The Portland daily press., 1876-05-19
F O E EIG N.
TURKEY.
A Panic i'm COnstantinople-Mu sselnnen
and Christians ArminS-A Bloody Col
lisinu Immine

A Panic in COnstantinOple-Mus selmeu
and Christians Armins-A Bloody Col
lision Imminent.
LONDON, May 1S.-A letter from CONSTANT.
nople to the News of the 18th inst. says that
the excitement Of the last three days has
amounted to panic. The demand for weap-
ons, both by Softas and Christians is so great
that most of the shops in Stambul have sold
out all their stock. The Softas, that is all per.
sons attached to the mosques, are practically
master of the situation. They number about
10000 persons and their influence over the
protetariate is supreme. They utter threats
against the Sultan and his ministers and some.
times against the Christians. Although quiet
now they profess to be friends to the latter.
Yesterday great number of them went ia
the palace and demanded dismissal of the
Grand Vizier, Mahmond NedIon Pasha, the
Chiekk Ulilsm and the Minister of War. The
Sultan resisted an hour but the clamor of the
mob finally induced him to demand the resig.
nation of the Grand Vizier The scene was
most riOtous and disorderly.
Constantinope contains only 1000 regular
soldiers the remainder being redifs and re-
cruits. The Turkish officers openly admit
their inability to control the latter in case of
an outbreak, and it is generally believed they
would obey the Softas. Mobs of SoftasI have been
paradlng the streets for the last three days, de-
handing the dismissal of Mahmond kNedion
Pasha, whom they accuse of being under Rus
the Christians generally and two or three muir
ders have occurred, which the police are doing
their utmost to hush up.
Constantinople in fact is in revolution. The
Softas are not satisfied withIthe appointment of
Mehemet Rushdi as Grand Vizier, and clamor
for Medhat Pasha They want Mehemet Rush
di as president OF a national parliament.
Yesterday large number of Softas at Baza-
ret mosque would not allow prayer for the
Sultan to be read.
On the 10th inst, Prof. Bonamy Price and
wife narrowly escaped the violence of the mob
while visiting mosque. If the struggle
should take place as everybody is dreadIng
between the native Christians and the Mussel
men, the Christians would prove victorious,
provided the troops did not aid the mob, but in
general rising of the Mohammedans the large
colonies of European subjects in Constantine.
pie and along the Bosphorus would be in great
er danger than the native Christians, because
their.wealth would constitute an additional
stimulus TO the religious zeal of the Turkish
rabble. This danger the respective ambassa.
doris have provided against as far as the means
at their disposal allowed.
Last night all the despatch boats were kept
under steam. During the day plan of joint
action had been agreed upon. The foreign
consuls met to devise means for mutual de-
fence of their subjects. All the foreign steam
ers in port had steam up. The streets of Para
are patrolled by bands of Austrian Croats
The Englisbmen have called Minister Elliott's
attention to the exceptional danger of the En-
glish colony and asked his assistance The
latter admitted the danger to all Christians
and that the English We're the least protected in
the colony. He Invited the whole community
in case OF an outbreak to seek shelter at the
embassy. He promised to telegraph to the
British foreign office what had occurred and
represent the urgency of the position.