Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1861-07-25
MAHmoup AND ABDUn-MBDJ1D.

nothing but his title. AJ inc PlCse"V "o"cht
a brief review Of the fathers career may not be
uninteresting. more especially as his younger
SON who succeeds Abdul Medjd on the throne
of Turkey, in many respects strkingly resem-
bles the father, and may be expected to revive
his ideas of government.
NIahmoud ii was from childhood remarkable
for an unrelenting frmncss of disposition, which
pursued its aims without regard to the nature
either of its obstacles or its means. He en-
tered upon his royal destiny as an usurper.
TO be sure, his elder brother, Mus,apha w.,
had resolved to put him out of the way as a
dangerous rival, but in community where for
so many centuries, among the Mohammedans,
the despotic law of primogeniture has been re-
garded the righteous law of heaven, ordinary
Younger brothers would have assented to the
propriety of any quiet arrangement made by
the head of their family and, with an apathetic
"God wills it," submitted to the Bosphorous or
the bow string
But Mahmoud was no ordinary younger
brother. lie became aware of the designs up
on his life through paymaster in the army
Ramir Etlendi by name. With the assistance
of the officer and Bairaktar the Pasha of Rust
chuk, a wretched little town in Bulgaria not
quite the size of Richmond, and occupying
position of nothing like that towns stratcgical
Importance, he was able to raise an instruction
and seat himself upon the throne of Turkey at
the age of nineteen.
He Immediately appointed Baraktar his
Grand Vizier, and set himself at work to re-
organize the army upon the European military
basis. Than such an enterprise no greater ev-
dence of his strength Of character can be given.
Mustapha's predecessors, Selm ILL.,, had been
strangled by his Janissaries, for attempting the
same reforms. In reyiving Selims ideas, Nah
mould boldly dared the same fate. The storm
presently broke The Janssaries rose in re-
volt, and Mahmoud, with his habitual decision,
cut off at one blow all the hopes of the reac-
ton, by bow shinging Mustapha and his son,
and throwing his sutanas into the Bosphorus.
With the close of this tragedy Mahmoud stood
as he had purposed, the sole representative of
the royal line, and the Janissaries, having no
alternative but an anar.ay in which they might
themselves fail victims to the people, who ex
ecrated them, submitted to his will.
For eighteen years longer Mahmoud cxhb-
tied the most deadly perseverance and untiinch-
ing courage in wars against Russia and the
Servians, the Arabs, Ali Pasha of Yrnina, his
revolted Greek subjects, and the combined force
OF England, France and Russia, who success
fully defended them against his tyranny at Ma
varno. During thi, time he let the Janissarics
rest; but his vengeance was only reserved with
the cruel patience of Turk. In 1926, finding
his hands comparatively free from foreign en-
tanglements, he struck that conclusive blow
which freed his empire from the most hateful
race Of prUtorian despots which has ever cursed
the earth
Having secretly gained over Hussein Pacha,
at that time their chief or Kgha, Kara Jehen-
mem (Anglice Black HelD. the commander of
artillery, and Bostangi Bashi, head of the
life guards, Mahmoud had the Janissaiies un-
plN. into tbn;r II,
great square of Et-Mcydam in the centre Of
the city. He then assembled all the citizens by
proclamation, and forming with them, the arti-
lery, and the guards, a Gordon around the bar
racks, first battered the walls with his cannon
and afterwards set them on fire. Thousands of
the miserable wretches were roasted alive in
their stronghold. Those who escaped through
the breaches were slaughtered piecemeal or sent
to the European castles on the Bosphorus to be
disposed of by the bowstrng Thus persisted
the Janissaries, in the 4G4th year Of their or
gani2ed existence.
The remainder Of his life though marked by
mortifying defeats in the wars with Russia and
the revoltcd Ibrahim Pasha, was constantly
marked by the indomitable courage and execu.
tive ability Of its earlier years. He reconstruc.
ted large army on European principles, built
roads, established postal system, appointed
ambassadors to European courts, and abolished
many of those barbarous restrictions which had
been in force for the oppression of women
lie showed himself to the last man who fear
ed no enemies, and made them with a reckless
ness which has no parallel among the rulers Of
the present age
His son, Abdul Medjid, on the other hand
was a placable and pliable sovereign, whose re-
forms were owing more to his unbounded pas
sivity in the hands of such wise counselors as
Lord Stratlord de Radcliffe and Reschid Pasha
than to any genius or enegy of his own. He
was to everybody but himself very good King
Log. The natural apathy and INDIGESTION OF
his character were still further enhanced by his
habits Of enormous opium eating and, spite
the Koran, liquor drinking also, which usage OF
Eropcan civilization he learned among the car
Hest of ALL
Although permitted by the law OF the en-
pire TO have seven wives, Abdul Mcdid, from
praiseworthy reluctance to burden the treas
ury with an expensive household, restricted
himself to five. For the same economical rea.
sons, infanticide has been frequently practiccd
in the royal harem, though contrary to the law
OF Mahommed. The supposed state necessity
OF TINS cruel act has many times been a bitter
trial to the personal feelings of the parent
Just before Abdul Medjid came to the throne
his favC rite wife died in anguish at the loss o
her child-and two Of the sultan's sisters have
fallen victims to the same sorrow.
Abdul MedJid's only surviving sister, Adj,
Sultan, is the wife Of the ex-Grand Vizier Meh.
med Ali Pasha and lives in separate palac,
On the Bosphorous.
His younger and only brother, Aziz EAendi
who now succeeds him, is very stern and de
termined character. Before the time of Abdu
Medjid, heir apparent brothers were kept il
closely guarded rcclusion. The gentle natur
of the late sultan revolted at this treatment q
his own flesh and blood, and he permitted All
Efendi to wander about very much at will. Tn
result proved that, in this case at least, Their
was none OF that danger Of popular insurrec
ion caused by the public appearance of thu
tnext heir, against which the original restriction
was intended as precautionary.
Abdul Medjid leaves large family of child
rem. In 1857 he was the father Of nine-tw,
girls and seven boys. At the rate of increas
common in Oriental establishments, his off
springs must now number considerably more
None of a sultOns progeny can ever hope /,
succeed him so long as they have paterna
uncle older than themselyes-the line of royo
inheritance being always through the oldes
male of the dynasty.
II, as there is every reason to expect iron
the previous reputation of Aziz Efendi, h
shall revive in his administration of Turks
affairs the tradition Of his father Malmoud, W
may look before long for resuscitation of 9Th
sick man." though it be only to the life of
galvanic spasam. Aziz EfIendi has waited lon
and patiently for the death Of his mild an