Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1911-02-28
THE DIMMING CRESCENT.
Once All Powerful In Europe, It Nc
Longer Counts.

II conditions in Turkey are as bad
as they are pictured in London cables,
the Young Turks are failing as mis-
erably as did Abdul Hamid and his
ministers to prove their fitness for
rulership. The Young Turks began
well by accomplishing the overthrow
of Abdul Hamid by a bloodless coup
d. etat, when a bloody revolution
might have been expected. BY the
| avoidance Of the horrors Of a great
war they won the favor of Christen-
dom. 1t was hoped that the atrocities
practiced by the gloomy recluse of
| the Yildiz palace were at an end. But
| according to the correspondence in
| Europe the mistreatment of the peo-
pie Of Macedonia and Albania has
been indefensible during the last year.
The condition Of "the sick man of
Europe" under Abdul Hamid was such
that interference in the interest Of hu-
manity might not have been discred-
liable to the Christian powers. The
Young Turk movement developed at
the psychological moment. 1t seemed
to promise the cure of the sick man.
If it has failed to do so, and continues
TO record failure the Turkish empire
may collapse.
The crescent Of Islam, as the en-
blem Of state religion, has been dim
ming for seven centuries, since the
Moors were defeated by Alfonso VIII,
of CASTLE, in the battle of Las Navas
de Tolosa. The clan Of the Moors,
from Damascus to Tours, that threat
ened the establishment of Mohamme-
dan rule on the shores of the North
Sea, and the conquest of the whole OF
Europe, was an epic event in world an
nails. According to Gibbon nothing
but the genius of Charles Martel pre-
vented Arab fleets from entering the
Thames and the Koran from being
taught at oxford. At present the
westernmost seat of learning, in which
the Koran is taught, Is the University
of Al-Azhar in Cairo. recently brought
to notice by Col. Roosevelt's Grafton
against the Arabs.--~The~ country that
was called Moghred- ell -Aksa"-"The
Extreme West"-when the Khalifate OF
Damascus was a world power is again
the extreme west of Mohammedanism
Morocco Is comic opera empire
whose population Is very nearly as
barbarous as 1t was when Tarik, the
Squint- Eyed led his horde of Africans
and Arabs into Spain to overthrow the
Goths. Turkey is an undeveloped
country, in which natural resources
and road building are neglected. The
rulers have continued during period
of general enlightenment to practice
| cruelties unknown among the Mos
lens when Cordova and Bagdad were
| their western and eastern capitals
The Mohammedans 1000 years age
were the polite and polished people OF
the world, devoted to literature and the
arts and sciences, as we'll as commerce
industry and agriculture. Today no
Mohammedan population Is making
any progress save under the rulershir
and protection Of Christian nations
and very little progress Is being made
Il
where the British government prevents
interference with their religious be-
| liefs and customs and gives them ev-
cry encouragement to progress. Tur-
key Is the last important Moslem coun-
| try. It might, under wise administra-
| ton, become great. 1t may, under the
kind of government that Abdul Hamid
provided, provoke the interference OF
| Christian powers and end its existence
as an empire. The Mohammedans
were brilliant fighters during the per-
| iod Of their wars of conquest, and al
| least as chivalrous knights as those
who carried a cross into the field. The
Riff tribes in their brush with Spain
have recently shown the fighting spirit
that animated them when the faith OF
the prophet was first brought to North
Africa, and Turkish soldiers have not
lacked yalor in modern times. But
no Mohammedan country has been
well governed during the last four GEN.
turies in comparison with Christian
countries. If the Turks responsible
| for the government Of that country
prove themselves unfit for the task the
empire will deserve extinction. NO
European or Asian country has pre-
sented in modern times the picture OF
the despotism and cruelty Of the dark
ages that Turkey offered under Abdul
| Hamid. If the Young Turks can do no
better they can not reasonably hope to
continue for any great length OF time
| to be permitted to do as badly as the
despot they overthrew.-LouisVlll
Courier Journal.