The Waxahachie daily light. [volume] (Waxahachie, Tex.) 1894-current, 1911-11-25

that strange, exclusive period OF Eu
ropean history, when each natiol
was almost neurological to 1t
neighbors, far away on the easter
onfines of the continent might
struggle was going on, the inevita
BILE struggle of those days, a strue
gle between civilization and barba
rism: for the Mongols from thu
steppes of China, the bleak waste!
of Siberia and the highlands of I1bs
swept down in almost innumerabl'
swarms over the west country o
the Seljuks. and as, contending
every inch, these latter gave way be
fore them. colony after colony fold
ed up their tents, while there was
yet time to do so in peace, ana
came west, seeking safety in dis
lance from their wild and warlike
enemies Among these was the clan
OF Oghuz And it came about that
as they journeyed they came across
a battle A glance showed their
leader. Ertughrul, what was in prog
one of the many struggles, an al
most every day happening at that
time, between the Mongols and some
tribe of the Seljuks; a second glance
decided him, and just when the Sci
juks seemed on the point of defeat
Ertughrul at the head of 400 train
ed warriors. rushed down the hill
side, and converted defeat into vic
tory. 1t was the battle of Angora,
and though but little known, yet III
10
momentous battles in history, foi /
the Sultan of Iconium, TO whose res /
cue Ertughrul had come, granted .
him the right TO pasture his flock
in his dominion and gave him tee
city of Sagut as his headquarters,
and Sagut was the birthplace of the
Ottoman empire. Here in 1858 wss
born Osman, son of Ertughrul, who
was destined to give mis- name to one
of the greatest empires the world has
ever seen, and one which, despite
the many losses of the nineteenth
century, still embraces within its
borders a large part of the earth's
surface Ertughruls plan was peace ,
and consolidation-he strengthened .
has city, trained his followers, exc
cuted Justice and inspired conf
dence. and while the rest of tue
kingdom was splitting up into vart-
GUS antagonistic factions and petty
states he husbanded his strength, sc
that when Osman followed his faith
or in 1901 he was the strongest mai
in that corner of Asia Minor. Tn
other section quickly came unde
his sway either voluntarily or b!
CONQUEST. and then Osman sough
victories further affeld He looked
toward the Greek cities of the Hell
Jespont. and even to COnstantfnop'e
herself One after another they fell
before him, until finally he took
Brusa. the capital of Bfthynia, ana |
made ii the first city in his kin 0dom'
Era of War and Conquest.
in these two reigns, of Ertughrul |
md his son Osman, we have out
med in bold strokes the policy and Z
history of the Ottoman stacking c
empire for the next 800
ears-war and conquest followed by c
eace and consolidation and thea
lore war and more conquest-first t
gaiust the degenerate Greeks or t
he eastern empire and ultimately
gainst the combined forces of prac- t
lcaHy the whole of Christian I'm g
ope Orkhan 1326-59) for the !
irst few years Of his reign prose- {
,ufed zealously the policy of aggran- {
iizement adopted by his father Os- Z
man-took Nicaea in 1880, and :,
few years later conquered the prov
incc Mysia and added it TO his king
dom. and then for 30 years there
was peace.
glance at the map win make /
cfea~ what had been accomplished up F.,
20 This time, In two generations
the little clan Of Nomads had pos
sessed themselves Of the whole
northwest corner of Asia Minor and
obtained the command Of the east
ern shores OF the BOsphorus and Pro-
points" Brusa had fallen long ago
and now Nicaea. one OF the most
famous cities in Christendom, han
Cs0iru'ated 10 these apparently in
yucble people, and the wealthy
pleasure loving Greeks of CONSTANT
last word in everything corrupt and
euasculated, looked with anxiety
across the blue waters Of BOsphorus
towards the white shores Of Asia
Minor from whence came always the
same story of conquest ever coming
nearer The last thing the Greeks
would DO was TO resort 70 arms
rather than that they would adopt
almost any device, suffer almost am
iudiRnity and agree 10 almost any
terms. One OF the commonest meth
DDS OF securing peace was for the
Emperor to grant the Ottoman SUI
tar the right to deyastate Chris
tan province Of the empire and car
~ off the Inhabitants as slaves. pro
vifed the province Was sufficiently
far from Coustantinople The people
groaned under a great load Of tax
alton enforced in order that an evcl
Increasing tribute demanded by tho