Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1899-06-24
THE MISSIONARY FIELDS
a LITTER TRoM TURKEY.
Characteristic. OF ysrlou. Nations In the
Orient.


Orient.
constnntinople. May 10. 1899
To the Editor:
Among things TO be learned upon a
mission 10 this cold world Is the great
variety Of mankind 10 be met and the
need OF patience and a firm testimony
Of the truth In order 10 successfully
labor with them. A. Il has been the
lot OF the writer TO labor among not "a
rev nutonnlitlcH, representing 4 strange
variety OF characters, he can appreciate
the difference quite readily, and with
no people on earth ~ the need OF firm
reliance on the ultimate success OF
Gods work more necdcd than among
the oricntnlH, So many dlHcouariug
features arise that one ~ continually
called upon TO hunt up some bright fca-
tufe " the situation. some clear picture
TO play upon the Imagination, and above
nll some sure decree from the Almighty
that ultimately without question. these
our labora Will be crowned win success
cithcr here or hereafter; otherwise one
VIII drop Into despair.
Il would probably be interesting 70
the readers OF the News" 20 draw "a
littlo character sketch 81 two OF the
principal peoples here. THESE two dif-
fer from each other radically. one ma
ZION II made 10 rule; the other TO be
ruled. The ruler understands only one
form o. govcrnment-deapOti The
ruled has power of life. 80 to speak.
under no other form than deapotism.
II seems that Ia aud VI themselves they
are short Of something which forms tho
fpuudntlon OF a sound and progressive
people. The ruling element here pos
teaHes n sound character. have lofty as
piruuona, arc dignified and proud In
their whole bearing; arc extremely re-
ligioun, ana are IN every respect rclia-
BILE II left 20 themselves to solve llfc'H
problem as u has dawucd upon them
from the day OF their birth. But n
thrown into strange company where
they ma no sound anchorage for their
soul, no one 90 sympathizc with them.
no one 10 whom they can conndo. they
become reckless ana sly and will Hcfu-
pie ut nothing that can legally or illp-
Ehlly be construed as being means
luHtlhnhlc In the end 10 save 20 them
that reign and authority which they be-
Hove God has IN his mercy iutruHtcd To
their care. But when ON tho other hand
thcy ma honor and Virtue ana mo- dis
position 20 wrong them. hut 20 treat
thcm fairly and squarcy, they become
the best uf friends, tho most trusted
and worthy servants. who win do an In
their power TO give lasting satisfaction.
They may not be very cncrErtc as
nrighbora but no long ~ their Hus-
picionH are not aroused they win plod
along and care very little for your new
fandangle Ideas ~ long us their go-casy
way II not iuterfnrrd with hut they
NentorH, they are not producers, but
consumers and finally thcy arc not
prugreaalpnlHt, such are the OamnnllH
or Turks This does not include all
Mohammcdnns, as the Turks are dis
tnct nationality OF themselves and
differ much from the cunning Arab
and the hlgh-minded HindoO. also
OF the Mohnmmcdnn faith The Turk
feels Furthermore very independent In
his calling as the defender OF the faith
and In this position he feels quito self
sufficient. This people " divided up
into distinct classes Of which two are
very prominent, viz; tho official Turk
and the common fellow. The official
man IL very proud. dignlned and dip
lomauc man. lie iH ns q rule not very
well Informed on anything outside OF
Islam. but he knows well the Moham-
madam tradltlonHHe n generally a man
OF prayers. lie seldom stoops 10 any
thing small and low. His troubles In
trickcry began with his contact with
foreign influence. lie there meets
something which he both dcsplscH alb
hors, fears. respects and cuyets an nt
once, and yet he has no desire to be- one
OF them, He II satisfied that he Ii the
one right before Allah, but the power
and fabulous wealth the Christian !
world IL supposed 10 possess Is always !
coveted and strained after. They have |
n pr0verb thus; The Cnucassinna for |
beauty. the Franks for knowledge. but |
the Osmanlis FOR rulers In years |
gone by when they ruled In their orlgi- !
nal spirit, Christians say Justice was |
fnlrnnd that although the rulings were |
despOtlo ana oppressive In many re- /
spects, yet n great deal OF honor ran |
through the whole fabric. and II was /
looked upon as a disgrace to eat tho |
bread OF oppression or 20 do any act pf |
injustice 10 native Christians. Even |
today the principle OF peace making by |
bringing the two cOntending parties to-
gether for mutual agreement IN extern /
sively practiced, and formerly Justice
administered upon Koranlc basis was
the only form known, which when ad-
hered TO brings out the strongest form
" the Osmanll character.
In their etiquet, private and official. |
the Osmnnlls are very polite and load
ed down with formnlltics, certain
strain OF patience and quiet movements
combined are running through their
whole nature, Upon the streets. In
business, In office, at home wherever
found always, walking, talking ana
acting In "a aclf-possesacd, reserved
manner free from excitement, always
fcgning wisdom by continuing tho cons
verantion In his own way and by hold
ing the speakers seat. Book learning
was never his forte, but from his
childhood he was taught to be an Of
fendi, 10 be- dignihed, to DE slow IN all
his movements. TO initiate old and wise
persons while yet a child. have seen
children Sit orossegged for hours
without any plaything, yet be quiet
and put on the look OF "A sayants, They
may be perched up ON the edge OF an
elevation several feet they will sit per-
footl- -"i-.- thara In IA aansAr of thsir