, 1881-09-28

makes him a native of Widdin, aud
congratulates him on having thus es-
capped the corrupting influence of the
oligarchy of Efendis in Constantine
pie. A Hungarian admirer, on the
other hand, gives Midhat Poland for
a country and a Jewish Rabbi for a
father, and thus accounts for his
hatred OF Christians in general, and
Russians in particular. Midhats
W account, which we believe the
correct one, is that he was born on
a farm (ChifIik) near Nish, and that
his father was a Pomak,-that is, a
descendant Of n of the renegade
Bulgarians who apostatised to Islam
when the Turks conquered the coun.
try. Midhat has been further repre-
sented rs a modern tlerodotns, who
enrly in his career travelled TO the
sources of modern learning and
science-Vienna, Paris, LondOn-to
prepare himself for that role of rcge-
rerator of Islam on which, according
to his eulogists, he had set his heart.
Midhat did once trave! beyond the
boundaries of Islam before his first
exile, but his travels took him no far
Their than Trieste, and they had a
much more mundane motive than an
ardent thirst for knowledge. The
two facts for which Midhat Pasha
will he known in history are the
Bulgarian Massacres and the Turk
iSh constitution. He is responsible
for the Bulgarian atrocities in u double
sense. 1t was he who cursed Bulgaria
with the importation OF the Circas>iaus.
After the %suhiugaiiOn OF the Caucasus by
Russia, the Circassians lett their homes in
multitudts. aud it became q question how
to dispose Of them. Some time alter the
Crimean war SIR Henry BuIwer, then
British Ambassador at the Porte, proposed
that the Circassiaus should be sent to co.,
onise some OF the uninhabited parts OF
Asiafic Turkey, and made representations
to that effect lO the Bri ish Government,
with the result Of obtaining q promise At q
grant of, We believe, 94,00O,0O0. The
Porte was delighted but Midhaf Pasha,
who was at the time Governor OF Bulgaria,
had other views. He offered to plant
the Citcassians in Bulgaria. Without ex-
nense either to the Porte or the British
Government. His offer was accepted,
with the consequences with which the
world il now familiar. Midhat, IN fact
became convinced that it was necessary for
The safety OF Islam that the Christian sue.
iects OF the Porte in Europe should be di'
minished. He declared on more than one
occasion that on conquering the country
the Turks had made o great mistake 10
not giving all the population the choice OF
the Koran or the sword. 1t was he who
organised the Bulgarian massac'es. and
promoted and decorated the principal per-
pet,aiors. Abdul Aziz had o rooted anti
pathy to Midhat, and Tor some time resist
ed his elevation to the grand Vizierate.
When his promotion was pressed upon him
or one occasion, he replied, "Let him be
rewarded in q suitable manner; but it is
insu1portable to me to be in daily converge
with a man SO utterly reIugnant to me-"
For this ~repugnance poor Abdul Az had
to pay dearly. But the great glory OF
Midhat, in the eyes of the Jlngoes, Is his
Constitution. His Parliament, it is still
currently believed, was dissolved after the
triumph OF the Russian arms and tho de.
mand of the Russian Government, which
feared the contagious Influence OF Pa'lia-