Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1909-07-08

PPOoAhhS
dards and set up opposition governments, but Moham-
med was endowed with great statesman-ike qualities,
and gradually he eliminated all opposition, and in 1413
became sultan over the entire Ottoman empire. His
reign lasted eight years, but in that space he accomp-
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 1t
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 Sueyman. The only mitiga-
ton that can be plead for these acts Of cruelty is that he
had experienced so much discontinue from the jeaE
ousies of his brothers that he decided to put out of the
way all who might become opposers of him. 1t is char.
acteristc 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 H., 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 M~ohammed, and looking upon
Murad H., who was then a mere youth of IS years, with
contempt, released a pretended son Of B~ajazet-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 overthrown and
hanged, ito convince the world that he was an i'm
poster"
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. Murad's 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 skilfully 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 tt
Magnesia to spend the remainder of his days. M
sooner was this news conveyed to the Christians thai
they resolved to break the treaty of peace, and the pop'
and Greek emperor used their spiritual influence to in
duce Hunyady to break his oath, claiming that "oathI
are not to be kept with infidels." Hunyady was fnal.
influenced to break faith, and marched upon the unsus
pecting Turks with 10000 men. He took a number o
strange places, and on reaching the Black sea marche,
as far as Varna, where he learned that Murad had beel
aroused by his advance and had collected an army Q
10000 men, which were then being conveyed across tn
Bosporus by Genoese vessels. When the armies met
copy of the violated treaty was placed on the point of
lance and raised high above the Turkish standard as
visible appeal to the lord of truth, who Furnishes perjury
The Hungarians were ingoriously defeated, and Hunyad
was compelled to retreat in disorder; after which Mura
again retired to Magnesia; but a revolt of the JaI
issaries against his force recalled him to the respons
bilities of leader, when he reigned six years longer, an
died in 1451, with undiminished prestige and glory.
Five years after Murad's death, Mohammed II. ii
vaded Europe and laid siege to Belgrade, the key
Hungary. Hunyady stirred himself to a valiant defens
and John Capistran came to his aid with a band of 5000
crusaders, who had gathered together to fight fl
Christendom. The Turks were defeated. Mohammed wa
wounded, and $4,000 Turks lay dead upon the field
9 battle. In less than a month Hunyady died, and 60 day
( later was followed to the grave by John Capistran. III
r reign Of Mohamme II. was marked by violence an
n ~treachery. Again and again he broke faith with his en-
y mics, and garrisons which surrendered under the solen
l. pledge Of the honors Of war, met with ruthless slaughte