The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1882-06-17
Turkeys Grand Vizier.

AziZ, the Grand Vizier-that is - say.
the Sublime Porte-wielded n only 3
power sometimes greater than thu of the
Sultan, but also possessed all the chan.
nels by which the Padishah's will could
be executed. 1t was the last Nizier Of
Abdul Aziz who went so far as TO betray
the marital honor of the Khalif, and, to
save his own head, was forced to depoSe
and finally to suicide his sovereign.
IL was the Sublime Porte that dethroned
and imprisoned the Sultan Murad and
paved Che way for the accession of Abdul
Hamid. But Abdul Hamid as soon as
he became Sultan realized his precariOus
situation and endeavored to profit by the
sad examples of his two immediate pre-
decessors. By constant vigilance and
energy he has succeeded in becoming the
master of his own house. All the public
men in Constantinople who had ever
taken power at the Sublime Porte were
gradually removed. Since Midhats dis
grace the imperial Ministers have been
mere puppets and recording clerks. The
Porte is still Sublime" but it yields
less real power than do the Sultan cook
and solutions. With the exception of
the most commonplace matters all
that is done emanates directly
from the Sultan himself. and instead of
being an ellipse the Ottoman Empire
has become CIRCLE, the center of which
is the imperial residence of Yeldiz XII
.osque-a large white house on the
heights overlooking the BOsphorus, and
from which the Sultan never Stirs, ex-
cept once week when he goes to make
his public Friday prayers in one of the
great mosques of Stamboul. During the
past six months Said Pasha, who was
until lately Grand Vizier, had been COM
pletcly overridden by the Sultan's pri-
vate secretaries, masters OF ceremonies
and subordinate hangers-on at Yeldiz
Mosque. Said constantly begged his
Imperial master to relieve him of his
functions, The Sultan always replied:
%'You have no will of your own. You
must remain where L place you, and l
never shall accept your resignation.
Last Sunday week Said was busy at the
Sublime Porte debating letters and
countersgning orders and DEGREES of the
Sultan. In the afternoon an attendant
appeared and suddenly, and without say
ing a word, removed the ink-stand from
The Grand Vizeria table. 1t must here
be explained that the removal of Min
ister's inkstand is one of the ceremonial
institutions of the Osmanli, and is po-
lite way of making known to public
! functionary the fact of his summary dis
miSsal and disgrace. Said Pasha at once
took the hint. Leaving papers and de-
creeS and documents in the most CON-
plcte statu quo, he merely called for his
carriage and drove rapidly home to his
palace, where he found one of the Sui
fans masters of ceremonies, who told
him to deliver up at once the seals of
State that had been intrusted to him just
eighteen months ago. Whether Said S
sun has set forever or whether it is mere
ly under an eclipse remains to be seen,
but Grand Viziers are no longer allowed
even to resign; they must wait until they
be dismissed
The next day the Sultan ordered ADD
er-Rahman Noor-ed-Deen Pasha-to
whom his Majesty had few days ago
given beautiful furnished palace on
the Bosphorus and $40, 900 to commence
housekeeping appear before him at
Yeldiz Kiosque. Abd-er-Rahman adj
vanccd toward his sovereign in a crouch
ing attitude of reverence and humility
The Sultan placed in Adder ahman's
hands the red silk bag containing the
seals of State that Said had given to the
Master of Ceremonies the day before.
The new Grand Vizier then bowed his
forehead until it touched the red silk bag.
His Highness then pressed the precious
bag TO his heart, and ventured to eX-
press the fervent hope that with the helT
of God and the Khalif he might be the
humble instrument of satisfactorily exc
cutting the wishes of his imperial master
The Grand Vizier was then conducted
by the Master of Ceremonies to thu
courtyard of the palace, where splen
.didly caparisoned thoroughbred Aral
stallion awaited him. Mounting tn,
steed, and preceded by the Sheik-ul
Islam. his Highness rode to the qua,
on the European shore of the Bosphorus
and embarking in a steam yacht crossed
the Golden Horn and landed at tn
Seraglio Point. Here the Grand Vizie
found another Arab steed of the pures
pedigree, a battalion of the imperial guard
and more masters of ceremonies and al
PENDANTS awaiting his arrival. Mounting
Ghis second horse-which, like the first
was present from the Suitan-he pa
raded through the streets of Stamboul
the Sublime Porte. Entering the Gram
Vizierial chamber, where the portentou
instand had been put in its place again
the Beylikdji read aloud the firman @
the Sultan which was thus worded:
''My illustrious Vizier, ABIDE Rahma
Pacl,a Noored- Deem: Said Pacha having bee
dismissed, l intrust to you-on account G
your ability and fidelity already known to M
the Important post of Prime Minister.
"ABDUL HAND KHAN"
The Shek-ul-Islam and the Ulein;
dhen offered prayers for the Khalif, Abdu
lfLamid Khan, and crowd of function
aries and employees pressed about tn
new Grand Vizier, and many of them
taking Che skirts of his Highness' Goa
in their hands, pressed the Grand Viziel
ial coat-tails reverently to their lip.
One satellite had set and a new one ha
arisenAvoila tout. ....a.t...4
The Grand Vizier Abd-er-Rahma
Noor-ed-Deen-which being translate
into English is ''The Footstool of Go
and Light of The True Religion" lis ahol
iifty-seven years old, and is descende
from The celebrated family of the Ghera
Ekoxsa I.f