Year: 1867




Within the last two days we have published


some interesting and instructive matter relative


to the present condition and immediate pros


poets OF the 1ohammedan empire in Europe.


The letter OF our special correspondent ct
Constantinople, printed in Friday's HERALD, is


an indication Of that revolution Of feeling


which Is taking place in the minds Of all


thoughtful and unprejudiced mea in reference
to the long talked of Eastern question. In
the HERALD Of yesterday We printed letter
from the pen ofanother correspondent-alett letter
conceived in spirit similar to and evidently
called forth by that Of the previous day. The
burden Of these letters may be put in SEN
tence or two. Turkey, though long backward
and inactive, has recently shown . willingness
to advance with the advancing times. Turkey
is fairly entitled to fresh trial, and has right
to ask suspension Of judgment.


For our part We are willing to grant this
suspension. Nay. more; we are willing to give
to the Porte every encouragement in our
power. 1t has long been our opinion that the
government Of the Sultan was the most upjustly
abused of oil existing governments. II had
become the fashion to abuse Turkey, therefore
she was abused. II had become the fashion to
doctor her, therefore she was doctored. The
world said she was sick, therefore she must be
sick. All this was very we'll, and perhaps very
natural, SO long az the Ottoman government
set itself in opposition to the current Of modern
progress and ignored the tendencies of
the times. This opposition is now no more. It
is already thing Of the past. No one who
has made himself at all familiar with the state
Of affairs in the East but knows that revolu-
ton of the most sweeping kind has taken place
in the sentiments and opinions Of Ottoman
rulers. The old spirit OF exclusivism has COM
pletely broken down. Something good, it is
admitted, may comc out of Nazareth. Not only
is the superiority of Christian civilization con-
fessed, its influence is courted, and the long
closed doors have been thrown open 10 receive
it. If proof were wanted to establish the cor
rectness Of our opinions we might point to the
Sultan's recent visit to the west Of Europe.
In itself this visit was revolution. 1t ttrampled
upon all precedent and laid PROSTATE the walls
Of exclusivism. II further proof were de-
manded We should quote the Sultan's own
words. In lis address to Napoleon he said =
"The Sultan comes to visit the Emperor, and
Ilamism renders homage to Christianity"
His language to Queen Victoria was not less
significant :-"Not only do l consider it my
duty to assimilate my Christian subjects to the
Mussulmans, and to regard them as equal be-
fore God and the law, but the interests Of my
fhrop AZ oko for r hon
to govern thirty-six millions of subjects
without removing all barriers which sepa-
rate them, outside even of religious faith"
Nor are these empty words. All our most
authentic intelligence from the East shows us
that they were spoken with truthful and honest
intention. Since his return home the Sultan
has not permitted us to think that he is un-
mindful either Of what he saw or of what he
said. His conduct towards Crete, and the dis
position which he has manifested TO consult
the young and more hopeful class OF Turkish
statesmen whose education has been received
in France and England, encourage rs to be-
lieve that neM era has dawned on the Turkish
empire.


There are many, we are well aware, who
connect all the evils of Mohammedan countries
with the system Of religious belief TO which the
people are welded, and who look for no i'm
provement until that system b extirpated.
This class Of thinkers, we are glad to know,
is at once less numerous and less powerful
than formerly. In intelligent and governing
circles they are gradually sinking into the
minority. Material progress is compatible
with great variation in the religious sentiment
In these days we are less anxious to know
what is the religious belief Of q people than
whether they are willing to receive the steam
engine, with its countless applications and
accompaniments, and whether they have any
objection TO the printing press and the tsle-
graph. These are the great modern forces,
and, materially, they are more potent than any
religion These forces are finding their way
into the Turkish empire, liberal sentiment is
also in the ascendant, and we feel 1t to be our
duty to ask for suspension Of judgment until at
least sufficient opportunity has been given and
fair trial has been made Let us be mag
unanimous as well as exacting.