New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-11-24
THE DECAYING PORTE.

| TALE OF THE CIRCAssIAN sLAvE-TRADE-THn
EGYPTIAN INsURREcTIoS INSPIRED IN CONsTAN-
| TNoPLE - GOVERNMENT BY INTRIGUE - THE
TREASURY BANKRUPT-DEsPERArE PLIGHT OF
THE HOLDERS OF TURKISH BONDS.
| IPRoM THE REGULAR CORRESPONDENT OF THE rRIBuNR.l
| CoNsTANTINoPLE. Oct. 24.-The course of Turkish
politics is remarkably crooked in these days. Tho
! Sultan has emphatically carried out the promise
made in the early days of his reign by taking the
control of affairs into his own hands But he does
this in way that often sets his Ministers aside,
while he is himself controlled OF at least influenced
| by the people of his own household When he up.
sets Ministerial combination he may be actiug
upon some theory Of his own or he may simply be
executing the advice of men who have better faci-
ties than the Ministers for convincing his mind In
the latter case his advisers are necessarily lees
astute statesmen than his Ministers, and often lead
him into blunders. Commonly these people Of the
Palace have some personal end to gain in their
advice to the Sultan. Every act of tho Sultan
is quite possibly connected with long series of
intrigues between the members Of the Palace staff.
For instance Some years ago the Porte, in its de-
sire to secure better control of the Arabs of the re-
gion south Of Bagdad, appointed adventurer nom
among them to a high provincial Office. This man.
Kassim Pacha was dstasteful TO the people because
he was not one Of their hereditary chiefs In time
Kassim Pacha was removed from office ana came 10
ConstantinOple. But he laid his failure, naturally
enough to the influence of the hereditary chefs OF
these Arabs who are of an ancient family, known
as the Ali SaadOun. Kassim Pacha determined 20
destroy the power of these chiefs, and ingratated
himself into the favor Of Behram Agha at the sul-
tan's palace This Behram Agha is a negro eunash.
But he is also Kizlar Aghasi, or Master Of the
Girls" and Keeper of the Gate of Felicity in the
Sutans palace In this capacity be ranks next to the
Prime Minister. and is fully his peer in influence.
Behram Agha was therefore a mighty helper 10
Kassim Pacha in his schemes. 1t was not long De-
fore the Sultan was informed by Behram Agha that
the Ali Saadoun family of the Montehk Arabs were
preparing an insurrectiOn This may or may not
have been true, since the Montefk Arabs are no
lovers of the Turks But no evidence of disafection
was given or asked except the bare statement OF
Kassim Pacha. Shortly. Behram Agha again told
the Sultan that the Montek Arabs were rebels, and
the Sultan ordered the military at Bagdad to march
out and crush the rebellion and to 81 the persons
of the members of the Ali Saadoun family. The
troops marched upon the Montefiks, found no re-
bellion, but encountered slight resistance
from some hastily assembled Arabs who
supposed that their homes and property
were threatened and preferred TO die rather than to
suffer lawless aggression from the troops The
Pacha of Bagdad arrested such members OF the OBJ
noxious family as he could lay hands upon, conhs-
Gated some three thousand camels belonging to
Mansour Pacha, a chief of the same family who had
escaped the troops and then reported the rebellion
as ended 1t now begins to leak out that there was
no rebellion of the Montefk Arabs except in tho
fertile Imagination of Kassim Pacha, and that by
taking his private grudge into the purieus of the
Palace Kassim Pacha succeeded in using the Sultan
and the Sultans troops to crush his personal enemy
Mansour Pacha, the fugitive chief, Is however, on
his way 81 this city by way of the Persian Gulf and
| the Suez Canal and has annOuncedthat when he ar
rives he will have a series of remarks to make about
Kassim Pacha which will be decidedly uncomfort-
| able for that individual.
This little episode illustrates the kind OF inf1u-
ences which may at any moment move the Sultan
from n fixed pnrpose. Europe is negotiating with
Turkey concerning many important measures look
ing TO the welfare of the Empire. But Europe must
take into its calculations the great Chief Eunuch
of the Palace and men like him, for such men have
the power to checkmate, for purposes of their own,
the best-lald plans of European diplomatists.
The gentlemen of the Palace are not, however, .
united body. Tho Sultan prefers to have the
members of his family hate each other In
| tbeir disscnsions he looks for his personal
safety. Hence there are constant plots ana
counterplots commingling with all the greater
schemes of the Palace intriguers and all these petty
plos have for an object personal revenge upon some
rival fayorite For some years one of the Saltans
intimate friends has been one Abul Huda Enendi.
The man was o miserable vagrant only lew
vears ago. and cambered into the Sultans favor by
the aid Of great men to whom he was willing TO De
q tool His influence is said to have been one cause
of the obstinacy of the Sultan toward Russia dur
ing the negotiations prior to the war OF 1877. e
had famous dream which promised victory and
glory TO the Sultan. After the ruinous result OF DIS
advice Abul Huda banished, but by some
means recovered his position in the Palace after
short time. During all of the present year he haa
had immense influence with the Sultan. Men who
had priyate schemes TO advance have found ~
we'll TO secure the support OF Abul huda.
lie naturally made the most of his opportunities ane
enioved large revenue in presents from MS many
admirers few weeks ago man who had peen
having court to Abul Huda remarked 10 MIN thss
he bappened to know of beautiful Clrcassiah girl
for soje in the city 4" If you wish" he added, Il
Ill; tell the dealer to send her up here and after
vou have seen her, if you like her, you can take
Iorp Abul Huda took it for granted that this
os;duous friend of his had some small axe TO grind
and wished to present him with the girl So he SAID
that the slave dealer might send the girl and no
rould have look at her. 1t seems that dealers In
this kind of goods willing to leave their wares
with any trustworthy customer who wishes pe1oro
purchasing TO assure himself OF the doeile chaf-
,cter of the chattel So Abul Hudas friend toio
the owner of the girl to send her on approVas
for week to the great man at the Paiaos.
who, he said was quite likely to buy her Inc gr1,
valued at $500 even in these tight times, We
sent 70 Abu Huda After ten days had passed .ne
slaye-dealer made inquiries. and learning .na' nn
property had proved pHo had NEGOTIATED
,Ia saIe referred him to Abul Huda On the other
hand Abul Huda said he thought the girl was
,,rcsent 10 him. and that he could not spare the
money for such luxury. He vainly sought hs
friend and at last began to see that he hao
been made the victim of practical joke OF pretty
solemn order He had nothing to do but 70 return