MARK TWAIN ON TURKS.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XII, Issue 64, 15 March 1877, Page 4

MARK TWAIN ON TURKS.

A writer in the Anglo-Indian Commercial; Advertiser says:—-.

I have been rather ana ueed in glancing through Mark Twain's 'New Pilgrim's Progress,' published a few years ago, to read some of his opinions on the Turks, and to see how thoroughly tbe writer then ventilated the very ideas that have been so prevalent in diacaseiou during the past few weeks. He says of the Syrians: If ever an oppressed race existed, it is this one we see fettered around us under the inhuman tyranny of the Ottoman. Empire, I wish Europe would let Russia anni-. hilate Turkey — a little, not much,, but enough to make it difficult to find the place again without a divining-rod or a diyjgg bell. The Syrians are ver-y poor, and yet they are ground down by a system of taxation that would drive any other nation frantic. Last year their taxes were heavy enough, in ail conscience; but this year they have been increased by the addition of tases that were forgiven them in times of famine in former years. On the top of this the Government has levied a tax of one-tenth the whole proceeds of the land,. This is only half the story.. Thapacha of a pachalic does not trouble himself with appointing tax-collectors. He figures up what all these taxes ought to amount to in a certain district. Then he farms the collection out. He calls the rioh men together; the highest bidder gets the speculation, pays the pacha on the spot, and then sells out ta smaller fry, who sell in turn to a. horde of still smaller fry. These latter compel, the. peasant to bring bis little trifle of grain to the village at his own oost. It must be weighed, the various taxes set apart, and the remainder returned to the producer.. But the collector delays this duty day after day, while, the producer's family are perishing for bread. At last tbe poor wretch, who cannot bot understand the game, says, ' take a quarter, take half, take two thirds if you will, and let me goi"; It is a most outrageous state of things. Further on he says: ' We called at the mausoleum of tbe 5000 Christians who were massacred in Damascus in 1861 by the Turks. They Bay those narrow streets ran with blood for several days, and tbat men, and children, were butchered indiscriminately, and left to rot by hundreds, ali ihrough the Christian Quarters; they say further that the stench was dreadful. All the Christians who could get away fled from tbe city, and the Mahommedans would not defile their bands by burying the " infidel dogs." The thirst for blood extended to the highlands of Hertnon and anti-Lebanon, and in a short time 25,000 more Christians were massacred and their possessions laid waste. How they hate a Christian iv Damascus, apd pretty much all over Turkeydom as. well, and how they will pay for it when Russia turns her lorues upon them again! It is soothing to the heart to abustj England and Fiance for interposing to save the Ottoman Empire from the destruction which it has so richly deserved lor a thoud-md years. It. hurts my vanity to see those pagans refuse to eat of the food that has beencooked for us, or to eat from a dish we have eaten lrom, or to drink from a goatekiu which we have polluted with our Christian lips, except by filtering the water through a rag which they put over the mouth of it, or through a sponge! I never disliked; a Chinaman like I do these degraded Turks and Arabs, and when Russia is ready to war with them again, I hope England and France will not find it good breeding or good judgment to interfere.