, 1878-05-24
The Russian Palace at COnstantinople.

Just now, in consequence of their hate
of the English, whom the Turks accuse
of having betrayed them, the Russians
are so much in favor that verify believe
the whole Russian army would be wei
coined in Constan tinople. In the chunh
of the Russian Hospital of Pancaldi--a
contiguous suburb to Pera-preparation
have been made for sumptuous festival
on the arrival of the brother Of the Gear.
A throne has been erected, and the
doubIc-headed eagle of Russia is to be
displayed in unison with the Crescent over
it, where the Greeks may protfer their
homage to their Imperial host and cham
pion. In the Russian Embassy palace
active preparations are being made for
the reception of the Grand Duke Nicho
las and large suite. This is splendid
editice on the heights of Pera, full in
view from the harbor, and resembling
more the palace of sovereign than the
residence Of an ambassador Its arrange.
ments are all u RuSss. The rooms are
as spacious as those of the Winter Pal
ace at St. Petersburg; the dining room is
as large as an ordinary ballroom, and
the table in the same is 80 wide that near.
sighted persons can hardly distinguish
each other across it. The hall will hold
5000 persons. When one of his col.
leagues once remarked TO General lgna-
tieff that his residence WAS more imperial
than embassadorial, lie replied with his
usual aptness, The latter destination is
temporary, not permanent" 1t is ad-
mitted that the General himself will re.
turn as ambassador to resume the work
of mischief he has 80 successfully prose-
cuted during his prolonged residence at
Constantinople. The Turks fear him
and yet by kind of irresistible fascina-
ton they are drawn to him; eat his
sumptuous dinners, quaff his rich wines,
90 to his balls to see the Christian beauties,
and get so completely hoodwinked by
his social and diplomatic legerdemain
that they lose their self-possession and
fall into his power, as if spell-bound.
When the General returns we shall have
glorious round of banquets, and all will
be as merry as marriage bell. The
Russian palace dominates Turkish STAN
boul across the Golden Horn. and its
great gateway opens on the main street
of Pera. Over it the Russian arms are
ostentatiously displayed, and at the por
ter's lodge a Montenegrin in full uni
form, and Russian domestic in gorgeous
livery, are always present to conduct Wis
itors across the courtyard to the palace.
1t may be that the En- bassador is engaged
in his dispatches, and in that case he re-
ceives only his colleagues of the diplo.
matte corps. 1t is rarely on bther occa-
sions that General Ignatieff is not ready
to receive any one who has the right to
call on him. He manages to turn every
body to good account, to send them away
with good impressions of himself; to ex.
tract all they know that is worth learning,
and to thoroughly mystify them as to his
own views and the policy of his govern
ment. When the General is here, Chris
tians and Turks all have such good
time thatthey will be rejoi2ed to welcome
him back again. With all European
Turkey in semi-independent state, and
under vassalage to the Car rather than
to the Sultan, Gen. Ignatief will be the
virtual master of the situation, and the
Russian Embassy will override the palace
Of Dolma Bstsche in importance.-C Con-
s;anttnopIe Cor. Philadelphia Press.