The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-08-12
HOW WILL TT ESps

] changed and changing conditions in Turkey. The published announcement that the Sultan is willing to surrender his unlimited autocrat- ic power and assist in the establishment of parliamentary form of government sounds so strange that it is difficult to believe him sim cere. In hardly any country on earth Is power more absolutely vested in one man than 1t is in the Turkish Sultan, and it hardly seems possible that he is willing to abdicate that power and permit even the semblance of a repub- lican form of government. but that is now said to be his position. Contrary to the general belief, the present Sul- tan is said to be really a mild and timid sort of man who will gladly be rid of the cares and dangers incident to the present form of government.
 That may be true, but even if he Is willing to throw off most of the cares of a despot and allow his people to or- ganize and maintain something like popular government, are they compe- tent to assume such responsibility and carry on a popular and orderly gov ernment? They have so long been ab- solute slaves and have had so little liberty of thought or action that it seems impossible for them to at once become even a partially free people and take on themselves a portion of the burdens of popular government.
 But, as we have stated, the Sultan is not at all the kind of man that ho Is popularly supposed to be. His manr ers," says The Boston Globe. "are described not only as highly refined, but as actually charming. He has a passion for music. and is skiiful as per- former and composer. These qualities of course. might exist in a character in which also great cruelty and duplic- ity were present. But Abdul Hamid Is said to be almost timid in his mem tai and physical attitude toward the world of stirring events in which he has been placed in so conspicuous station. and that alike in withholding and in granting a constitution to his people he was governed largely by fear"
 If all that is correct it is easy to un- derstand why Abdul is anxious to es- cape from his. present onerous and dangerous situation. but it can readily be understood that while he is ready to throw 1t all of his own shoulders the Turkish people may not be com potent to assume what he Is so tired of It is a very peculiar situation and the outcome will be an interesting de- velopment. however 1t may end, but 1t is altogether likely that some of the bright anticipations may fail to be realized. We notice that the Turkish consul General at New York declares that the Turks have decided to be one body or nation, without regard to re- ligious or other differences. This dec Iaration leads The Hartford Courant to say:
 If this were true of the various na- tionalities occupying Turkey. 1t would furnish a sound promise or nope Tor the political future of that country. It Is the dlstractings question of personal religion which has set race against race ahd nationality against national ity in Turkey for more than a thou distinctly marked today. In European Turkey the Greek and the Albanian and the Bulgarian and the Cretan, with other lesser breeds mixed in, each toward all the others on the ground of race and faith. The letter printed in The Courant day or two ago from an Armenian now studyinE m tnls elty drawn through 1t. It Is mainly the re- liglous line that has been successfully used to maintain the national feeling tomar empire If the Mohammedans as the controlling religious factor in Turkey have to give up much-partic- ministration-in order to create a com mon national feeling for all the work of the purely civil state. 1t is equally true that the Armeaians and other po-
 
 to change their centuries-old and cen- turies-bred habits and traditions In or der to meet the Osmanlis at the half- way house of one nation and one gov ernment In which all shall have their proportionate power.
 It may be done; but that this union has already been created we take leave to doubt. It Is true that word comes from Constantinople that two Chris tians are in the Sultan's latest cabinet of ministers: and it Is also true that the elections called under the new con- stitution contemplate the representa- ton of Christians as well as Moham- medans in the legislative body But these things are on paper. and a week or a month may make a change. It IS an Interesting experiment. at any rate; and 1t is also a good deal that a Turk ish representative in this country of the Sultan puts into cold type this vis- the civil needs of all the inhabitants without regard to religious faith. But time and practice and the change of a host of habits and points of view all around will be required before this vision can be realized in the daily life of Turkey.