The Turk and Armenian.

Hastings Standard, Issue 266, 9 March 1897, Page 4

The Turk and Armenian.

[Fortnightly Eeview.] Whatever may have been the case in the past, the Ottoman now yields to few in the toleration he extends to the religious practices of others. For example, during many decades, wfffle Englishmen, of the established church must worship with Jews, Turks and Infidels "without the walls" of Christian Rome, in heathen Constantinople they were permitted to conduct services openly according to the doctrines of their own faith. The reason for this toleration need find no explanation here, but it cannot be too often repeated that the religion of the Armenian is a matter of comparative, if not of absolute indifference to the Turk. The Jew, the Greek the German, abide in the city in their thousands. To the true believer all are Giaours, and he does not attempt to distinguish between them, nor, when his fanaticism is aroused, does he extend the honor of massacre to one in preference to another. With the Armenian it is different. The Turk of the lower orders, who understands, and wishes to understand, nothing of the home nor the foreign policy of his Government, has a fixed conviction that the Armenian has no claim to exist on this side the Bosphorus. He, however, suffers his presence there and lets him as a rule work and worship where and how he will. In return he demands that the Armenian should respect his life as a citizen ; that certain trades should be followed by Ottomans only ; certain articles manufactured by him alone. It is, for instance, as intolerable to AH Baba that an Armenian should sit by the wayside and mix RahatLakoum as it would be for the Duke of Allshire that a Hottentot should place himself on the crimson benches of the House of Lords and take part in a debate. The Armenian thoroughly understands the Ottoman's manner of looking at things, and is aware that if he insists on twirling Turkish-Delight round the regulation stick in defiance of the other man's wishes, he does it at his peril. To the Ottoman, community of occupation with those of alien race is impossible, and lie argues thus :—" I and my sons are bakers and barbers, you and your sons are lapidaries and gardeners, but if you bid one of your sons be barber, a second baker, a third lapidary and a fourth gardener, all is confusion, and how can good come of it ? Furthermore, he is no barber or baker who does not belong to the Guild of the Barbers and the Guild of the Bakers. If your son go not to the Peshkadim and rank himself among the apprentices ; next to the Tcnaoosh, to bid him inscribe his name on the rolls ; then to the Kihaya, to pay him toll, how should he be member of the guild? Ask of the Bcheikh if I have not spoken well." And well according to his lights has the poor Osmanli discoursed, and when we call to mind the jealousy with which our own artisans guard their several callings from interlopers, we should understand him better than we do. As a matter of fact it is in any case inevitable that the Armenian should crowd out the Turk. Feast days and fast days, first foes of trade, count for little with the rayah ; his wealth too is in his favor, for the ancient abundance of the guilds is gone, and whenever a business is to be sold, a concession to be had for money oramonoply to be disposed of, an Armenian stands ready to outbid a Turk. The Armenian also, while clinging stolidly to his own rights and privileges, tries to make himself one with the Turk whenever is a question of absorbing any the hitter enjoys. Kven the dress of the rayah now differs little in form and color from that of the ruling race, though the Turk fought valiantly, garment by garment, for his distinctive wardrobe. 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Tin n tin opportunity <>f b)Oiat< d m ighbor, Ainu mail and iwiur (tin nighuut the Balkan pi tuiiMila the U impale *._\in>n\ mow-.), in wliim di ht tin iii nut in \iiiialih l , win tin r hi li. tin owner nl tin I'jimalint to a nn u >iue .unl cow, or of a fur dom un with lordly ken ik in ih imdil it l- j>u-t of the hnlldhuldi )' 11 »Ik*todi fi l t'u re< kon in.' ila\ till tin ilip'irture of di btor a*, toiwript, fot In know > iii a the kiiwni n nl tin latter ,in rari K inlltn ntnil or t m rgi l i no'igh to hirht hi-, bitlli'i ill I'll itlnitiif, while lb. \iitiin him~<lf m Mum ritnrn-> to do i l.iri that th. iimi i Luiiud w.n trt.---^h in i Mi- of whit In had nrei\t>l and tin it nn-. of tiii .i.'ii imi nt ntlifi th in liny w irr.uit. d winn In tivd hi j'ainp tt< i' Thu- Lh i h.ldri u •(< 100 oft' II dll\i n fiom t' iit hoi .i , i i 1 h.iAi I > t>i th« Hit forth n>i 1 1 -. 1 ' tin.. alloM.d ih. tn i : . •!„ [ t .J . - r< latiw , wli.ii tin h.un tilt' . i'iii to Vin. Nt in \n tii.it., ,-u t .', ■ on Un u.i-iliK' i I'uii.indfold ,i _i u-. l'.H'M *ilnt« 1- v In ! itioll