are some foolish enough 10