Waterbury evening Democrat., 1889-04-24
SULTAN SID, MoHAMMED.

SULTAN SlDl MOHAMMED. A Ruler Who. by His Subjects, Is Consid-
 orod Almost Divine.
 This morning M. Tissot is vo carry to the Sultan, on behalf of the President of the Republic, the grand cordon of the Legion of Honor, writes Benjamin Constant in Har- per's Magazine. shall see the man before whom trembles the whole race of one of the oldest peoples of the world, the Sultan in person, the Eldest Son of God. clothed in glory and power, 8 man more than royal and almost divine.
 Ihave donned my dress clothes and my white cravat, and my gibbous hat towers above my head. This garb seems to mo % ridiculous that am ashamed of it for tho sake of art, for the sake of my country, and above all for my own sake. Must I, then, ap- pear thus masqueraded beneath the irony of the sunl And if there were only the sun to see me, it would not be 50 terrible, but there will be whole nation to jeer at usl
 My anticipation is being realized-we are alaughing-stock. Tho whole town is in . hubbub as we march through with our escort of infantry in red uniforms, of Jan. issaries attached to the legation, of inter- preters and officers and all the official gala. My dress-coat is mingled with rose colored caftans, and my tall hat rises with misplaced pride above turbans of spotless whiteness; around mo ceremonial court swords chatter against Barbary yataghans, gold-striped trousers pass side by side with bare legs, and white gloved hands shake hands with black hands. The women, when they see me, hide behind pillars to give vent to their laughter without restraint, and the countenances of the men finally as sume smile of disdain and pity. Amongst the Moors black cloth Is of an accursed color. Perhaps they take me for tho public executioner.
 We pass through the door, and we are now ln the courtyard where the Sultan Sidi Mohammed is to receive us. It ts Q square court, which the oblique rays of tho sun cut into two divisions of light and shad- ow. In the middle the crowd of courtiers is collected; ministers, officers, slaves, either Arabs or negroes, all dressed in white, arc drawn up in two lines face to face. In the right-hand corner are the horses of the Sultan with their gold harness, each one held by Moorish warrior, and 8 gala car riage formerly presented to the Sultan by Queen Victoria. In this carriage no one ever sat, and no horse was ever harnessed to it. but on the occasion of all official cere- monies 1t is dragged out as if it were Q triumphal trophy. To the left is drawn up the private guard of the Emperor.
 We dismounted, and the master of the ceremonies, himself but slightly cere- monious, armed with 8 stan, points out our places with a ferocious look, and beneath the blazing sun, in the torrent of light that plays on the burnoose, we wait in silence.
 Suddenly the bronze gates re-echo with 8 shock, a flourish of trumpets is heard, the palace opens, and the Sultan appears, clad in white. He is mounted on a superb white horse with green saddle and trappings, green being the color of the Emir. The in- stant the master appears the whole court bows to the ground, and, like 8 murmur at once humble and martial, a clamor ever growing in strength, the cry rises: "May Allah protect our masterp'
 The Sultan advances toward us in his sac erdotal majesty; at his side walks man who holds over the Emperor's head the par asol, symbol of command. This parasol. nearly ten feet high, is of amaranthine color, lined with blue silk, embroidered with gold and surmounted by gilded ball. The man who carries it from time to time lifts his eyes toward the almighty master whom he shelters, with an expression of re- ligious dread, like that of dog beneath the threat of the whip, and when he lowers his eyes and looks upon his own person he seems to admire himself, as if his soul ven- erated his body because that body Is, as it were, an inherent part of the sacred thing shade for the brow of the Sultan.
 Motionless in his green saddle and golden stirrups, the Emperor has stopped near M. Tlssot, and looks straight before him. From time to time his eyes move and glance at us with rapid inspection; but in spite of the curiosity with which we feel that he is filled, his eyes never condescend to fi1 us directly. Sidi Mohammed and the Ambas- sador exchange, through the organ of the interpreters, the usual compliments. When the Sultan speaks he contemplates atten- lively his horse's ears, as if the lesson that he repeats were written there. The court iers, prostrate around him, drink the words that fall from his divine lips; and yet, di- vine as are those lips, Sidi Mohammed stammers. While the ears listen to him, the eyes of the assembly caress rather than contemplate hun. Two Moors, ave- stricken by their holy task, drive away with their hands the flies thas buzz around the royal babouchesl another has the mis sion of passing his hnger-tips every few minutes along the hem of the imperial bur moose, to drive awsy the desecrating air |; while to another-and how many envy him-is allotted the task of stroking and batting the Sultan's horse. In all eyes, in all hearts, you feel that there is an absolute devotion, "a loving passion, frenzy, a worship of this sexagenarian mulatto who is more than a man, moro than a King 3 god who deigns to live amongst them. H4 would only have to say one word, and every one of those fanatics would shed every drop of his blood gratefully and with ecstasy in order to satisfy a single one of his caprices.
 M. Tissot handed to the Sultan's Minister the case containing the grand cordon, and then presented each of us in turn. Each time that a name was pronounced with the ac- companying title the Sultan cast upon us q rapid glance, furtive but kindly, and said, automatically: "Marababtckoun!" (welcome welcomeD
 Suddenly the Emperor wheeled his horse round and rode toward the threshold of his palace. Then once more the trumpets flour ished; ministers, generals, soldiers, slaves, all bowed to the ground; and again the cry arose: "May Allah protect our master l'' And when the bronze gates were closed, the crowd rose from the ground and looked around with remnant of alarm, as if still terror-stricken by what had taken place After this the dignitaries came to us and lavished upon us marks of the liveliest affec tion, gesticulating and smiling, and press | T..