Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1909-07-15

OppOSlJlOn SIdH
dards and set up opposition governments, but Moham-
med was endowed with great statesman-like qualities,
and gradually he eliminated all opposition, and in 1913
became sultan over the, entire Ottoman empire. His
lished great things. He was not aggressive like his
father, but he was very prompt to resent any encroach-
ment upon his dominions. He was called Chelebi Mo-
manned; which means "Mohammed, the Gentle" and it
was a very apt designation of his character. There are
only one or two inhuman things recorded of him. He
caused his only surviving brother, Kasim, to be blinded,
and he killed the child of Suleyman. The only mitiga-
ton that can be plead for these acts of cruelty is that he
had experienced so much discontinue from the jeal
ouses of his brothers that he decided to put out of the
way all who might become opposers of him. 1t is char
acteristic of Turkish princes that they always aspire to
and intrigue for the sultanate, and the reigning sultan is
not safe while one is at liberty. Abdul Hamid, the late
deposed sultan, imprisoned his brother, Murad, in the
palace of the Cheragan until a few years ago, when he
ended his imprisonment in death. The present sultan,
Mehmet Reshad, was so closely confined in the Yildiz
palace that it amounted to actual Imprisonment. Mo-
manned !. died in 1921, and was buried near the beauti.
full green mosque Of that ancient capital of the Turks.
He was succeeded by Murad II, who was a man of
equal prudence and clemency as his predecessor, but his
ambition was much greater, and he lost little time in
giving proof of it. The Greek emperor, forgetting his
cordial relations with Mohammed, and looking upon
Murad IL, who was then a mere youth Of IS years, with
contempt, released a pretended son of Bajazet-Mustafa
by name-who had been for years in close custody at
Constantinople. Mustafa subdued the European prov
inces, and seemed in a fair way for some time of dis
planting Murad, but he was at last overthrow and
hanged, ito convince the world that he was an i'm
poStor."
Murad again proceeded to invest Constantinople. He
had drawn his lines from the Golden to the Wooden gate,
when a revolt in Asia Minor caused him to hastily cross
the Bosporus in order to put down an insurrection of
one of his brothers. Murads fighting qualities were soon
put to a severe test. The Christian states were all in
famed, and Hunyady was their leader. He was sup
posed to be a son of King Sigismund and the beautiful
Elizabeth Morisney, but whatever his parentage, he was
valiant, fortunate and famous.
For 20 years he was the terror of the ottomans. At
HermanStadt he totally routed the Turkish army of
10000 men and publicly hacked their general to pieces.
He was as cruel and bloodthirsty as any of the Turks,
and his favorite music for dinner was the shrek of
dying prisoners. He also defeated the Turks at Vasay
and Nissa. He made the fearful passage of the Balkans
in winter, following the Turks, who had skillfully barred
the passes and formed an icy wall by wetting the roads
in freezing weather. But, for some unknown reason, he
suddenly abandoned the campaign, and returned to Buda-
pest with a large amount of plumber and captives.
Murad seized this opportunity to negotiate a treaty,
which was solemnly sworn upon the Gospel and the
koran to last for a period of ten years. The death of his
Oldest son so sorely afflicted Murad that he turned from
the joys of empire to peace and retirement, and abdi-
Gated in favor of his son, Mohammed H., and retired to
Magnesia to spend the remainder of his days. Nc
sooner was this news conveyed to the Christians than
they resolved to break the treaty of peace, and the pope
and Greek emperor used their spiritual influence to in.
duce Hunyady to break his oath. claiming that "oaths
are not to be kept with infdels." Hunyady was finally
influenced to break faith, and marched upon the unsus-
pecting Turks with 10000 men. He took a number of
strange places, and on reaching the Black sea marched
as far as Varna, where he learned that Murad had been
aroused by his advance and had collected an army of
10000 men, which were then being conveyed ACROSS the
Bosporus by Genoese vessels. When the armies met a
copy Of the violated treaty was placed on the point of a
lance and raised high above the Turkish standard as a
visible appeal to the lord of truth, who Furnishes perjury.
The Hungarians were ingloriously defeated, and Hunyady
was compelled to retreat in disorder; after which Murad
again retired to Magnesia; but a revolt Of the jan
issaries against his force recalled him to the RESPONSE
bilities of leader, when he reigned six years longer, and
died in 1451, with undiminished prestige and glory.
Five years after Murad's death, Mohammed II. in
yaded Eurone and laid Siege tn Belgrade tho key tO
Hungary. Hunyady stirred himself to a valiant defense,
and John Capistran came to his aid with a band of $4,000
crusaders, who had gathered together to fight for
Christendom. The Turks were defeated. Mohammed was
wounded. and $1,000 Turks lay dead upon the field of
battle. In less than a month Hunyady died, and 60 days
later was followed to the grave by John Capistran. The
reign of Mohammed ii. was marked by violence and
treachery. Again and again he broke faith with his enc
mics, and garrisons which surrendered under the solemn
pledge of the honors of war. met with ruthless slaughter.