New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1908-08-02

modern history of The Ottoman Empire and the
ban an9 his Re numerous ietters 70 this paper
were generally recognized rs having I efTsITs
the Near East, Exceptional interest therefore,
attaches his discussion of a Crisis Whlch inay
prove TO be epoch making for large part OF the
world
The cables tell us that on Friday Sultan
Abdul Hamid of Turkey cheered by seven
hundred thousand people as he went to the
little mosque outside of Yidiz Palace 10 say
his PRAYERS One cannot avoid smile who mas
stood on that hin in the midst Of narrow valleys
below the mosque In Turkey ciphers are IN
dicated by dots and it is possible that ny
speck served to multiply tenfold the report Oh
the number OF enthusiastic Turks who thus
greeted their sovereign in return for his procia-
nation of constitutional government. BE this
as it may, this demonstration quite throws INTO
the shade the lightweight minutes OF applause
called forth at Denver by the name Of the peer
less One" Yet this outburst Of Friday, which,
we may hope was quite spontaneous settles
nothing Like the applause at Denver. it merely
shows to the world that action of some kind has
begun One needs to hold in mind the fact that
nothing is yet done in Turkey, but that some
thing has begun which European statesmen aC
least would like to measure and define
STARTING POINT OF THE MOVEMENT
NhCNSANN
when England and Russia. three or four weeks
ago proposed to take in hand the chronic dls-
turbance of Macedonia and once for all to put
down the roaming bands of Turks, Greeks ana
Rulgarians who made life uncomfortable to the
wretched villagers of that region. This pro-
posal and the determined manner, when showed
that an entirely businesslike undertaking was
contemplated, brought from the Sutans nearest
counseIlors a warning that any attempt to put It
into effect would be resisted by the populace OF
the disturbed provinces. The Sultan would be
utterly powerIess in the presence Of a popular
uprising There is no evidence that any secret
orders went from Constantinople authorizing
such an outburst of popular feeling But pre-
violIs experience makes the possibility OF such
orders a working hypothesis for what followed
All remember similar warning to Europe when
the reforms for Asiatic Turkey were demanded
in 1894 It was followed by q long series OF out
breaks and rnassacres Of Armenians, In every
one of which the control Of government officials
was evident to those on the ground. If such
orders went out to Macedonia they merely gave
opportunity for uprising of military men IN
Macedonia and Albania that was most une1-
pected to the Sultan. In the middle Of July Ger
tain officers of the Third Army Corps, centring
at Monastir betook themselves TO the noun
tain killed some Of their superior officers and
+eIepraDhed to the Sultan that they demanded
constitutional government in order to end the
dangers always threatening the empire. 1t was
ouicSIv evident that in effect military revolt
was in progress. led by liberal enthusiasts. COM
monty called the Young Turkey party
THE YOUNG TURKEY REFoRMERs.
It is hardly an exaggeration TO say that every
T,,rl. VIII, can read hates Sultan Abdul Hamid
with all the fervor of an anarchist. During the
tbirtv-tyo years of the reign Of the present
Sultan. the Young Turkey party has represented
all who had grievance. 1t has been party
without a head. It's members have been pur-
sued imprisoned banished, bought with money
or office but never extirpated. Last winter the
ma lcontents held a conference at European
capital There were present Turks, Armenians'
AIbaniaus Arabs Kurds in regular cave Of
Adullarn They decided 10 act with the purpose
of securing the overthrow of Sultan Abdul
Hanoid and the establishment Of constitutional
government for Turkey. They wished their own
fa+ber1snd to fall into line with European lands
of liberty It should be remembered in follow
ing the acts of the military mut1neers OF Mace
donia that they are convinced enemies Of com
nronise with the man who has held them all
under an iron despotism which has even planned
+o hamper reading and to dwarf mental growth
Those are the men who seem to be IN the as
oandan+ throughout the Third Turkish Army
Corns and whose spirit is last IdLeCtIIiS '4iO
second ARMY Corps that lies at Adrianople and
holds Thrace almost TO the gates Of CONSTANT
nople.
THE s1JLTAN'S MASTERLY MOVE.
Ae soon as the seriousness of the seditious
movement in the Third Corps became evident.
the Sultan did a characteristic act. He sent TO
Mai Bev and his associates Of the General Staff
who had taken to the mountains in token of
revolt an invitation to return to duty. promis
ing to reward their obedience by promotion to
the rank of generals of division, They declined.
saying that they would accept nothing less than
the restoration Of the constitution and the cleo
ton Of parliament Thereupon the Sultan. as
If he were indulgently granting the within Of
hayward children, proclaimed the constitution
and ordered the election of deputies to the par
lament convened for November next The
proclamation amazed beyond speech a people
Injured to amazing occurrences In governmental
matters The most dramatic feature of the new
regime perhaps, was its effect on the newspaper
offices Editors who have accustomed them
selves during twenty years to submit to stony
hearted censor of every word, down to the reg
ular press kilograms and the advertisements.
before daring to have them set UP, were notified
at midnight that they might print what they
chose since in the paternal kindness of the
Sultan, freedom Rad been bestowed on the ma
ton In the streets of Constantinople people
fell on one anothers necks and went out and
reared Long live the Sultan! When 1t was
known that the arch rascal, Izzet Pacha,
rotary CT the palace who had the power of life
and death and used 1t. had been dismissed to
petty office in the wilds of Arabia, and when