Rensselaer Union, Volume 8, Number 6, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 28 October 1875 — Oriental Justice. [ARTICLE]

Oriental Justice.

Some years since, yhen Prince Murat and his family, were traveling in the Orient, he was taken sick, and on the Way from Stamboul to Jaffa became so ill that he considered it prudenj to discontinue the journey for a few days and remain over at the latter place; his wife, and daughter, however, continued their travels until they reached Jerusalem. The Pasha had been informed of the contemplated visit some weeks previous, and in honor of such distinguished visitors had ordered the principal streets to be newly paved and the road between the Holy City and Jaffa to be put in order, and made tolerably passable.

It was a time of terror for the fellahs (peasants), for all these improvements were not to be accomplished at the expense of Pasha or Government. The soldiers and prisoners were set to work, and where their labor proved insufficient a rope was stretched across the streets and roadway extending to the city gate and every fellah coming in or going out was arrested with his camels or donkeys and forced to work, receiving his reward on his back in the shape of a beating, and having one piaster placed to his credit, to be paid in some dim future day. Merchants were ordered to partake of the general glorification by painting their shop-doors and windows green. His Highness Prince Murat might come now as soon as he pleased. Alas! Fate with her unfathomable ways and tricks plays with Turks just as she does with other mortals. The IMnce remained in Jaffa, and the whole Mohammedan world was not a little chagrined to find that all this “ fuss” and labor had been expended for nothing but a woman. With flambeaus and Turkish music the Princess was escorted over the newlypaved streets to the residence of the French Consul. Of course the Pasha heard how charmed the lady was with the beautiful streets and excellent roads. It was really dreadful, though, that this appreciative creature, and a Princess at that, should meet with a mishap in the very presence of the Pasha! The entrance, namely, leading to the holy sepulchre is narrow and low, and the stately Princess could not bend sufficiently (owing, probably, to some spinal defect; ’tis a royal inheritance, this stiffness in the back, although I’ve known some ordinary individuals to be afflicted the same way) to admit her without bringing her brow in contact with the rocky pediment: and this resulted with such force that the lady fell fainting to the ground. Such Oriental confusion as followed is indescribable.

The Pasha sent orders to the patriarchs of the church that the entrance should be torn down and a larger and more elegant portal built immediately to prevent any such distressing occurrence in future. This proved a very apple of discord among the ecclesiastics—the Catholic and Greek clergy. They could not decide which had the best right to rebuild, and thus claim the portal, or how great or small the expense attending it, and how much each, should contribute toward its erection. The cunning Greeks meanwhile were not idle. During the quarrel they had secretly ordered stones to be hewn, and in the night they took down the old and built the new portal. This created a terrible storm, that did not end in a simple quarrel of words; Catholic, Greek, Armenian, Kopte—all joined in the disturbance until arrested by the Turkish kawasses (soldiers) and brought before the Pasha. He was seated on his divan, ink and pen at his side, and listened, in silence, to this babel of races. “We have the best right to build the gate ;_we are the greatest in number and the wealthiest!” screamed the Greek mob.

“ Santa Madonna delorata!” shouted the Franciscans; “we have lived here for 600 years and more, and yet are to be prohibited from building this gate!” The Pasha smoked his narghiley quietly for some title, then he suddenly exclaimed to an officer: “Mustapha, go, take laborers, and tear the portal down; leave not one stone on its foundation!” Mustapha bowed and withdrew. The joy of the scholars w r as as wild as the rage of the Greeks, but the Pasha sternly bade them be silent. Mustapha returned. “ Thy will, O Pasha, has been done.” “ Where is the master-mason?” The master is brought before him. “ Mason, what is your demand for rebuilding this portal?!^— “Six hundred piasters, O Pasha!” “ Very well, begin your work!” The mason departs, and the Pasha turns to the Christians, saying: “ I am going to erect this portal myself, as you have seen, for I am just, and you shall pay me 600 piasters each. The business is ended.” Wise decree, the Pasha rebuilds with the material torn down, pockets 1,800 piasters from the various warring denominations, and makes peace.— Translated for the tit. Louis Republican.