The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1882-07-06
Turkeys Grand Yizier.

The Ottoman Empire has Deen COM
pared to an enormous ellipse, having for
It's two centers the Sultan's palace and
the Sublime Porte. In the days of Abdul
Aziz the Grand Vizier-that is to say.
the Sublime Porte-wielded not only a
power sometimes greater than that of the
Sultan, but also possessed all the chan
nels by which the Padishah's will could
be executed 1t was the last Vizier 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.
1t was the Sublime Porte that dethroned
and imprisoned the Sultan Murad and
paved the 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 Midhat's 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 scullions. 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 a week when he goes to make
his public Friday prayers in one of the
great mosques of STEAMBOAT. During the
past six months Said Pasha, who was
until lately Grand Vizier, had been COM
pletely overridden by the Sultan's pri-
vate secretaries, masters of ceremonies
and subordinate hangers-on at Yeldiz
Kiosque. 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 / place you, and l
never shall accept your resignation"
Last Sunday week Said was busy at the
Sublime Porte debating letters and
countersigning orders and DEGREES of the
Sultan. In the afternoon an attendant
appeared and suddenly, and without say
ing word, removed the ink-stand from
the Grand Vizierial 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 COM
plete statu quo, he merely called for his
carriage and drove rapidly home to his
palace, where he found one of the Sui
tan's 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 a few days ago
given a beautiful furnished palace on
the Bosphorus and $4,000 to commence
housekeeping-to appear before him at
Yeldiz Mosque. Abd-er-Rahman adj
vanced toward his sovereign in crouch
ing attitude of reverence and humility
The Sultan placed in Abd-er-R 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 help
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 the
courtyard of the palace, where splen-
didly caparisoned thoroughbred Arab
stallion awaited him. Mounting the
steed, and preceded by the Sheik-ul-
Islam, his Highness rode to the quay
on the European shore of the Bosphorus,
and embarking in steam yacht crossed
the Golden Horn and landed at the
Seraglio Point. Here the Grand Vizier
found another Arab steed of the purest
pedigree, battalion of the imperial guard,
and more masters of ceremonies and at
PENDANTS awaiting his arrival. Mounting
this second horse-which, like the first,
was present from the Sultan-he pa
raded through the streets of STEAMBOAT to
the Sublime Porte. Entering the Grand
Vizierial chamber, where the portentous
instand had been put in its place again,
the Beyhkdji read aloud the firman of
the Sultan which was thus worded:
My illustrious Vizier, Adder Rahman
Pacha Moor Deem: Said Pacha having been
dismissed, l intrust to you-on account of
your ability and fidelity already known to me
the important post of Prime Minister.
ABDUL HAND KHAN.n
The Sheik-ul-Islam and the Uleina
then offered prayers for the Khalif, Abdul
Hamid Khan, and a crowd of function
aries and employees pressed about the
new Grand Vizier, and many of them,
taking the skirts of his Highness' coat
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