The weekly Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1854-1861, 1855-06-30
The Present sultan Of Turkey.

We copy from the Introductory chapter oi
the "History Of Turkey" by Lamartine, the
following account of the personal appear
ance of the present Sultan, an Interview
with whom Lamartine describes. The Sui
tan had appointed a meeting with the Poet,
cat a small pavilion or retreat wherein he
loved to mediate, remote from the noise
and pomp of his palace at stamboul." La
MARITIME was then on his travels, and he
copies this description, made at the time,
from his note book. The interview took
place several years after Abdul Medjid sue
ceeded his father, who died in 1870.
On entering the kiosk, l looked around
for the Sultan. He was standing almost
Invisible in the shade between the door and
window, at the corner the least lighted in
the room. The Sultan Abdul Medjid is a
young man from twenty;six to twenty seven
years old, of an appearance rather more ma
ture than his age. His figure is tall, ele-
giant and slim. He bears his head with that
gracefulness at once supple and noble,
which the length of neck gives to the bust
of Alexander in his early youth. The fea-
lures are regular, the forehead high, the
eyes blue, the eyebrows arched as in the
Caucasian races, the nose straight, the lips
we'll cut and parted; the chin, that founda-
ton of character in the human countenance,
is firm and we'll set; the aggregate leaves
an impression rather attractive than impos-
ing; you feel man who wishes to be loved
rather than to be feared; he has the timidi-
ty Of fmodesty in his general air, melancholy
on his lips, and precocious lassitude in the
attitude; you perceive that this young man
has thought and suffered before his time
But the feature that predominates is grave
and meditative sensibility. You say to your
self: This man carries something weighty
and holy in his thoughts, like the interests
of people, and he feels the weight and sane
tity of the burden. Nothing of youth, moth
ing of levity in the expression. 1t is the
statue of a young pontiff, rather than young
sovereign. The countenance inspires GER
tain tenderness of heart. You are haunted
with the thoughts, despite of yourself, that
here is a man sacrificed to supreme power,
who is young, handsome, all powerful, who
will be doubtless great, but who will be nev-
er free, never without care, never happy
You pity, you love him, for amid his great
ness he feels vividly his responsibility
Every man in his empire may be happy ex-
cept himself, The throne has taken him in
his cradle.
His apparel was simple, uniform, almost
a morning suit. A tunic of dark drab reach
| ing down to the knees, the neck bare, loose
linen panta1oons over dark colored hall
boots, sabre without ornament on the hilt.
His countenance alone could have discover
ed him to the crowd. I felt moved, attract
ed, affected by that melancholy of His Ma
jestS.
While was speaking to him he turned
several times the pomel of his sword, upon
which he was leaning, in his hand. He
blushed and looked down, as if he had the
bashfulness of his virtue. We attended him
to the examination that he went to make ir
person, Of the military youth in an adjoining
institution.