The herald., 1896-03-01
To Begin a Rebellion Against
the Sultan
THE YOUNG TURKS PARTY
Threatens the Existence of the Ottoman
Empire
The Party Daily Grows stronger-The Power
Of the Palace Favorite II Near.
Ing the End

Associated Press Special Wire.
CoNsrANTINoPLE via. Sofia, Bulgaria,
Feb. 29.-[Copyright 1896 by the Associ-
ated Press. The police and military au-
thorities have been taking steps for
some time past to get at the facts
of widespread conspiracy with head
parts of the Ottoman empire. Over 200
Armenians and number of Turks have
been arrested. The Turkish officials claim
the arrests are made simply as precau-
ton against hostile manifestation against
the sultan, Abdul Hamid, upon his visit
to Topkapou palace in the Stamboul
quarter, today, the occasion being the
Midrama Seah festival. The route to be
followed by the sultan will be lined on
both sides by picked troops. Behind the
soldiers will be uniformed police, and
minglipg with the crowds swarms of secret
police, who have instructions to arrest any
Armenian or Turk who may act in man.
ner calculated 10 arouse suspicion. Many
more arrests will be made before the sui
tan passes through the streets, and the
authorities will be greatly relieved if the
day passes without serious disturbance.
There is no denying that the Turks are
rapidly becoming far more dangerous to
the rule of Abdul Hamid than the half
crushed Armenians, although the revolu-
tionery agents of the latter are still busy
at work, but their plan of campaign seems
to have undergone q decided change, for
they appear to have become convinced
that their only hope Of any kind of redress
in the nature of partial self-government
lies in the young Turkish party. This con-
tinually strengthening party is becoming
bolder as time passes, the murmurinx OF
the populace is more distinct and has
reached the ears of the palace, causing the
utmost uneasiness and anxiety. Outwit-
ting the hostile powers when secretly
backed up by Russia is comparatively
easy task when compared with confront
ing possible uprising OF a strong section
of the Turks themselves.
The feeling among the Turks against the
sultan has nothing to do with the Armen-
ians. IL is due to the wrongs suffered by
the Turks themselves and the terrible OPP
preston of the secret police and tax-gath-
erers. Among the lower classes here the
matter might not go further than the
plundering of the palaces, etc.. the oustiDg
of palace favorites and a probable inn
provement thereby in the general situa-
ton the feeling Of discomfort is far deeper
and much more serious. The Softas aid
the Ulemah, the army and navy arc fairly
ripe for an outbreak, as is we'll known at
the palace. The young Turk party de-
mand constitution, parliament and free
institutions. ,s..a-
What the Turks are looking for is .
leader. When he appears it is safe to pre-
dict that the rule Of the palace favorite
will soon be ended, one way or the other,
by the deposition of the sultan and by the
placing of some other man in his place, or
by the adoption of constitution and par
Lament, which may make material
changes in everything throughout the en-
pire.
The ambassadors of the powers are keep.
ing their respective governments fully in
formed regarding the situation, but the
presence of the extra gunboats here is now
a matter for congratula!ion among them,
as there is no longer the Same fear as be-
fore that disturbance here would result
in great danger to the foreign population
of Constantinople and its suburbs,