Year: 1877




Turkeys Decision-What Next
Two hundred and thirty-seven digni-
taries and officials of the Ottoman Empire.
organized as Grand Council have declared
that Turkey must fight rather than submit
to further conditions proposed by Europe
and have refused to remit the decision in
the case to the Sultan, but have dictated to
him that he, as well as Europe, must accept
the decision thus given. In this there is nm
exhibition by what might be called political
vivsection of q process not uncommon IN
the growth of nations, in which an execu-
tive not theoretically subject to popular
control gives place to one that is admittedly
and professedly the organ Of the popular
will His Majesty the Sultan has become
puppct in the most extreme degree, and His
Excellency the Grand Vizier is the lord
and leader Of the Ottomans. For seven
hundred years the Office of Grand Vizier has
existed in the Ottoman scheme of politics,
and the holders have been practically the
lieutenants Of the Sultan. The word
vizier is Arabic, and signifies porter.
The grand viziers have borne the burden of
executive duties. and the sultans have en-
joyed the dignities. the pleasures, the
glories of the sovereign Office. If any honor
was to be accredited for great achievement
it went to the sultans If fany head was to
be cut off in expiation of blunder the
Grand Vizier's head was handy. But labor
and the conception that it's occupant could
be made responsible have caused the growth
of one office; the pursuit of pleasure
and immunity from responsibility have
produced the atrophy OF the other.
In the recent advance to foremost
position of the extreme Moslem element OF
the Turkish people there is great revolu-
ton, and that revolution has put forward
as its exponent and organ Midhat Pacha
and has intimated to the Sultan that if he
becomes on obstacle to its purposes he will
be dealt with as were Murad and Abdul
Aziz. Sultans no longer command the do
capitation of viziers, but the vizier summons
Grand Council, procures that that council
shall promulgate as its own will whatever
he has determined to do, and warns the
Sultan not to put himself in danger by
standing in the way. War might at such a
moment destroy the Empire it finds in o
transition state, but successful war in
such circumstances would establish the
change as a progressive stage in the national
history. It is to this moment altogether
uncertain whether there will be war.
Russia is obviously less eager for tho fray
since it has been known that England would
interfere to defend Constantinople. All the
rest of Turkey is bagatelle to Russia COM
pared to tho city on the Bosphorus and if
she may fight and waste her treasure and
whip the Turks and yet not gain the goal Of
her ambition, why should she fight at oil?
From this point of view, therefore, it is
evident that England really supports tho
Turks at last, however much she may
declare her indifference to their fate, and
Russia probably does not care to fight the
Turks on such conditions.


Practicable Canal Route Across tho


Isthmus.


The physical difficulties to be overcome in
the construction of an interoceanic ship
canal are many and varied in character. It
will be remembered that the region of the
Isthmus is peculiarly circumstanced rs to
topography and meteorological conditions,
the latter presenting by no means the least
important problems for solution. The ex-
treme abruptness Of the former is largely
due to its volcanic origin and to the
violent disturbances to which it has
been subjected from the same cause.
The mountain chain which connects tho
systems of North and South America
traverses the length of the Isthmus like q
great natural wall This is broken at irreg-
ular intervals by canyons or deep narrow val
leys, which form the drainage outlets from
the watershed of the mountains. AS pri-
mary necessity to success it has been the con-
stant aim of the explorers and engineers to
discover which Of these breaks in tho noun
tain wall presents the least summit elevation
above the sen level. Every valley or canyon
that was deemed by general observation or
reported to be among the practicable passes
has been carefully explored and the levels
through it from the sea ascertained by in
strumental surveys, so that as far as o thor
ough knowledge Of the ground can be ac-
quired the different routes suggested rs
feasible have been examined by United
States engineers.


In view of this fact, and after careful
comparison has been made of the results of
the several surveys, it has not been found
difficult to determine which is the most
practicable route for IN interoceanic canal.
The fear that the merits of any other lines
have been overlooked in the complete and
patient exploration of the Central American
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