New-York tribune., 1908-07-28
THE STORY OF TURKISH REFORM.

THE STORY OF TURKISH REFORM.
The skepticaI attitude toward Turkish con-
stitutional reform which some English news
papers assume as reported by our LONDON cor
respondent. is not at all surprising, ana yet IL
will probably prove not to be warranted by
the facts of the case A liberal constitution in
Turkey NAV seem startling. Yet why should IL
be more so there than in Russia or Persia OF
Montenegro all of which countries nave IN the
last few years committed themselves 10 such
systems. and not one of which was less abso-
lutte and despotic in government than turkey
has been? To those familiar with Turkish MS
tory for the last three-fourths of century the
revolution will appear little more than evolu-.
tion on lines long ago clearly established
The story of the Turkish constitution beglns
with the accession of the reforming Sultan AD-
dul Meid in 1899, and the promugatton under
the advice of the great minister Reshld or the
Hatt-i-sherif of Guhane. under which the auto
cratic power of the palace or the sultan was
abandoned in favor of the Porte or MINISTRY
and a system was established which insured
ITO all subjects of the Sultan perfect security
.'for their lives their fortunes and their honor
Roshid honestly strove to enforce that sys-
tom and after he had heen driven from office
ny a nalace intrigue, his great successors, fuad
and Aali continued in the same course II
will be recalled that under that system turkey
was so liberal that she gave asylum 10 NOS
Su+b and other refugees from absolutism and
thus so provoked Russian resentment that the
Cars government for that cause proposed TO
other powers the extinction of Turkish soVef-
eiqntv and the partition Of the Ottoman En-
nire Instead the Crimean war came on, ana
after it the Haiti -Humaium was issued, abol-
ishinp every distinction making any class or
.the subjects of the empire inferior TO any other
.on account of their religion, language or race.
Thereunon Turkey was admitted to the concert
in Europe and to the common law of nations
This progress was checked at the accession
of Abdul Aziz in 1861. Corruption became ram
nant at the palace and the spirit of nationalisn
which had become so strong in Western Eu-
rome spread to the Balkans and melted dis
turbsnces there. But the full debdcte did not
occur until after Aals DEATH in 1871. Then
Ienatieff. the Russian Ambassador, BECAME
dominant at the palace and devoted himself to
the congeniaI task of forcing Turkey back into
its old bad state. He succeeded in getting the
nalace exalted above the Porte again, in caus-
ing the abandonment of all reforms, and in
putting and keeping his vile creature Mahmoud
In the Grand Niziership. That orgy of po-
1itical debauChery led swiftly to crisis. Abdul
Aziz was deposed and murdered by palace
conspiracy. AIahmoud and the Russian clique
were swept from power and Midhat Pacha be-
Minister or Justice IHdi upright duu
efficient statesman formulated and developed
the HATS of GulhaDe and Humaium into a con
stltution establishing a representative para-
ment responsible ministry, universal suf-
frage and full individual liberty and popular
rights including freedom of speech and of the
press. The incompetent Sultan Murad was de-
posed after a few weeks, and Abdul Hamid
came TO the throne.
The latter prince n reactionaTy, intent on
DESTROYING Midhat's liberal system. but too Gun
ming TO incur the dangers which would attend
an omen abrogation Of It, He professed a de
termination TO uphold the system. and when
some of his courtiers urged him TO abolish 1t
he refused with fine show Of Indignation.
But he took care 10 dismiss Midhat on some
pretext and to send him into exile before the
first meeting OF parliament. When the latter
BODY met pandemonum was let loose. Radical
members, expecting all things In an hour
made war upon the very ministers who, with
Aidhat. had secured the great reform, Gnd so
drove them TO despair that they as last re-
sort with the Russian war Impending, besousht
the Sultan 10 prorogue the obstreperous and
impracticable parliament and suspend the con-