The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1878-11-05
THHHE RUETAN's sEsRAsssHte.
The Commander 0f tine Faithful at the
HHeFGy wf HHas Wnmem ana Ministers.


TO estimate the difficulty of reforming T,1r-
key one must get an Idea Of what the Sui
tang court is.-
The magnificent seraglp, whose buildings
stretch TO the length Of q milo and q haIf ON
the shore OF the Bosphprus, contains more
thhn 2000 Inmates, and is q city In Itself.
Here the government s carried ON chiefly hV
women and slaves. The vziers md minister's
are but ths servants OF these secluded erear-
lures; and although al times a statesman,
supported by a palace clique may WELD real
power, he seldom does 80 fDf long nor Is his
power very great. From tho moment when
be enters office he is secretly assaulted by a.
host Ot eneruies whom he does not see, and
whom he cannot dtsarm or proptiate. ALI he
knows is, that while these foes are Intriguing
against him, the women and slaves to whose
influence he owed his place are fighting for
bin, and TINT so long as they keep the upper
hand his will be safe.
The Sultan as u rule, Is as much ut the
mercy Of the women as his ministers.
pnppet in tho hands Of his women, he never
knows exactly who rules him, but is Obliged
for peaGe's sake, TO do ns his mother, siefsra
or favortes order. More than one sultan.
weary to death Of seragiio intrigues, would
have been glad to mako IL clean sweep OF his
fenale court; but any step in this direction
would have led to conspiracy and deposition.
| In 81 country Where the laws Of succession to
The throne are very confused, u sultan ia
| obliged TO act cautiously lest he should excite
the curiosity Of q pretenter whose Claims to
the throne might prove quite as good ns his
own.
There are two seraglios, The new one,
where the reigning Sultan resides, and thes
old one to which the favorites Of tbs departed
snthns are relegated and they are n source
Of ruinOus expense to the TREASURY. Not only
are tho allowances Of the snItanas and favor
ties large, but the ways of the place are sx~
traVagant Each of the imperial ladies' has
II Tetiuue OF companions, male and female
servants, and all their people scntter gold In
fJFGjtlEt1n whtnHUrF fEnY n mi Tn
satisfy. Under Abdul Medjid the palace was
TuleI for years by II beautiful Circassnn, who
had been n WashsrwOtnhn, and whose chief
adviser was 81 hewer Of wood, who could NOT,
| read, but who had the power Of dismissing
viziers. A girl in the seraglio, even II she be-
| q simple COffee~beayer becomes Il guie11zfis
from The mere fact OF the Sultan maxi
ing q complimentary remark on her.
attracted the masters glance. What a.
pretty girl that is who brought in the Coffee
and tho daInsel Is nj once and without
further Darley promoted 10 the rank OF
guieuzde, which gives her u suite Of apart
rnents and claim on ths imperial exGhequer
for the remainder of her life, or until such ~
time as tho Snltan auds her IL husband AS
every woman who mhrries from the sernglos
| takes with her her clothes, jewels, furuiturgs
serVants, carriages md lumpsnm In money,
which often amounts to many thousands Of
dollars, 1t may be imagined how the civil list
Is mulcted whore there arc many gIiet1zles
Or male members Of tho seragiiO there
are, in addition to the necessary staff
of chhrnhnrInins, secretaries, eunuehs, soul
lions and cooks, % corps Of 300 pages
hnd musicians, and an army of barbersz
shnmpOoers, thsters Of the Su!tan'8 food
athletes, buffopns, coeh-Iigthers, rAm-fght
er8 astrOlogers hnd Rrooms. The buffo0ng
have nlways been numerous, for ladies living
in secluSiOn must be- made to laugh when
time hangs heavily on their hands, and when
the music and jigging Of the danciug- girls
begin to pail. These dancing girls form O
corps 300 strong, and as they are sDlen-
didly dressed and richly fed, they cost more
to keep than Il cavalry regiment. One need
not enurnerate the staff II servants and off,
ciaIs required for the stables (which contain
500 hOrSesj, for the Kitchen, the berths and
ghrdens, nor yet tho staff of court priests
enough has been said TO warrant the Inference
that the Sultan's court rs at once the COST
liest and --LATEST La the world