Civil and Religious Liberty

APPENDIX.

THE compiler of these Memoirs, while engaged in their prep-, aration, furnished for the “Princeton Review” (October, 1875) a historical sketch of the action of the Turkish government on the subject of “ Civil and Religious Liberty ” during the present century. The official documents, which were gathered from various sources, are transferred to these pages, as having special interest in connection with the subject of this volume. It is believed that they are not elsewhere accessible in this complete and continuous form. They were all issued during the residence of Dr. Goodell at Constantinople. The first document, the history of which is given at page 240 of the Memoirs, is the Ilatti Sherif of Gul Hane, issued by the Sultan, Abdul Medjid, Nov. 3, 1839.

HATTI SHERIF OF GUL HANE.

It is well known that, during the early ages of the Ottoman Monarchy, the glorious precepts of the Koran and the laws of the Empire were ever held in honor. In consequence of this the Empire increased in strength and greatness, and all the population, without exception, acquired a high degree of welfare and prosperity.

For one hundred and fifty years a succession of incidents and various causes has checked this obedience to the sacred code of the law, and to the regulations which emanate from it, and the previous internal strength and prosperity have been converted into weakness and poverty; for, in truth, an empire loses all its stability when it ceases to observe its laws.

These considerations have been ever present to our mind, and since the day of our accession to the throne the thought of the public good, of the amelioration of the condition of the provinces, and the alleviation of the national burdens, have not ceased to claim our entire attention. If we take into consideration the geographical position of the Ottoman Provinces, the fertility of the soil, and the aptness and intelligence of the inhabitants, we shall attain the conviction that, by applying ourselves to discover efficacious methods, the result which, with the aid of God, we hope to obtain, will be realized within a few years.