Warren sheaf. [volume] (Warren, Marshall County, Minn.) 1880-current, 1895-12-12
AT CONSTANTINOPLE.

AT CONSTANTINOPLE.
, Dilatory Tactics Of the Crafty
Ruler Of the Turks.
British Marines Landed at Pera-Said Pasha
Fears the Wrath of the suItan-Guard-
ship Question Still Open - The
Sivas Massacres.
London. Dec. Especial dispatches
from COnstantinople allege that H. NJ.
S. Imogene and Cockatrice have landed
Elue jackets at Pera to protect the
English embassy. Pera is suburb of
Constantinople, on the north side of
the Golden Horn," on the summit of
the hill above Galata and Tophane. It
is two miles in length, chiefly inhabited
by Franks, and comprises the resi-
; dences of several ambassadors. with
Greek and Roman Catholic churches,
q Mohammedan college, and mon
astery of Dervishes.
Constantinople, Dec. 6.-The porte has
made demand upon the British en-
bassy for the surrender OF Said Pasha,
president of the council of state and for
merly grand vizier, who has taken ref
uge in the embassy because he feared
arrest, if nothing worse, il he complied
| with the sultan's commands that he re-
side in the palace. The demand has been
refused by Sir Phillip Cnrrie, British
ambassador, and Said Pasha is still
under the protection of the embassy.
Nobody here doubts that Said Pasha
had good reason to seek the protection
OF the British ambassador. and the sit
uation is recognized on all sides as be-
ing extremely critical. When the sui
tan was informed of the course taken
by Said Pasha he was greatly incensed
and made several futile attempts to in
duce the fugitive to return to his house.
He sent TewfikP asha and other ministers
TO the British embassy, where they had
long interview with Said Pasha, and
held out all kinds Of promises to him on
the sultan's behalf. But all their efforts
t. persuade the pasha to leave the en-
bassy came to nothing, Said firmly re-
fusing to trust himself outside of his
| asylum.
Later in the day. Tewfik Pasha WIS.,
tied Sir Philip Currie and begged the
ambassador to do his utmost to induce
Said Pasha to return to his home, max
| ing use Of the argument that the fight
of the president of the council of state
! was certain to have very bad effect
| no Of ia
| and might cause trouble of a most seri-
Gus nature. But all these arguments
were thrown away upon Sir Philip, who,
after listening quietly to all that his
caller had to say, politely told him that
he could not interfere in the matter.
he added that Said Pasha had asked for
an asylum and that his request had
been granted. There the matter ended,
so far as the British ambassador was
| concerned.
The feature Of the political situation
here is the step taken by Said Pasha,
! president of the council of state, and
formerly grand vizier, in seeking refuge
with his son, aged about II years, in
the British embassy. An investigation
of the affair shows that the sultan sent
a special messenger to Said Pasha, in
viting him to occupy the chalet within
the grounds of the Yildiz park. Fully
aware of the significance of this invita-
ton, Said Pasha declined. This is said
to have made Abdul Hamid take steps
to arrest the former grand vizier, who
is suspected by the palace people of in
.triguing for the deposition OF the pres
ent sultan.
Abdul Hamid, it seems, believed that
Said Pasha was trying to influence the
council Of state 10 declare him (the sui
tam suffering from weakness of mind.
This so enraged Abdul Hamid that he
determined to get Said Pasha out of the
way. 1t may not have. been the plan to
actually murder the latter; but nobody
doubts that if he had been enticed into
the Yildiz chalet he would have at least
remained there a close prisoner for a
long time to come, and some morning
the news of his suicide" would possibly
have been circulated. When Said Pasha
heard that the sultan. nerved to des-
peration by the lntimations of the pal
ace courtiers, had determined upon his
arrest, he lost no time in placing him.
self under the protection of Sir Philip
Currie.
Constantinople, Dec. 8, via Sofia, Bull
garia, Dec. 9.--The situation here on
the question of the extra guardships of
the powers remains unchanged and
continues to offer tribute to the pow
| ers of delay and evasion of oriental
diplomacy as practiced by the Turkish
government. Statements are constant
ly reiterated of the continued accord of
the powers on the subject and their I'M
yielding determination to insist upon
compliance with their demands. Less
is heard, however, of the rumors which
were of frequent occurrence in the early
period after the demand had been pre-
sented, that the sultan had at length
decided to grant the necessary frman
to permit the passage of the Darda-
nelles, or even that he had actually is
sued them.
Opinion continues divided as to
whether the delay in taking any action
to enforce the demands is due to fear
of causing fanatical outbreak against
the Christians by the Mussulman sub
iects of the sultan or to dread of
clash ensuing between the powers them
selves.
The British embassy is surrounded
by police spies. Lord Salisbury has
sent a message to Sir Philip Currie, the
British ambassador, expressing his ap-
proval of his conduct in harboring Said
Pasha. In the meantime the gates of
the embassy are closed, and force
from the Imogene patrols the grounds.
Authentic details have been received
Of the Sivas 1nassacres. They show
that the slaughter began OH November
y II and continued for a week follow ing.
1t is known that / 200 Armenians and
ten Turks were killed before there was
cessation of the bloody work. The
stricken Armenians have gathered the
mangled remains of their kinsmen and
buried them in a great trench in the
/