The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1883-10-27
THE DAILY ARGUS.
turday October %, 1888.
THE SULTAN'S IDEA.
Hon. A. s. Hewitt Interviews Tur.
keys Ruler.
His Majesty Cengratulates Hewitt
on the scarcity Of American
Politicians--A Friendly:
Contamination.

NEW York, Oct 27-The Herald has
special from Constantinople giving an ac-
count Of an interview between the sultan ana
Hon. A. S. Hewitt. Mr. Hewitt was the
subject Of especial attention on the part OF
his majesty. and was honored with SPECIAL
audience. In the course of the CONVEX
sation. which was carried on freely
and IN the presence of but one or
two attendants referring 10 the fact that in
both America and France the form of gov
eminent was republican, the sultan remarked
"The stability of your institutions in the
United States is owing to the absence of poll
ticians, a superabundance of which in France
is such a disturbing element" Seeing
that the sultan was, in his own mind.
comparing the tranquility Of the
United States with the feverish scenes
of France, endeayored to ex-
plain the great difference between the re-
puhlics 1t took me some time, as had to
give sketch of the history Of America, but
his majesty was exceedingly attentive, and !
found him very quick in seizing my ideas.
The sultan Observed 4 have heard that you
are likely before long to become member of
the government Allow me to congratulate
you upon the said government being that of
the United States, and not of France. l am
very fond Of the American nation, because it
harbors no designs and pitfalls against my
empire
Mr.. Hewitt continues: ellis majesty was
very anxious to impress me with the idea
that perfect religious freedom existed
throughout the empire and that the follow
ers of all creeds were equally protected by
law. His majesty said: In some respects
a Christian has the advantage of a Moslem,
as, for instance, in the settlement
of debts when Christian creditors are
paid first. Moreover, Jews have over and
over again como to Turkey to avoid persecu
ton in their native countries. Most of the
European Jews in Turkey have descended
froul SPANISH Jews who fed from Spain and
were granted homes in Turkey at time when
no Christian country would receive them
Most of the Jews in Turkey continue to speak
Spanishs The sultan finally asked me what
l thought about his country and its condition.
naturally felt great hesitation in giving a
reply 1t would have been mbecoming on
my part to cliticise freely what | had seen
or to have thought of giving his majesty
lecture on the duties of government. made
some commonplace remarks, sheltering my
sell from further questions on the subject
under the excuse of my limited opportunity
of observation.
'His majesty struck me as being a perfect
gentleman His manner was exceedingly
courteous and friendly, tinged, however,
with a little nervous anxiety-not shyness or
timidity, but just that amount of hesitation
as betrayed the sultans fears that he might
be asserting himself too much, when his
desire was to place himself on a converse
tional level with his guests. He seemed a
man of great intelligence of thought. His
intellect, | should say, was of rather meta
physical order, and his mind was given to
searching out and studying details rather
than considering subjects generally. His
majesty, as we presented our adieus, desired
me to write to him when in New York"