The National Republican., 1885-11-17
A DREADFUL DRAGONAN,
THE AFFMCTGON WHICH THE C0NsrAN-
TlNOPLE LEGATION SUFFERS UNDER.
plioity nnd Guile The Plaint Of the
American Colony Against nn Undesir-
abio Onioisl-Tho Insolonoc OF Immu-
nIty


nifty.
CoSsTANriNopLE, Sept. 10, 1SS5.-The
reception OF Mr.. Cox by the sultan at the
palace Of Ylldiz was quite exceptional,
while the amiabllity and cordiality shown
him is without parallel. Mr.. Cox was nc
companicd to the palace by the personnel
Of the legation and consulate general Of the
United States, and by the commander and
seven officers Of the Quinnebaug, now lying
in this port. His majesty the sultan ABB
dul liamid Han III seems inclined to bestow
on Mr.. Cox the same Kind attention aud
cOrdiality which the last incumbent, Gen.
Wallace, was honored with, and It is really
to be hoped that this favorable disposition
Of the sovereign will be duly appreciated
and cultivated for the protection Of our
peculiar aud many important interests In
the Turkish domlnons.
Having resided Tor many years In this
eastern country / am In position to speak
from personal experience, possessing be-
sides, all the required evidence to prove the
facts | assert One Of the most important
and, so to say, vital questions which neCes-
sitatos most thorough examination, aud
which was brought some time ago TO my
particular notice by my fellow couutrymcn
resident in this place, is the protection Of
AlltllNhll NlNlaNuN NNNlNNlAliN NllNN' udbNlul-
ized) and their interests in the cast have
not the least doubt but that our enlightened
President Cleveland and his Cabinet, under
the guidance Of the Secretary Of State, Hon.
T. +. Bayard, have already considered this
grave aud most delicate question. The Sc
lection they have made in the appointment
of Hon. $. s. Cox as the representative of
the United States to the sublime porte Is
proof enough Of the appreciation OF the i'm
portance of this momentous question and
Of the acknowledgment OF tho weight OF
the diplomatic post
But, however intelligent and we'll isposed
our new minister may be, he is surrounded
by many obstacles and barriers which are
forming, as II were, great Chinese wall
or stormy ocean, which he must Ovcrleap
or cross successfully every time he has TO
communicate with the authorities. This
great obstruction In the way OF our minister
is the present dragoman Of the legislation
AS II Is probably well known, every diplo
matte representative In this eastern country
employs n dragoman, or interpreter, who
expected TO assist his chief, the ambassador
or minister, In his intercourse with the au-
| thortics, serving either as translator or
translator of routine business or us n guide
and source Of information in many political
and administrative questions.
The United States legation, following
| this rule, had, for many years past, and
almost ever since It's establishment in this
country, very competent and wcll-quali-
| fed interpreter, the late Mr. John p. Brown,
| an American citizen and renowned lin
| gulst, highly appreciated for his profound
| knowledge of the Turkish and Arabic Ian
| guages, and most thoroughly posted In
eastern affairs in general. He occupied the
| position OF dragoman OF the United States
legation at Constantinople for more than
forty years, and in addition to this most
| peculiarly delicate position he acted,
during several long intervals, rs sccre-
tary of legation, charge dairaires, and
consul general, performing always the
duties of his post to the greatest satisfac-
| tion of the government, as the archives Of
the United States diplomatic and consular
service show. He was gentleman of high
| character, and was held In great esteem by
| the American colony here, as well as by the
| Turkish government and officials. But he
| died suddenly, and his death was and is to
| this moment great and irreparablc loss TO
| the United States foreign representation In
this country, as his post is, so to say,
vacant-or, worst of all, is filled by an en-
tirely unqualified and most incompetent
and inadequate person.
l had the misfortune TO witness his sad
death, which occurred in the early part of
the year 1872. Mr.. George Boxer, the then
minister of the United States here, was ter
| riblv shaken by the fatal event, and heard
him say that his hands were both tied and
| that he could do nothing, having lost his
| only adviser and friend. / spoke with Mr..
Boxer at the time, avowing that the Ameri
can legation In COnstantinople had really
lost its only man, and knowing then an
American citizen, the late DR.. Seropyan,
native Of this country, who had completed
his education in the United States, and was
well informed about the affairs of the east,
recommended him to Mr.. Boxer as the
| proper person to fill temporarily, until APP
| proved, the vacancy created by Mr.. Browns
death.
| Unfortunately another man, accused by
| his own consulate OF something of import
ance, person who had no knowledge
whatever of any language, and who had
taken refuge near his brother in the Ameri
| can consulate general here, succeeded by
various maneuvers, In which female and
| Jesuitic interference was not missing, to
obtain the position Of dragoman of the lega-
tion. Ever since our interests have been
| given given up to fatalsm, and no ap-
| pointment In our diplomatic service
was ever so unbetltting and injurious as the
nomination Of this very inefficient and un-
| qualified person. Born out here, he has re-
celved no education whatever. He was
brought up among the intrigues OF this
orientally governed country, aud he has
served for some time as an inferior EN-
| ploye to some Turkish officials, learning in
that perfect school of depravity all that
was necessary TO make him an employe,
| adorned with all the pecularities which are
| the sole qualifications Of most Of the en-
| ployes Of this country, but aot an official
| qualified for the United States diplomatic
service.
Mr.. A. A. Gargulo (this is the name Of
| the gentleman in question) was an Italian
| subject, and was pursued, as II has been
| above mentioned, by his own consulate.
| He took shelter in the United States con-
sulate In order to escape arrest and i'm
| prisonment, and he was saved through the
| intervention Of the consul general This
| happened at the time of Mr.. Goodenow's
incumbency In the consular office. Follow
| ing his favorite policy of intrigue and high
handed flattery and duplicity, he succeeded
| In gaining complete control over the min
lister, Mr.. Boxer, through his wife plead
ing for him and begging the inter
cesslon of Mrs. Boxer. Mrs. Brown
informed Mrs. Boxer at the time that
II would be utterly unbecoming to the
dignity of our government TO employ
person who enjoyed such reputa-
tlon in the post of dragoman of the United
States legation. Mr.. Boxer, however,
owing to the absolute necessity of filling the
vacant post, which necessity was becoming
daily most imperious owing to accumula-
tion of business, and the philanthrOpic but
most unhappy Intervention OF Mrs. Boxer,
who was touched by the assurances of sue
cess and lamentations of Mrs Gargiulo,
Consummated the work of appointing
Gargulo to the position of dragomau.
This appointment created general aston
ishment and dissatisfaction, as the charac-
ter Of the man was and is still considered
| quite inferior TO the rank he was called TO
occupy. The American colony would not,
| of course, interfere with the action Of the
minister, not wishing to increase his diff.
| culties, and the event was witnessed tacitly
but with discomfort and disappointment,
| This nomination seems quite a myth, and
is amazing to any one who undertakes TO
study the two men, the great character, the
capability, the honesty, and sterling patriot
| ism Of the late incumbent, and on the other