Winchester Gazette

TURKEY.
After the close of the Season of Ramadan the Janissaries appear to have broken out in revolt at Constantinople, and to have pillaged all the houses of the Greeks and Franks. Several Mussulmen, whom they suspected of favoring opposite views, fell victims to the sanguinary dispositions of these barbarians. The Jews, in particular, are said to have been the objects of their fury on this occasion; and all the female Christians that they could find, were either violated or dragged to the public market and sold as slaves. The object of the Janissaries to stated to have been, to obtain possession of the Grand Vizier's palace, and afterwards proceed to the Seraglio; and it is not doubted they would have succeeded, and effected a revolution, had not the Asiatic troops been called in by the government to oppose them. In the attack which followed, two or three hundred of the rebels were killed in the streets, and several thousands were afterwards executed; and others sent into exile. The prison-ships when the last despatches came away, were filled with prisoners, awaiting their arrival of fate.
The usual mode of cutting off the head, taking up too much time, those who were condemned to death were despatched by tying several together, and throwing them into the sea.
A new state of things is thus presented to our view by this event, which is likely to be productive of the most important consequences. Further, the Janissaries were every thing at Constantinople. They were the body guard of the Sultan, and the instruments of all his projects. With them he was considered invincible; without them, his power was a mere shadow. The calling in the Asiatic forces, and the events which followed, must have greatly weakened their confidence; while it shows that the Sultan had secretly resolved to render himself independent of them. The Janissaries themselves appear indeed, to have been apprehensive of something of this sort, from the circumstance of the Sultan holding private councils, without their being called in, as formerly, to give their advice: hence, the revolt that took place. It is stated, that the policy pursued by the Turkish government on this occasion, was instigated by Lord Strangford & the other ministers of foreign powers at Constantinople. Whatever may be in this, a new era seems to have commenced in Turkish affairs, which, considering the immense power of the Janissaries, and the hatred they bear to all having the name of Christian, is likely to be productive of much bloodshed, without any benefit to the cause of humanity; for, whether the Asiatic troops, or the Janissaries possess the ascendency, we see no reason to believe that the government will be less perfidious, or more disposed to regard the rights of man, from a mere change of its instruments, or a closer adherence than formerly to the diplomacy of European cabinets.
An article from the Danube dated the 4th of August speaks in rather a mysterious manner of the affairs of the East & West, which are said at present equally to engage the attention of the European cabinets; and states, as a report, that a new revolution at Constantinople has been prevented with great difficulty, but the state of affairs is so very critical, that if the news of such a revolution should come, it would not be unexpected, or cause any surprise.