SIR FREDERICK SMITE'S TRANSLATION OF MARSIIAL MARMONT'S STATE Ok"rnE TURKISH

EMPIRE.

" Tile revolution of 1830 having," in the words of Colonel SMITE, " compelled Marshal Malmo:sr to expatriate himself; he took up his residence at Vienna, and remained there till 1834 ; when, be- coming weary of the monotony of an inactive life, he set out on a tour through Hungary, Transylvania, Southern Russia, the Krimea, Turkey, and Egypt." Of this tour he published a journal; from which Colonel SMITH has selected the portion re- lating to Turkey, and translated it ; introducing it by a precis of the remainder of the tour ; illustrating or commenting upon the text in elaborate notes; and appending a disquisition on the pre- sent state of affairs in the East, in which lw combats the conclu- sions of MARMONT as to the inevitable decadence of Turkey, and points out what he conceives to be the proper course for Great Britain to pursue in regenerating the (Winton race.

The original work of Marshal MARMONT., so far as Colonel SMITH'S translation enables us to judge, possesses two distinct characters. The narrative of his journey, and the description of what he saw ill nature, life, art, or antiquity, partakes of the com- monplace. lie is clear, precise, and rapid, but superficial; de- scribing the obvious rather than the essential; presenting his opinion of things instead of' their character ; and altogether wear- ing somewhat of the air of an official reporter upon subjects to which reports are not germane. his criticisms on the Turkish army—his account of its formation, and of the causes of its de- fective state—his remarks upon the Turkish government and people—as well as his narrative of the campaign of IBRAHIM ia Syria—resemble in composition the other parts of his work, but their matter is of a very superior kind. The Marshal has been practically engaged in the command of armies, and the government of countries in a backward or disorganized condition ; and he brings a fiuniliar acquaintance, if not a philosophical mind, to the consideration of the military and political subjects he dis- cusses. Ile has looked at Turkey and its resources with the same eye as if he had been charged with the responsibility of governing or defending the country with its existing means, or with such as he could call into existence. Bence his con- clusions have a distinctness, a precision, and a correspondence with the nature of things, which are not found in the projects of Dien who are ignorant of the working of great affairs and cannot supply the place of such knowledge by comprehensive speculation. We do not mean to say that Marshal MARMONT'S political bias may not incline hint to favour Russia ; or that the civilities and atten- tions he received timn that power, during his tour in her Southern provinces, may not have influenced his mind ; or that, in estimating the results of a Turkish war of occupation, he may not have con- fined his attention too closely to Constantinople, without consider- ing the vulnerable points of Poland, and the Baltic, anti the effect which attacks upon those points might produce : but we think that his judgment upon existing affitirs is trtte and sound.

The pith of the Marshal's opinion 1111t3' be soon stated. He conct•ives the decay of Turkey inevitable ; that it cannot be averted by any circumstances that are or can be created ; and that lime Sultan " can only exist by the support of others." The grounds upon which he thrums his judgment are—the nature of the people, and the government. The inhabitants of' Furkey are not homogenous; the Turks being probably the fewest in number, and greatly disliked by the Christians and others, whom they have oppressed for ages; Nvhilst what feelings of nationality they po,sessed have been broken down by tile changes of the late Sultan. Devoid of an aristocracy, which by education and habit should be fit to command, and not possessing those institutions which train men by degrees for civil or military employment, the equality of the Turks is merely all equality of incapacity ; men by luck (if the caprice of' the monarch being appointed indifferently and alternately to naval, military, and employment, without previous experience in ally. Such a state opposed to any European power, or even to Egypt, lutist, as the events oflate years have shown, be inevitably worsted;

but even this bad condition has been deteriorated. The changes of the Sultan have been merely formal and mischievous. lie has broken the prejudices and destroyed the enthusiasm of his people; but left all their natural and institutional defects untouched. He has substituted an ugly cap for a turban, and an ungainly frock- coat for a robe ; but the vices of oppression, corruption, and favouritism, with its consequent irregularity in government and inca- pacity in officers, are much as they were. Of the army the Marshal

gives it very bad account ; differing greatly from that of some other writers, who had not, however, his experience in military affairs.

Of the navy he speaks better, so far as regards the ship he in- spected.

"After having thoroughly examined the arsenal, the Capudan Paella proposed that I should visit the fleet, consisting of five ships completely armed. I ac- cepted the invitation to go on board the flag-ship only, the Mahmoudie, a three-decker, carrying 130 guns. Although a magnificent vessel, she is con- sidered rather short fbr her other proportions.

" In all Turkish men-of-war, the guns are of brass ; and that metal is elabo- rately used in their interior decoration.

" I was much surprised at the wonderful expertness of the crew of the Mali- moudie, composed exclusively of Turks. By command of the Capudan Pacha, they perfloaned the small-arm and great-gun exercise, manned the yards, went aloft, and comedown by the stays, the whole being done with a celerity and preci- sion that could not have been surpassed by the smartest French sailors. On ex- pressing my admiration to the Capetian Pacha, lie replied, • It is by dint of pains- taking and punishment that I have brought things to this state, for there is

not one of these tine fellows who has not received bre I !red blows with the stick.' It would appear that a severity of corporal punishment is suited to the Turkish character, for these men are thoroughly drilled in their exercise, and well disciplined; and as there were at the period of my inspection only eight invalids in this crew of I,200 sailors, we may inter that in the system adopted there is nothing injurious to health."

With respect to the designs of Russia, Marshal MA RMONT does not think her object is the conquest of Turkey ; it being more for her interest to maintain the duties (pa). She has obtained the sole navigation of' the Black Sea, and free access to the Mediterranean : the possession of Constantinople would give her no more, with all the risks of an outbreak from theTurkish masses, the opposition of the other European powers, ending perhaps in a general war, and the drain upon her own population, which would Hock to Turkey. Should circumstances, however, stimulate an armed occupation of the country, he conceives Russia would most probably succeed, in despite of the opposition of France and England.

"At Sebastopol, one of the finest harbours in the world, Russia has twelve sail of the line, perfectly armed, equipped, and ready for sea. In the immediate neighbourhood, a division of the army is eantoned; it could embark in two days, and in three more reach Constantinople; the distance between Sebastopol and the Bosphorus being only one hundred and eighty miles, and a speedy passage almost a matter of certainty, owing to the prevalence of northerly winds, and the constant current from the Eosin° towards the sea of Marmora. Thus, on the breaking out or disturbances at Constantinople, or the appre- hension of intertimence from the allied fleet, that of Russia would pass the Bosphorus, with 12,000 troops on hoard, and take up such a position as circum- stances might dictate; whilst an army of 60,000 men would cross the Danube, pass the Balkans, and place itself at Adrianople; these movements being effected with so much promptitude and facility, that in Paris and London the intimation of the departure or the armament and of its arrival on the scene of action would probably be received together, the operations being of such a nature that no circumstance whatever could prevent their being carried into execution."

Marshal MARMOT next proeeds to investigate at length the military modes of resisting the attacks by land and sea of England, France, or Austria. Upon these we do not profess ourselves com- petent to tbrm a judgment ; but it appears to us, that the refortifi- cation of the Dardanelles (the present defences the Marshal reckons of no account) would require time; and that the author has confined his attention solely to Turkey, indirectly assuming that Russia, unattacked in other places, would be left at leisure to concentrate her forces upon the Danube and Constantinople,—an assumption scarcely probable when it came to war. The remarks of Colonel Sir FR EDERICK SMITH upon the views of Marshal Ai A RAIONT, do not appear to us in any way to invalidate his conclusions. The main facts upon which the distinguished Frenchman has based his judgment, are not denied ; and the means proposed tbr reform in Turkey fiat under the head of what the Marshal calls a "combination of circumstances which do not exist and cannot be created." The army is to be entirely remodelled; " the occupiers of land are to be assured that no demand will be made upon them beyond such a fixed tax as will leave them a thir remuneration for their labour ;" the Paellas and other public func- tionaries are to be regularly paid from the public treasury,—a thing almost unknown in Oriental economy, and contrary to the genius of the people ; exactions by these worthies are to be prohibited by " severe penalties,"—the present penalty, when enforced, which it is when the exactor has grown rich, is severe enough, being often death, and always confiscation ; the rule quanulin belie sew gesse- rint is to be applied to officers in the army, who are only to be " removed, or otherwise degraded or punished, by the award of a court of their peers,"—a plan, in a political sense, for establishing an oligarchy of soldiers, and destructive besides of the very first principles of military rule ; Syria is to be reduced under the sway of the Sultan,—which means, we conceive, that England is to pay for its conquest ; and, (hard task for our Ministry!) a govarnment system of education is to be improved for the Turkish soldiers. All which things, besides the two difficulties argued upon by Cob-

el SMITH—an opportunity for our interference, and the consent of the Turks—imply the exercise of a more despotic power by the British Government, than the legitimate despots wielded in their palmiest days.

Leaving the Egyptian campaign in Syria, and the judicious com- ments of Marshal MARMONT upon it, with the remark that it is the clearest technical narrative we ever read, and derives additional interest from passing circumstances, we will glean a few extracts from the miscellaneous parts of the Volume.

COMPARATIVE COSTS OP EUROPEAN SOLDIERS.

120 English soldiers cost as much as 538 Russian soldiers.

120 French 340 ditto.

120 Prussian `)40 ditto.

120 Austrian "12 ' ditto.

As, however, the Russian army consists of nearly 600,000 regu- lar soldiers, the military expenditure must be considerable. Ac-

cording to a Parliamentary Return, (No. 528, sess. 18380 the of 78,080 effective men in 1837 was 3,941,996/.

EFFECTS OF THE SULTAN'S REFORM,

There was an excellent opportunity of judging of the difference of hh, and new costumes on this occasion, as examples of both were before us f, the adoption of the latter, all the dignity of the Turkish it has hees)„. Instead of the grarefid turban and the ample trousers which the Turks foe, merly wore, they now appear in slew: less frock-coats, pantaloons, nod so, coming caps. None but the Chaim are pm% ileged to. wear the mail:rake% and they atone reminded its of the beauty and magnificence that so strongly marked their race in former days. The441hers bad a 111Vall and wretched look:. the aspect of a fallen people. The delusion of the East has vanished witht4 change of dress,

ALI PAN] A'S Pit ACTIC E.

In the years 1800 and 1807, I was in daily communication with Ali Nein, who from having been a cominon robber had risen to the rank of Vizier,m4 hail almost become an independent sovereign. His energy, cunning, at cruelty are well known, and have rendered hint as celebrated as the catastrophe that closed his days. This it had ilot t he dignity of Mustapha Banana, for his practice was to ask for every thing he wanted, and never to declines; Mier.

TI1E COMMANDER OF THE GUARDS.

Aehmed Pacha, who is the Commander-in-Chief of the Guards, is intelli gent, obliging, well-disposed, and diffident ; but be is indebted for hits rapid • elevation to the caprice and favour of his master. These are, as they ever hue been, the grand introductiOna 10 important (dices. Achmet Paella, like 'ha generality of Turks, commenced life as an artisan. lie seas a 410etnalier sot also a waterman of the port. I was told, that while on an eniliar at Petersburg, where he was treated iv jib great respect, he on one occasion wen; to see the barracks, when, in passing a workshop of the Guards, he could not resist the desire of displaying his ability, and quitting the cortege that seem. pained lam, he surprised every one hy takiii.r up a shoemaker's aof and syytil, and giving an immediate proof that he had. ro,t none of his former dexterity, Colonel SMITH adds, in a note- " A few months since, I he Sultan appointed Adana Paella to the Aced ;. Capdalan Paella, or Il igh Admiral. Ile has hoisted his flag in the thirst sbipof war ; and should the fleet be engaged, he will have to command it. it to conceive how skilfully it will be managed, and what confidence the crest can have in such a chief."

As 1110SI if not all of our colonies in the Southern hemisphere are said to be fitvourable for the cultivation of silk, we will take— A IIINT TO THE crtoweits or MI7 LP. ERR Y-LEA VES. Braga is a man utneturing town for artieles of silk ; and the situation being very favourable ibr silk-worms, they are 1:c1ct hem in great numbers, which leads to an extensive cultivation of the mulberry-tree.

The system pursued in this district appeareat to me the most judicious I lid ever seen.

It is usual elsewhere to grow lienetith the mulberry plantations smaller tract or vegetables; but here that system is reversed, flir the mulberry-trees are topped, giving them a pollard form, and bony olive or cot her fruit-trees are placed in the intervals. The result is, that tic fruit is as alnualant as if the nil were appropriated entirely to its cultic:11Mo, nil the produce in mulberry. leaves is not diminished hy their growing in the shade, so that a double crop it ohtnined ftom the same portion of land. I consider this practice worthy of notice, from the perfect SlIECUSS th:It at Mak it.

SYRIAN CLEMENCY.

Twenty years since, the Emir havimt term nilleCeS4111 in a contest for power with two of his nephews, he caused their Cyes tin he put out. At a mama- cent period, two of his cousie a conspired ;;;;Iiost bin; ; mid their plot listing been discovered, they promised fidelity for the futttre, on receiving the Emir's finiveness ; adding, that if they failed to redeem their pledge, they would consent to be deprived of sight and the power of speech.

Some little time after, their trencherv seas renewed, and on its deteetion they were arrested. Emir Beschir having iisked them what late they had intended for him in the event of their success, they answered, " Death." lie then saiit he should be satisfied with the intlim ion of the punishment stipulated by the conditions of the pardon he had extended to them on the discovery of s their former conspiracy ; and immediately Hie razor was applied to their tongues end the red-hot iron to their eves. One of them was a Chrktian end the other a Mahometan. The thriller a moor hOth blind and speechless; but . the latter retains the power of vision, although in a very imperfect degree,ani can still speak intelligibly. The Emir's treatment of' these relatives is here regarded as an act of de• mency !

We close with a point for the biographer of Marshal Maasiost Duke of Ragusa. In describing his mode of travel in the wilder- ness, or his tour to Bitalbeck and Damascus, he adds—" Our daily practice was to pitch our tents near a spring; adopting throughout this journey a style of living that constantly reminded me duly early cainpaigning days, which were the happiest qf my life."