The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1877-08-22
The Seu Turkish Gomn n nder-tn.
inT

Chief.
/ aEHEMET ALI PASHA WAITED rroN By MIN
BER OF COERESPoNpENTS-AN EFFORT MADE
To SECURE RELIABLE INFoRNATIoN-PEis.
S0NAI. APPEARANCE OF The NEW GENE
RALlsSINn--HoN He WAS SENT TO TIE
FRONT EY THE SULTAN.
ICorrc>pondcurc New York Timcs.I
SnrMLA. Monday, July %. 1SI1.-Thi>
afternoon all the correspondents at present
in Shumla. 10 the number OF fifteen, repre-
srntinr American. English, French, Ger.
man. and Italian newspapers, waited on
Mchemct Ali Pasha in his tent At the camp.
We found the Commander-n-Chief seated
on Il sofa. with Samyk Pasha by his side.
As Tcwtik Bcy. Director oi the Politi-
cal Department. who was 10 have pre-
s"nfcd IL. had not vet made his appear
ancr. we each presented ourselves. Me-
hcm.t Nj and Namyk Pasha both rose
on or entering til" tent and received us
cordially. 3Ichcnet Ali addressed the Ger
man correspondents III the German lam
guavc and the others in French. both OF
which! languages his ENccilcncv speaks flu
entity. lie said that the war had hardly yet
commenced in earnest. but that in the course
OF 4 ic" days. the flm ga ddnSe) would be-
gin. 1t was suggested tina: We should like
10 he aiiON GU ~ ii>SiSl tl tilC t''iiSV'
one Of our number said that in place OF
the present regulations, which render
corrcsp spondcncc almost impossible. all
their honor; their work examined
!6 the Press Bureau after publ
cation, and then ii it be found
that they have done anything preiudicial
to the interests Of the Turkish army that
the guilty parties should be punished nc
cording to previous agreement. The Com
mandel-in-C thief replied that he had not yet
had time to decide what regulations should
be imposed upon correspondents, but that
ne was going to consult Namyk Pasha on
the subject. and in the course OF few days
he would communicate with us. The inter-
view lasted altogether half al hour, which
was passed in avery agreeable conversation,
his EXccllcncy relating some interesting
episodes of his campaign in Montenegro to
show Is how the work OF the Turkish army
had been miSrcprcScntcd by certain German
papers.
The personal appearance OF the new Com
mandcr-n-C chief is Very prcposSessng. lie
is OF middle height, and neither stout nor
thin. His movements are quick and his
step elastic. He is, Is his appearance scarcely
indicates. fifty Years OF age. He wears Il
stubby, reddiSh-grav beard and moustache,
and ,he hard lines on his facc-wbich. how
ever. has IN agreeable smile when he
speak tk<-hctokcn constant work. Though a
MuSsulman, Mchcuct Ali is Prussian Of
French extraction. His family name is De-
trot. His iorcfather> emigratcd from
France 10 Germany on the revocation OF the
edict OF Nantes-that is TO say, he Is or Il
Protestant family. lie came to Turkey at
the age OF fifteen, and was taken under the
patronage OF Ali Pasha (thc famous Grand
Vizier). who saw to hi, education and adj
vanccmcnt in the army. Mchemct All dis
tin"liShed himself in several campaigns,
notably in the Crimea and Montenegro.
The narrative OF the way in which he was
brought here rs commander is rather inter-
e>ting. lis illustrative of the way things are
ordered in Turkey. He was at Sophia with
his division, when he received q peremptory
order from the Sultan to leave immediately
for the capital, not to wait for bag or
baggage, rs Il special train was waiting for
him at Sarcmbey station. He reyolved in
his mind all that he had done to see il he
could discover anything by which he had
incurred his Majesty's displeasure, but in
vain. His sclf-eXamination was rcassuring,
but still who could tell! There might
be some intrigue at work, and he
state OF mind he travelled on until,
at Adrianople. he SAW the Governor
General and functionarieS assembled on the
platform to salute him. This did not look
like disgrace, and, somewhat more tranquil
in bis mind, he proceeded express TO the
cnpital. At the terminus, to his great as
constituent, he found the Grand fizier and
Ministers waiting TO receive him. The
Grand Eizier insisted on Mehemet Ali get
ting into the carriage before hlm-a very
high honor for any Turk in an official Ca
pacity-and they drove at once to the
palace. All the way, however (morc than
hall an hours drive), the Grand NlZier re-
Trained from alluding to the object or Me
hemet P;tSha's recall from Sophia, and Me-
hcnlct Ali arrived at the palace just aS igno-
rant on that point rs he was when he start
cd from Sophia. At the palace there WAS
another grand reception, and all doubt as
to whether he was in favor or disgrace
was removed when, on being presented to
the Sultan, his Majesty advanced, grasped
him by the hand, and told him that he
alone had his entire confidence rs being
fully capable Of directing the war in Rou-
meian Turkey. The Sultan added that Il
special steamer was waiting to take Niche
met Ali to Earna, and that he need not
trouble himself about horses or anything,
As everything had been provided for him.
Bv his AIajesty's permission Mehemet All
went home, embraced his family, and i'm
medately went on board, where he found
two splendid horses. one richly caprisoned
for sala-days, and was presented by an aide
dc-campe OF the Sultan with sword which
had been worn by his Majesty, and with
purse Of $1,000 to cover his travelling ex-
penses. The person from whom | obtain
these details-a private friend OF Mebemet
Ali-assures me that the Commander.ln
Chief was deeply affected by the thoughtful
consideration with which the Sultan ma
treated him, and that he is resolved TO die
il he fails TO be victorious.
TIE CHINESE QrEsTION.-The antl-Cll-