Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-01-03
THE NEW PARLIAMENT OF TURKEY

The evolution of Turkey and its peace
full and bloodless transformation from
"unutterable" autocarcy
Evolution to comparative de-
eliminated. mocracs' "nich con-
tinues to challenge uni
versal admiration, eliminated in the
parliament which assembled in Constan-
tinople on the 18th ultimo by virtue of
the constitution Of 1876.
All the powers, through their legisla-
tive bodies, have joined to offer felici-
tous congratulations over the happy
event, the Russian duma. the French
chamber of deputies and senate. the
British parliament, the congress of the
United States and others.
The telegram of Fluctuations OF the
British house OF commons Ito the last
Of the newborn pariaments' marks
certain transformation of ideas in Lon
don as well as those in Constantinople.
In 1S69-10, for example, Great Britain
defended the "unutterable Turk Of that
day against the American military mis-
sion which then in Egypt would have
thrown him down and established in his
place, in Cairo and at Constantinople,
liberal and progressive government,
work which has now been peaceably
achieved at Constantinople by the party
of Young Turks.
The message Of the British house of
members. among whom were Messrs.
Asquith, Balfour Sir Z. Grey and
Churchill. 1t said in part: I'VE have
experienced great Joy in witnessing the
We pray that it may be the promise of
an era of peace. liberty and prosperity.
Your parliament takes its place among
the great parliamentary bodies of the
world, and 1t is the daughter Of pacific
revolution.
An anonymous writer in the review 81 e
Correspondent" of December 10 says:
1T is asked on all sides
Why Not why the English manifest so
No much enthusiasm for the
e1P' Turkish constitution VIII
they refuse to concede these liberties to
Egyptians, who are as capable as the
Turks to govern themselves and who
proved under Mohamed Ally that they
we're capable of doing great things. A
Jews days ago the khedive when leaving
his palace was acclaimed by the crowd
of students who demanded the constitu-
the Egyptians are as legitimate as
their coreligioniStS of Stamboul: the
Egyptian Nationalists are as worthy of
the Young Turks and Kiamil Pasha in
Cairo merited as much respect for strug-
Cling to deliver his country from the yoke
of the stranger as does Kiamil Pasha in
Constantinople. We have been surprised
by the wonderful evolution at CONSTANT
nople. We may now await with great
expectation a similar manifestatlon-eVo-
luton in liberal ideas at London.
On the thr, shold of the renewed consti-
tutional life of Turkey let us briefly re-
call some of the events that relate to the
first parliament in Turkey, which dates
from December %, 1876.
The situation was critical when the
Sultan Abdul AZiZ was deposed by the
stroke of May 20, 1876, and when he COM
mitted suicide several days later, Mourad
V was deposed in turn, because Of men
tai alienation, on August 81. and Abdul
Hamid III assembled the throne after as
Stunning formal engagements to adopt the
constitution projects of his ministers.
The public debt amounted to five bill ons
There was peculation in the civil admins
tration. corrup, ion in the army. Bosnia.
Herzegovina, Servia, Montenegro and
Bulgaria were in rebellion. The integrity
of the Ottoman empire was seriously
menaced. Abdul Hamid. In order to APP
pease the fears Of the representatives
of the six signatory powers which as
of Great Britain, to examine the situa-
ton. decided to reform Turkey. The
sultan called upon his grand vizier. Mid
hat Pasha. Nidhat Pasha dreamed Of
the publication and regeneration of
Turkey.
Gen. Ignatief, submitted propositions
which clearly threatened
Russian the integrity of the en-
pire, followed by the ulti-
oposais' matum of January 20,
1877. AIidhat did all in his power to
avoid wars. but Abdul Hamid. who feared
the liberalism Of Midhat more than an
armed conflict with Russia, sent the
author Of the constitution into exile FEB
ruary 3. 1877.
March the sultan presided over the
opening Of the chamber chant of deputies
sir). War was declared by Russia April
90. 1877, and Abdul Hamid seized the &C.
casion to dismiss the phantom parliament,
which did not again reasonable.
Midhat Pasha was recalled in 1873. and,
SUI sequently arrested on the odious charge
of having assassinated the sultan Abdul
AziZ, was condemned to Taft in Arabia.
where. upon an order from the sultan, he
was asSaSSinated May 10, 1854.
After the Russo-TurkiSh war Turkey be-
came once more the victim of absolutism
which has reigned supreme during these
thirty years. But If Midhat Pasha was
dead his spirit was alive. Ahmed Ria
succeeded to Midhat as leader of party
and the founder of the journal the
Mechveret. published in Paris since 1885,
The first number. dated December. 1895.
contained the program Of the Committee
of Union and Progress. from which may
be cited the following:
I'VE desire to work, not to oyerturn the
reign'ng dynasty, which We consider
necessary for the maintenance of order,
but to propagate the notion of progress
of which we desire the pacific triumph.
1--WE demand reforms, not for this or
that province, but for the whole empire:
not in favor of single nationality, but in
favor of all Ottomans, whether Jews,
Christians or OttomanS.'
The Mechveret under the adroit and
energetic Ahmed Ria became the heart
and soul of the cause OF
Young Turks Young Turkey. A COM
Party. liticaI refugees o.
operated with Ahmed Ria in Paris and
Constantinople and Egypt.
After fourteen years of earnest pfopaga-
ton the work was deemed sufficiently adj
vanced to remove to Salonica, where