f the Turkish empire consists of several distinct
races, utterly opposed to each other in religion, habits, descent,
objects, and in every moral and even physical characteristic. The
Turkomans, Kurds, Arabs, Egyptians, Druses, Maronites, Albanians,
Bosnians, Bulgarians, Greeks, Jews, and Armenians, are so many
distinct nations, inhabiting the same or contiguous soils, without
having intermixed in the slightest degree from their earliest
conquest, and without having a single object in common. Over these
dissentient populations stands the pure Ottoman race, the paramount
nation, charged with maintaining the equilibrium between all, and with
neutralizing the ascendancy of one faction by the aid of others. Were
this control not to exist--were the Turks, who represent their
ancestors, the conquerors of the land, to be reduced to a level with
those now beneath them, or were the preponderating influence of the
former to be destroyed by the elevation and equalization of the
latter, perpetual revolts and civil wars could not fail to ensue. The
dependent populations, now constituting so large a portion of the
empire, would continue the struggle until one of them obtained the
supremacy at present exercised by the Turkish race, or until the
territory were divided among themselves, or parcelled out by foreign
powers. In this last hypothesis will be found the whole secret of the
ardent sympathy evinced by most foreigners, especially by the press of
France, for the subjugated races.

"Many benevolent men argue, that the surest means of tranquillizing
the tributaries of the Porte, and attaching them to the government, is
by raising them in the social scale, and by granting to all the same
rights and immunities as are enjoyed by their rulers. But it has been
repeatedly proved, that concessions do but lead to fresh demands, and
that partial enfranchisement conducts to total emancipation. 'And why
should they not?' is often asked. To this may be replied, that the
possession of the Bosphorus and Dardanelles by any other power, or
fraction of power, than the Porte, would be a source of interminable
discord to Europe, and irreparable detriment to England. It would not
only affect our commerce, and undermine our political influence
throughout the East, but would add enormously to our naval
expenditure, by requiring an augmentation of our maritime force
equivalent to that now remaining neuter in the Golden Horn. Treaties,
it is said, might be