Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1859-05-07

and chat with him ia the freest, easiest
and happiest manner, and upon the
outside OF the carriage, wss pointed
out to me, 8 son Of the Sultan, who af
| fectionately kissed the hand Of the ne
gro, after he had left the ladies within!
The whole scene reminded me Of the
free and afectionate Intercourse I have
| often seen on our Southern plantations,
between the whites and the negro
slaves Of the householdS,-bnt here, it
had a meaning different, very different
from the meaning there. There is no
prejudice here against blacks. They
are often masters as well as slaves;
soldiers as we'll as EHnuchs. Their
numbers seem TO be but few, and the
population show to my eye, no inter
mixture Of the black and white races.
The opposite races Of men, however;
seem to live, on terms Of equality, but
particularly to keep apart.
Bat I forgot the Sultan and the Mos
que. At our hour Of twelve, not his,
however, be started from his Palace
for the Mosque and in solemn process
sion,-with his great officers Of State,
and whole rotinue Of soldiers. Nus-
io greeted him Oh the way, and On all
sides were displayed signs Of the great
est respect and solemnity, for, it must
be remembered the Sultan is net only
the estate" but ''Religton," too
lie is worshiped not only as the head
Of the Empire, but as the offspring Of
the Prophet also. The High Officer
Of the Guards accorded TO Us-it may
be to our European dress--it may have
been gallantry to the Ladies Of our
company-if gallantry is ever in a
Turks head,-a place by the very gate,
where the Sultan entered his sacred
precincts Of the Mosque. Certain it
was5 we had a privilege no untitled
Moslem had, to see the Moslem Chief,
The point was one Of uncommon inter
est, because there gathered the men
and women holding petitions to pre-
sent to the Sultan as he entered the
Mosque. The Sultan was on horse
back, and as he rode into the gate his
eyes were absorbed upon the petition
ers when he seemed well to note a1d
to count. Some high officer received
these petitions and put them in q port
folio-and the Sultan IS certain to give
them his attention, so it is said. But
the Sultan's officials, it is evident, do
not ike this manner Of approaching
their sovereign in person,-hence they
discourage it all they can.--for [ no.
ted, that as another body ofpetitioners
gathered to send petitions to the Sui
tan upon his return from the Mosque,
the officers in waiting discouraged, and
laughed at them, and did all they dare,
to obstrnct their approach to the gate
Of the Mosque.
When the Sultan entered the Mos
one, there went up a great shout
Perhap it was La AJIay-5Uah-AUah
Nuhonaod resort Titan, "Thcre is
but one God and Maholned in his propll-
et," and perhapse /. was not, all that I
can say is that it sounded like it. lie
continued in the Mosque an hour and
8 bali, and upon his return, having dig
missed his horse, walked in solemn
stately tread, ard in the deadest silence,
amid surrounding and worshipPing Of
fcials, to bis carriage, in which he was
driven off The profound silence, the
humble reverence Of all, made al i'm
preston upon my mind that ] can new
er forget. Never before did I ap-
proach what it meant by an Asiatic
Despot, who is the law, the state, the
church, the all in all to everybody about
and under him. The crowd dispersed
/ and the Sultan drove of. The car,
riages Of the haren3 scattered, some tol
the town, others ior the prison homes:
and the ont door sight was over toi
the day. The "Sun'' Of the earth had
left, and there was no more light
Why then tarry more