The Washington herald., 1912-12-01

of the Grecian people and the weakness
and blindness OF their Emperor, first
planted the standards OF Islam on Euro
pean soil, and even to this day the
Moslem crescent shines above the
Mosques in the cities of Gallipon and
Adrianople.
Ottoman Powers Growth.
The Ottoman empire grew and spread
as the Ssrscen and Seljukian powers
before it had done In the year 1853.
under the Sultan. Mahomet II, they laid
siege for the third time to the long
coveted site Of Constantinople.
The Emperor Constantine. with but
5000 troops, made every effort to defend
his native city against the furious and
continued assaults OF the Turks, but all
in vain. On the 18th day of May in
the same year, he fen. calamity defend
ing a breach in the wall. The Moslem
army poured in. ana the Turk was lord
OF Constantinople.
The banner OF Islam replaced the cross
of Christianity on the spires of St So
phia. 1t CLEANS there still, an emblem
OF Mohammedanism, triumphing over
Christianity; OF offensive inhumanity
conquering defensive humanity.
During the middle OF the sixteenth
century the star of the Ottoman empire,
WHICH ndQ 10 rise IHTeG
centuries, reached its zenith.
1t was under Soliman, the magnificent.
the last of the ten great Sultans, that 1t
shone with all the brilliancy of the noon
day sun; 1t seemed fixed.
But as surely as II had risen in the
East, SO surely must II fall in the West
That voice from the Eternal City, which
from the beginning had urged the unity
of Christianity against their common foe
Co. HrHn IL,
this time from the lips OF Plus " warn
ing Europe OF the impending danger. To
tell the story of Lepanto would be to
tell a twice-told tale. The Turks sus-
tanned an overwhelming defeat, and the
bright star of Ottoman destiny began
slowly to decline.
The Attack Upon Vienna.
The Turks were now like a wild beast
at bay. They summoned their strength
and attacked Vienna in the year 1853.
Their fanaticism made them fight like
madmen. The Duke of Lorraine, with
his small band Of warriors, could not
longer resist such fierce assaults. 1t
was an awful moment! Should the Turks
succeed all Europe and Christianity
would succumb to the despottc rule of
Islam. Should they fail then the power
Of the Ottoman empire was forever
broken.
At this juncture, when Christianity and
civilization hung In the balance, as IT.
had done nearly a thousand years before
on the plain of Tours, there arose a
hero equal to the occasion, a worthy
successor to Charles Martel. 1t was
John Sobieski, King Of the Poles. At
the appeal OF Innocent XI, he FASTENED
to the relief of the beleaguered city,
and falling Unexpectedly on the rear of
the panic-stricken Turkish army, he
completely routed their superior forces.
Brave Sobieski, with his banners of VIC
tory flying, marched into the city of
Vienna. The Viennese shouted paeans
Of JOY, and aIl> Europe Joined in thanks
giving.
Islam would never again threaten west
ern civilization. The sword. its sole sup
port, has been forever shivered, and
its fanaticlsm is no longer a match for
the resolute intelligence OF the occi-
dent. Since the siege of Vienna the
Ottoman empire has continued to de-
cline. Misrule, corruption. and dissen-
sions from within; defeat on defeat from |
without. have been the principal fea-
lures in the Turkish drama of the eight |
zenith century.
New Heroes of Marathon.
A quarter of our present century had
IlOI yet CldpSGu llldl spirit VI lTefOOnlI
and love of liberty which had carried |
the heroes Of Marathon, of SaIamis and
Plataea, to victory, again sprang forth
spontaneously and asserted its right to |
be ranked among the nations of the
earth.
After an unequal and almost hopeless
struggle of eight years from 1871 to
1879. IT seemed good to the concerted
powers that Turkeys oppressive and
despotic rule should at length be lifted
from the brow Of struggling liberty. And
once again the Hellenic race was free
Since this signal defeat the Turk has
suffered many other serious losses and
deep humiliations. But he still sur
7ives. Having no history himself. he is
heir to the historical names Constanti-
nople and Nicaea, Jerusalem and Da-
Mecca, Bagdad, Antioch, and
ignorantly holding in pos
session one-half the history OF the world.
There he lies and will not die, not
having within himself the elements OF
destruction.
An obstacle to the civilization and
progress Of the nineteenth century; AMI