The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-08-02
SULTAN OF TURKEY.
Morals, Habits and Methods of
the Modern Solomon.
A MONARCH RARELY TO BE SEEN
His Government Corrupt and Cruel
and the Country Bankrupt - In
Constant Fear OF Assassination.


OF age, then called Hamid Effendi, whom
he met at the house of favorite sister, to
whom he (the professor) was giving les
sons IN French-she remaining invisible
to him behind a curtain-as etiquette en-
joined. Thirty years later, when the
prince had become sultan, the quondam
french teacher was summoned to the
presence of the potentate, who did not
recognize his old acquaintanc nee in the fa-
nous Eastern traveller and ethnologist, but
being reminded, either did, or pretended
to, recall the memories of the past time
The long and interesting conversation"
which ensued was the basis of the profess
or's appreciation of the sultan, who, he
regrets, is $50 often misunderstood by the
public in general, as well as by the politi-
cal world
TO ascertain the actual truth, the ques-
lions to be asked and answered are: us
the life, and are the morals manners, hab-
It's and methods of government which
characterize Abdul Hamid such as to
make progress and advancing civilization
IN the man or his empire2'
What is his life? The yelled prophet of
khorassan was scarcely more secluded or
more shrouded from the sight of his wor-
shippers than the present sultan. His
habit is to shut himself up at Yildiz XII
osh, surrounded by barracks and troops,
invisible to all save few fayorites (male
and female) or an occasional ambassador
who becomes experimentation ne dare
not refuse. For six days in the week he is
thus hidden in the secrect recesses of the
harem, or of his private apartments,
with double ring of armed guards
one white, the other black-occupy-
ing the entrance. On the seventh
day, Friday (the Mussulman Sabbath) he
is visible for few minutes while driving
across the street, from the palace gate to
the mosque, just opposite which he has
caused to be erected, at great expense, out
OF bankrupt treasury, to avoid drive of
few hundred yards to the mosque for
merly used. His short route is through
lane of troops, paraded for the occasion
5000 strong-and his faithful subjects
catch only feeting glimpse of their Pa
dishah, over the heads of his military es-
cortl This is a formal ceremony, which
he is compelled to perform; and cannot
avoid, without offending the most power
full class in the empire-the Mussulman
priesthood.
When the sultan, escorted by 5000
troops, who keep the spectators at good
distance outside of their line, so that per-
sonal access to the vicinity of his sacred
person is impossible, arrives at the door
of the mosque, down the steps of
which rich carpet is spread to the end of
the sidewalk, that his feet may not be
soiled by contact with the earth, he is sup
ported up the steps by two high officials,
and enters without looking to the right or
left or saluting the people. There is al
ways a crowd outside to look at him, but
it is only rapid glimpse. as he enters and
departs, for he seems in hurry on both
occasions.
He has a separate place assigned him for
saying his prayers apart from the other
worshipers. Like the rest, he says the
Namaz, or morning prayer, which does not
take more than twenty-five or thirty min
utes. There is no recital of prayers or SER
mon in Mussulman mosque. Each man
praying for himself, kneeling on his own
prayer carpet, which he has brought with
him, or left in the mosque.
After praying the sultan passes into an
adjoining room, from the window of which
he looks out on the troops defiling past,
into which favored few of the high Off
Gals are admitted.
He remains there about half an hour
longer, when he rides or drives back to his
palace across the street, or to a small
Mosque in the garden surrounding it.
where he receives occasionally a foreign
ambassador. Turkish praying is appar-
emily very deyout, but it is always very
short, and done IN person, not by proxy,
and the sultan makes no exception to the
usual rule.
Once in every year, he also is compelled
to cross the Bosphorus into Asia, going to
the Mosque of Eyoub Job where the
sacred standard of the prophet is to be
venerated, well escorted by soldiers. The
route by which he goes or returns, is never
divulged in advance, through his fears
of assassination. The rest of his time
is passed in his harem, or his private
residence, into the secret recesses of which
few indeed are allowed to penetrate; and
there he NEEDLES and muddles" in state
and private affairs; for, as the professor
truly says, "there are from five to ten
chamberlains and officers passing contin-
ually between his private rooms and the
office of his first secretary, Sureya Pacha,
who has to send in every private letter and
document arriving at the palace. Nothing
can be done without his sanction in any
affair-public or private-thus making
ciphers of his ministers and creating inter-
minable delays in the dispatch of business
of every kind, which is seldom brought to
any conclusion except through the per-
emptory intervention of foreign ambassa-
doris impatient of endless subterfuges and
delays from irresponsible and powerless
public officials. This perpetual informed
ding of the sultan, which Professor YAM
bry so eulogizes, springing from his sus-
picious nature, distrustful of every one, is
one of the chief defects of the sultan, rem
dering all real reform or progress impos-
sible.
1t is the result of a nervous system so
unstrung and of a mind so full of conspir-
acies and morbid fears that he shrinks
from appearing in public and breads in
each visitor a concealed assassin. His ig-
norance of all foreign languages makes
him dependent on the report of translat-
ors as to what is going on abroad. His
culture" consists only in his love for
music, and such information as he can get
from the people who surround him-most
of whom are more ignorant than himself
His state craft consists of inactivity,
which proceeds from fear, and the modera-
ton and self-restraint of Abdul Hamid,
which solely have saved us hitherto from
a general European conhagration-as the
professor asserts-every one knows TO have
proceeded from personal apprehensions in
the first place, and his being merely pup
pet in the hands of the great European
powers in the second
The charm of personal magnetism, ac-
cording 10 the professor, is "incompara-
bie;" also, 1.-The art of conquering his
guests by particular signs of favor" of
which he cites two examples: In a dish
.t,a-