The Portland Gazette

STATE OF THE GREEKS.
From the National Gazette.
The Rev. T. S. Hughes, the author of "Travels in Sicily, Greece, and Albania," one of the most comprehensive and valuable works of the kind which have issued from the British press for many years past, has published in the pamphlet form an ardent and eloquent "Address to the people of England in the cause of the Greeks." He implores his countrymen to exert themselves on the side of those courageous insurgents against the worst of tyrannies. We have room for only one extract, which treats of the nature of Turkish domination.
"It is possible that the people of England may be unacquainted with the superstition of these barbarians, who are so zealously supported by Christian powers! they may not know that it is fiercely and implacably hostile to Christianity-that it was hatched and matured in falsehood, hypocrisy, and blood--that it addresses itself to the sensual appetites and corrupt passions-that it cherishes inordinate pride, fanatic zeal, and is a pander to the most abominable impurities- that it degrades the dignity of human nature, and depreciates the value of human life-that it encourages ignorance by representing all arts, sciences, and literature as unnecessary, or prejudicial to man kind, unless warranted by the Koran—that it produces mental torpor and apathy, chilling every tendency to speculative exertion or intellectual and moral improvement, by the desolating doctrines of fatality and predestination— finally, that it establishes the horrid principle, that civil and political power shall depend exclusively upon faith in the law of Mahomet, whilst it exposes every Christian to the unrestrained brutality, and irresponsible tyranny of the vilest wretch that wears a turban."
"Would the reader know more concerning the internal government of this wretched country ? let him take the portrait as I am able to sketch it from personal observations; for I have traversed no small part of these interesting realms, so rich in all the gifts of bountiful nature. and so despoiled by tyrant man; I have seen the pallid countenances and squalid forms of their wretched peasantry worn to the very bones by labour, want and oppression-I have seen blows inflicted by wanton authority, and borne with patient submission- I have seen those, who by commercial or any other fortunate speculations, had amassed wealth, either careful to hide it from their rapacious tyrants under the external garb of misery, or dissipating it in prodigality, in order that they might secure a few moments of happiness, and then live upon the recollection of the past-I have seen rich and amiable families turned out of houses and possessions, at the caprice of a Pasha, who desired them for his favorites--I have seen whole districts so appropriated, after the inhabitants had been exposed to unheard of persecutions, in order to make them voluntarily throw up the territory into the hands of a tyrant-I have rode over the ruins of large villages, scathed by the flames of destruction, because some reputable family had refused to deliver up a beautiful son or daughter as the victim of that tyrant's execrable lusts-I have seen part of the Turkish population, in a large city, armed against its Frank inhabitants, cutting and maiming with swords and yataghans every Christian they met with, on account of a private quarrel -I have seen large towns, professing the Mahometan faith, whose inhabitants had all to a man apostatized from that of their forefathers, to escape the inordinate exactions and oppressive cruelties to which as Christians they were subjected-I have seen rich tracts of country turned into deserts, fields languishing without culture, and cities fallen into decay. where misrule and injustice had combined with plague and famine against the constitution of society; and, as public immorality flourishes most and grows up to maturity under the reign of despotism, I have seen apostates, false witnesses, secret poisoners, open assassins, and all other agents of unlimited tyranny, clothed in the spoils and rioting on the property of their unhappy victims. In short, I have seen a nation humbled, degraded and abused; I have seen man, made in his Maker's likeness, reduced below the standard of the brute creation, living without civil or political existence, plundered without remorse, tortured without mercy, and slaughtered without commisseration!"