TURKEY'S FUTURE BY AN AMERICAN.
President Washburn, of Robert College, located in Constantinople, is an American. Mr. Washburn has been a resident of Constantinople for a number of years, and occupying the position he does, he has had an opportunity to learn the real condition of the Turkish empire and government as correctly as any foreigner. In a letter to the Independent Mr. Washburn writes:— "The whole question of general reform [in Turkey] is bound up with the financial question, and if he [Mr. Goschen, the new British minister to Turkey] insists on the appointment of a European commission to manage the finances, as has been done in Egypt, this commission must have power to control the expenditures of the Sultan and the palace. It must control the assessment and collection of taxes, and must have power to secure such public security and good order in the country as will enable the people to pay taxes. Mr. W. thinks the Sultan will consent to this only when 'the fleets of Europe are lying in the Bosphorus.'" He then expresses his entire want of confidence in the possibility of Turkey's reforming without being exterminated. He says:— "The empire has sunk too low, the government is too thoroughly disorganized, the people are too near starvation, the financial ruin is too complete for any sudden change for the better. It will be the work of years, and it is at least doubtful whether Europe will have the patience to carry it through, or whether new complications will not arise which will put an end to the empire altogether." Robert College was established at Constantinople because it was understood by its founders that the time had come for the great work of converting the world to commence, and that the Moslems with all others would soon be Christianized. President Washburn took the charge of that institution, hoping and expecting that the Turkish government had commenced reforms which would result in its speedily becoming thoroughly Christian. He had a buoyant hope that he should become an honored instrument under God of accomplishing such a glorious work. From this certainly honorable stand-point he was very slow to be convinced that the Turkish Empire must be dashed in pieces for its increasing wickedness, and not to be converted. The above quotations from his pen certainly show that as an honest man he has been driven by the resistless march of events to conclude that the empire is now more liable to come to a bloody end than to a glorious reformation. This subject of Turkey's reformation, or final overthrow, is to us of great importance, from the fact that the empire has been considered by all classes of expositors as occupying a prominent place in the prophecies; all believing that it is destined at about the present time to experience a radical change. The question of its future was earnestly discussed forty years ago by two classes of expositors, the Post-millenarian and Pre-millenarian Adventists. The former class contended that the time had nearly come for Turkey and other unchristian nations to be converted to Christ, while the latter class understood the prophecies to teach that the time had nearly come for the Turkish Empire to be utterly broken up and demolished. The latter theory was taught by the church without a change, by any respectable class, for sixteen hundred years, until Daniel Withby introduced his new hypothesis (about one hundred and fifty years ago), the conversion of the world by the gospel. As both classes looked for an immediate demonstration of the correctness of their theory by great prophetic changes among the nations, and some especially definite changes in Turkey, all eyes were turned to see who would anchor safely on the Golden Horn, and who would worship safely at St. Sophia. One class said the nations of Europe will lay down their arms; the other class said, They will greatly increase them. One class said, The Grand Turk will become a Christian; the other class said, He will be forsaken of all the nations, and, in a fit of wrath and bloody revenge, will be swept into his national grave by the combined action of the Roman nations. We have stated the case as it was discussed forty years ago. Which argument has been sustained by passing events for the last two-score years? There can but one answer be given. President Washburn confesses that Turkey's immediate future will probably be just what those looking for the speedy advent of Christ anticipated. It is to us a strong argument that the end of the Turkish government is not only near, but that the end of all wicked governments is also near.—Exchange.