The Turks in Europe, a Sketch of Manners & Politics in the Ottoman Empire (Paperback)

Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: CHAPTER II. REQUIEM OF TURKEY. Barbarian Turks ? Manners ? Degradation ? Effects of the Reform ? Infinitesimal Improvements ? An old Prophecy ? Haiti Sherif of Gulhane ? Sultan Mah- moud ? Conservatives in the East ? Transaction of public Business?How to get a Princedom?Purchased Audiences. Many travellers, from various points of view, have described the public and private condition of Turkey in Europe; but I do not find that any of them have given an exact estimate of the state of civilization, in that country. It is my conviction that the Turks are still a pre-eminently barbarous race, and that instead of having been benefited by contact with European civilization, they have deteriorated in a rapidly increasing ratio within the last few years. As I wish to convey these opinions, or rather the facts which are the basis of them, into the minds of asmany persons as possible, I shall be, as far as time will allow, narrative but brief. I wish my pictures to be carried away in the memories of those who read; for it is impossible that the thousands of persons who are interested in this discussion can properly appreciate the arguments and observations put forward in the best portion of the press, unless they are perfectly aware of the state of manners and morals in the land of the Turks. The horde of barbarians which of old threatened to overrun the whole of Europe and submerge its civilization?which founded an empire whose annals form some of the most brilliant pages of history?retain now scarcely a trace of their former character. Their enthusiasm has subsided into gross egotism. Their faith has become mere heavy bigotry. They have, in fact, reached a depth of moral and political degradation which those who believe in the reform will find it difficult to accept. Nor is t...