Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1896-02-06
WRETCHED SULTAN.
IN Account Of Abdil Iiamid. tho
shadow of God"

lNcW DIX SUM
Tho character Of the Sultan of Turkey
is the most profound mystery Of our
time. Some Of US have seen him. We
know his origin and history we have
studied his rule I'm his own capital, We
are acquainted with the facts of his
reign, and We have questioned the few
men who during recent years have talk
ed intimately with him face TO face. But
all this affords no clue TO the mystery.
Here Is an Asiatic, first a debauchce and
later a religious fanatic; who has hardly
seen a civilized city or had a civilized
man for his friend who lives In the
strictest seclusion. fearing instant assas-
snatiOn who rules over a people nine
tenths of whom look upon him as a po-
litical ana religious usurper: who has
seen during his reign vast territories de-
tached from his kingdom; who has been
crushed in a great war; who has let a
powerful fleet so TO utter ruin and d
splendid army totally degenerate; who.
finally, was once the ally Of Great Brit
ain and France and IL now without a sup
porter among all nations. Yet he is
able 10 defy Europe; with impunity 10
outrage the conscience of tho civilized
world; 10 trample under foot every So
lemn engagement that has been wrung
tory after another over elk of the most
experienced and willy ambassadors liy-
ing; 20 laugh at the pressure Of Powers
whose battleships could lay every coast
town I'm Turkey in ashes I'm a few hours
and who could set in motion ten millions
Of men, and, finally. when he has at last
been constrained TO promise life and
liberty to an oppressed people. deliberate
~ set about to exterminate them. This
man, / say, is the greatest mystery Of
our time Moreover. / do not believe
anybody lives who can explain him. Ger
tainly | do not pretend 10 do so. but /
have been studying him recently at ra-
Their close range. and that l am not with
out some intimate knowledge Of his move
ments "a perhaps proved by the fact
that I knew and published i'm the Lon
don Chronicle his acceptance Of the pro-
ject Of Armenian reforms twenty-fOur
hours before any one else In Europe.
Therefore i may perhaps throw a little
light upon the mystery.
THE PERSON OF ABDUL HAND.
Take the outward man first. Abdul
llamid IL. "a short, bent VA the back.
languid in movement. with occasional
paroXysms Of nervous activity. lie has
large ears. a large nose, large lips. large
hands, and large feet His eyes are
grayish, his hair is thin and dark like his
beard. his teeth are long and yellow,
and his complexion IS Ike parchment
that has been roughly folded a dozen
times That IS. everything in his appear
ance contradicts The IDEA that he is an
Osmanli-a pure Turk. In fact ne IS an
Armenian. His mother was an Arrne-
uian slave, and, unless all tradition lies,
his father was not the Sultan Abdul Me
jid. but the latter's Armenian gardener.
The Turks 10 a man call him the bas-
tard," and tell you with many circum-
stantial details how his mother laylshed
upon the plebeian OF her own race the
favors which che succeeded IN withhold
ing from her alien II august lord and
master. In this fact of his origin Is TO
be found the secret OF the Sultan's in
tense and unreasonins hatred of the Ar
menian race, and also the explanation of
many practical qualities of statesman
ship in which he excels the Turk For
the Armenans are the Jews OF Turkey.
the buyers and sellers. the money lend
cr5 and usurers. the book-keepers, the
spectators. the commercial parasites
Thus. though Abdul Hamid II. has
played with success many a game. i'm
which Turk would have been utterly
worsted, and though he is In name and
position the thirty-fourth man who has
girded on the sword OF Osman In the sa-
crosanct Mosque Of Eyoub on the Sweet
Waters of Europe, he does not really be-
long 10 that race which Freeman de-
clares 10 have produced more great lead
ers OF men than any other that has ever
existed. lie is SO years old, and he sue
ceeded his elder brother. the deposed
Murad v. three months after the latter
succeeded his uncle. the deposed Abdul
Aziz- namely. on August 81. 1876. at the
moment when Seryia was waging war
against Turkey. and only eight months
before the Car would be doing so, too.
He rejoices in the official titles of 'Sul-
tan of Sultans. King OF Kings. Bestower
of Crowns Upon the Princes OF the World,
Shadow of God Upon Earth. Emperor and
Sovereign Lord Of the White Sea and
the Black Sea. of Roumelia and Anato-
lia' and dozen places. including Jeru-
salem the Holy, and Manager OF an
lnfnity OF other Provinces Gloriousy
Acquired.i According TO the theology oS
Islam, God casts a very dark shadow.
HIS DAILY LIFE.
From the man, let us turn to his daily
life. on the Bosporus, a few miles above
Constantinople is the palace Of Dolma-
baghchsh. II Is a dream OF white mar
BILE. perfect fairy creation. glttering
like row OF Alpine submits, 10 sossamer
I'm design that one is tempted to think
rough wind would blow It away. Within.
everything Is OF superlatiye beauty, and
OF the purest Eastern srt Every rare
wood, every beautiful stone. every deli
cacy OF faience. every skill OF carving,
every conceivable luxury has been law
ished upon IL. No other sovereign In the
world has the chance OF inhabting such
"a gem. OF course Abdul Hamid lives
m u..fU