The Opelousas journal. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1868-1878, 1877-06-16
The Turkish Generals.
I. zA.BDUL-KERrM d sHA
Translated from the Paris Preese.I

TRANSLATED from the Paris Preese.l
Abdul Kerim- -Nadir Pasha, general
issimo of the army of the Danube, was
born in 1907, at Chirpau, of KOmak
parents, the Komaks being Slav race,
descended from Russians and Bulgar--
ians settled on the shores OF the sea OF
MarmOra.
He entered the service in 1928, and, as
soon as graded, was sent to the military
school of Vienna. There he learned
German, which he speaks admirably,
and, having pursued the course with
distinction, was graduated amongst the
highest honors. A consumniate theori-
elan, he is the most serious officer OF the
Turkish army.
Habituated to the labors of the Cabi-
net, he lacks decision and promptness
on the field of battle. Omar Pasha,
under whom he served in 1854, said OF
him that he knew too much (Qn,I etdtt
trop instru0 to be victorious. He has
not always been fortunate in his cam
paigns, but he has, at least, the conso-
iation of knowing that he always got
himself beaten according to the rules:
With age he has acquired the PRACTICAL
part of the military art, and his In
structedness appears to be no longer
an obstacle to his success. In proof OF
this, within the past few months he
succeeded in beating the Servians at
Diunis and in dislodging Tchernayeff
| from his Notifications.
The Servian campaign was conducted
| by him with a skill and certainty OF
movement that left no room for even
| the most skillful military men to crlt1-
else. His mode of battle recalls that
of Fabius Cunctator, and, in the present
campaigp, on the Danube, that is the
style of lighting likely to render the
| best sort of service to Turkey. The
| intimate friend of Hussein Pasha, Abdul
Kerim, played an important part in the
revolution which overturned Abdul
Aziz. He has the rank of muscheer, and
the title of serdar ekrem (Or generals.
simo) He has twice. been minister OF
war, and once Seraskier Kaimacan Com
mander-in- chief of the whole Turkish
army, the rank once held by Omar
Pasha.)
AT the beginning of 1876 he was in
chief command of the troops charged
with repressing the Bulgarian lnsur-
rection. The massacTes and Outrages
that were committed were in spite OF his
orders, for his character is that OF good,
easv. .kindhearted man. Heis cold, silent,
almost misanthrOpic, notably reserved.
| After having named him minister, Alb
dul-Aziz revoked the appointment, say
| ing that he did not want man who
| was both deaf and dumb. He is lncor-
truptible, and has no fortune. He gives
I himself too much concern for the COM
| fort of his troops ever to enrich nm
self at their expense, and he is greatly
beloved.
He has always lived without display,
and in times of peace occupies a little
villa at Scutari. There is but one pas
sion which draws him out of his habitual
reserve, and that is the chase. 1t is re-
lated that in 1854 this passion came near
delivering him over into the hands of
| the enemy. Whilst his troops were en-
| gagged with the Russians flock OF
Young partridges rose right under the
| feet of his horse. Forgetting everything,
| Abdul -Kerim sprang off in pursuit OF
| them and went right off to flush them
| into the camp of the enemy, whence he
| had great difficulty in extricating him.
self. Spite his advanced age, thanks to
his sober and regular life, he has pre-
served remarkable activity OF mind
and body.
HOBART PAsHA.
Hobart Pasha is an English officer
gone over to the service of Turkey. He
| Is at once the Greater and the admiral
of the Turkish feet. It is to him in
| fact that Turkey owes the construction
| 0f it's iron-clad feet, superb marine
constructed and equipped on che pattern
| of the best English vessels. He also
reorganized the Turkish arsenals and
ornaments.
Hobart held a distinguished rank in
| the English marine when, at the epoch
of the insuTection in Crete, he took
service with Turkey and was. charged
with the blockade of the Island OF Can"
dia. In accepting a command 10 the
| Turkish navy and the direction OF the
naval school at Constantlnople, Hobart
| had neglected to ask permission OF the
English government.
Compelled by the admiralty to choose
hetweeD his position in the British navy
and that i'm the Turkish navy, Hobart
persisted in remaining in the sultan's
service. In consequence be was sePat-
Pched from the navy1ist. Since then ne
has constantly sought to have his name
restored. In 1869 the admiralty was on
| the Doint of yielding, bit Lord Claren-
| don declared that he would never sane
| tiOn such leniency toward an official
| disobedience. Tt was only on the Sd of
November that the demands of Hobart
Pasha were acceded to by Lord Derby,
to whom he wrote: am without for
tune. confess my improper conduct
| but could not e-sat the temptation OF
accepting the sultan's offers" The
ministry, in granting his demands, re-
sorted to curious and very Engilsn
argument: Lord Bury said that II
the organization OF the Turkish Heet
had not been accepted by an English
| officer, it would have been confided to a
French one.D Hobart was consequently
mt back on the navy list :" for political
4 reasOns.n said the decision, and the
act must not be considered as establish
| ing precedent for the future With
out prejudice to his position in the Turk
/ ish navy, Hobart Pasha thus enjoys. a
pension of eA00 per annum from the
British government.
AcHMED-EYoUB PAsHA.
| This officer commands the second
corps of the army of the Danube. he
eniovs q renutation for prudence and
/ skill. but is deficient in resolution. He
| has already been under the orders OF
/ Abdul Kerinl, to whom he serves as a
| sort of right arm. Thus at the battle
of Diunis, which crowned the defeat OF
/ the Seryians, he commanded on the
field seeing that the general instruct tons
i of Abdul Kerim were carried out. his
/ first fighting was against the Arabs OF
| Yemen. His military education is very
superficial. Too, little acquainted with
European strategy and tactics, he acts
/ by intuition, as circumstances demand.
| Liberal and little attached to the an
Client traditions, he is q specimen OF the
1 civilized Turk.
i M0UKHTAR PASHA
/ is one of the most popular of the gener-
ais, and whose name has been most ~