The Meaning Of A "holy" War

Referring to tho report telegr.iphed by cable that the Snltan of Turkey wns about to unfurl the standard of the Prophet and wage a í-eligious war against Rnssia, the Chicago Tribune says: "The unfurling of this standard, the 'Sanyak-Sherif,' "will present a new phase of the conflict. The standard is is old as Mohammedanism itself. It was part of the flowing curtains that adorned the room of Mohammed's favorite wife, and lias always been carefully guarded !rom profane eyes in the Seraglio. It matters little how old it is, or what it is, lowever, to Mohammedans. It is to Jiem the symbol of their faith, the standard of the Prophet, the badge of [slam. "When that standard is unfurled, it summons every Mohammedan to the rescue of Islam. It calis upon 3,500,000 Vlohammedans in European Turkey, over 40,000,000 in India, 3,500,000 in Persia, and over 100,000,000, more scattered iirough various parts of Asia and Africa, to rally to the defense of Islam agaiust the "infidels." It is of course ïinijossible that Turkey could ever organize these immense hordes into reguar armies, regularly drilled and rlisciplined, to encounter the troops of Rnssia. It is not the purpose of Turkey to do it. The unfurling of this standard is an invitation to massacre and plunder ill who do not believe in Mohammedansm. It is a declaration that every Moïammedan who kills nine infidels, men, women, or children, it matters not which, will receive a passport to paradise. If this news be true, then indeed s Turkey rushing upon her doom, and ;aking the first step to array the whole ühristian world against her. Wlien the standard of the Prophet is unfurled, Russia will not be alone in this war. The advocates of the Ohristian religión and of Christian civilization, the whole world orer, will rise and dedaro that I'urkish rule shall forever end in Europe, mil that the Tnrkish tyi-ants shall be sent over the Bosphorus to their old Asiatic possessions. "