The Indianapolis sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1880-1904, 1885-04-03
mR. cox AND rHE SULTAN.
Glowing Description OF an Interview by the
New Minister to Turkey.

Glowing Description OF an Interview by the
New Minister to Turkey.
In the appointment of Mr. S. s. Cox, of
New York, as Minister TO Turkey, the Otto
man Empire will fnd an old friend. Mr..
Cox visited and made the acquaintance of
the Sultan in 1881, aud those who have read
his book Orient Sunbeams," will observe
that he is no stranger to Turkish customs.
His visit to the Sultan he describes as fol.
lows:
when word came to be ready Tor presen-
tation to the Sultan there was an unusual
futter around our trunks and in our ward
robe. II was no ordinary occasion. Did not
tue blood of the 'Thunderbolf run, though
sluggishly, In his veins? Was he not the
litular, if not the actual head, of nearly two
hundred million of one faith? We pass
palace after palace below the Towers OF
Europe. It is q splendid picture. The
Doma- Batchke Palace is OOrin.hau,
and here, when the Sultan Aziz was de-
thToned, fifty bostloads Of his women were
emptied cut OF tie harem, but happily
housed at the Sersglio.
I'VE are received in q style worthy of the
spot. We are expected We pass through
the grand gateway of the quay and out
upon the street We enter gilded coaches
driven by gold-laced cosohmen, who light
cigarettes. We drive between hot, yellow
walls, within which are foliage, mosques.
minarets and dome, until we are within the
palace grounds on the hill. These precincts
are not romantic, nor is the palace oriental.
1t is marble and modern. No gaZelies are
anbushed under roses no fountains send
their spray TO the sun.
"Asslm Pachs is an elderly man. He
stoops little. he has silver hair, and no.
much Of that. Ear. Head, the Consul, points
ou', sitting on a red divan, the hero OF
Plevna, OsmaD Pacha. he is the Minister of
War. He Is huilt like General Mcclellan.
HIS face is Enthusiastically oriental. His eye
is large, black ard lustrous. He is an equa-
els, 81 dsome man. | caught bis eye upon
me, snd held my bat with tighter grip and
fun bled foz a cigarette.
We formed in line behind the Minister
end proceed under escort up the staircase 10
ihe audience chamber We pass up between
folders, fine large CircRssisns in their MS
tive array. who look at us impassively.
African ennr chs, in rich attire, stand like
statues On the steps. Officers with side arms,
ard soldiers with rifles are in waiting. We
halt moment at the head OF tbs stairs, aud
locking within through a large chamber.
J erceive in the grand saloon before rs a
we'll made man OF medium size aud of Sc.
rere, almost melancholy aspect. He stands
alone. He wears q blue uniform, with the
Inevitable feZ. he holds a sword OF golden
sheath and jeweled hilt. A rich sash is over
his shoulder. We approach in due order
and make a formal bow. After several
rather elaborate bows from the Sultan's
Ulcers We await events. The Sultan raises
his dreamy, lauguid, thoughtful eyes and his
sallow face lights up little. Then the con-
fabulation begins.
Il confess 10 an enthusiasm Tor this mon
arch. He is King, every inch, aud with
out any dramatic ostentation, for l learn
from our Consul that he deserves great re-
gard for his rare ability. He is his own ad-
wiser, and thu troubles and care growing out
of the equivocsl death of his predecessor,
and with the populations of divers religions
and races which he must reconcile to rule,
he is not unworthy of the fame OF Abdul
Meiid whose memory is to me part OF my
earliest association in this city, whose praises
then were on every tongue"
Mr.. Cox's book is an octave volume of 407
psges, not less than 100 of which are devoted
TO glowing descriptions of the Bosphorus the
old Seraglio, the tombs OF the Sultans, the
bowling dervishes, the Museum OF Ancient
Costumes and the dead Turkish Parliam ant