The Norfolk Virginian. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 186?-189?, 1896-01-23

Una III ne returned all right he would
call upon me at noon. All the Sultan
wanted was for him 10 telegraph a long
message to the London Morning Post,
couched In terms of almost idiotic culo-
gy of Abdul Hamid and the condition
OF Turkey. In vain my acquaintance
assured the Sultan that nc English
newspaper would dream of inserting
such an article, no matter who sent 1t.
The Sultan only replied telling him to
alter q few words IL necessary II to.
ask him to return for anything he would
like. One day l had an appointment
With il late Grand Vi2icr Mt his
house. The hour fixed was at S o'clock
in the morning, and while | was drink
ing n cup of coffee in his ante-room
q smart carriage and pair dashed up.
a palace officer sprung out, and Il min
ute later tamil Pasha sent his secre-
tary TO me to beg me to excuse him, as
he had that been urgently
summoned TO the Sultan's presence.
Abdul Hamid's within may demand the
~tendanc of his Ministers at any mo-
ment, while on the other hand they
may be unable to see him for a fort
night on business which they know to
be urgent. For instance, when ! was
last in ConStantinoplc, Kiami Pasha
had not been able to secure an audience
FOR many days Ee had been repeated
iy to the palace, sent in written reports.
been kept waiting several hours; and
then dismissed with q contemptuous
Verbal message brought to him by Il
Eunuch. 1T must be borne I'm mind that
whereas previously Ministers of State,
gathered In council at the Sublime
Porte, the headquarters OF the Ottoman
government in Stamb3ul, used to eXer-
else real powers, the Sultan acting upon
their advice, Abdul Hamid has taken
the reins OF authority entirely into his
own hands and most of the Ministers
to-day are the merest ~figureheads, hay
n r lfflA ", ri t,nl t,,H ~,.A,
Turkish aTairs han any readers of
these lines. They are appointed and
dismissed In accordance with petty per-
solal motives, or in order to throw dust
In the eyes Of Europe. An acquaint-
ance of mine saw him one day deeply
Immersed in n voluminous document.
A few days afterward he lat the OPP
portunity of inspecting the document
at the office Of Nozim Pasha. Minister
CT Police. 1t was the official report
upon a scuttle that had taken place in
Il cafe chantant between II Greek and n
Jew. The Shadow of God was giving
hours of his time to n miserable Incl
dent that In London or New York n
Police Magistrate would have dismissed
In five minutes.
THE SULTAN'S FOUR COUNSEL
LORS.
There are four people in the Turkish
Empire with whom he Sultan takes
counsel. They are. first. Osman Pasha.
of whom / ave already spoken, and
IN sits I'm the same carriage as his
master when the latter is driven, at
every Fridays Selamlik, 200 yards from
the palace gate to the private mosque,
for prayer while 5000 troops fill the
streets all around and reno the air with
two Savage simultaneous bouts of vel
come. The secon Is Hassan Pasha,
Minister OF marine, whohns shared with
the Sultan the peculationS which have
reduced the once fine Turkish fleet to
II Of rusting iron and ro.tinE wood,
unnble ever again to leave It's mocrings
In the Golden Horn. The third is his
" body servant a man of the lowest
extraction. The fourth is his private
Mollah or priest, n creature Of the pro
foundest ignorance and fanatlcism.
And the two latter are far more inilu-
entail than the two former. If 70 these
be added the name of Ills EXccllcncy,
Yefer Agha. Chief IIunuch." there Is
nobody else In the while Turkish En-
pire who counts. l must pay This man
the compliment. Of saying that he is the
most repulsive object in human shape
that ! have ever set eyes upon. At the
Friday Selamlik he is the last person
TO pass before the Sultan arrives. The
broad incline from the gates OF Yildig
to the portals of the Hamidich mospue
Is crowded With troops in n dozen pic
turcsQue uniforms, squadrons Of cav
shsiN 'l-'N N''it va ~ llsfnt'i
aidcs-dc-camp II general officers stand
IN rigid groups, the clash II clans OF
a dozen military bands has suddenly
ceased, in the reception room pavilion
the ~diplonatists are posted at one win
dow and the favored guests at another.
the roadway has been sprinkled with
sand, every twig carried OF. every wind
swept leaf removed. every footmark
erased by a rough broom. and the
whole gathering Is pctritied in Spcctacu-
lar speculation. when from the palace q
huge figure energies, dressed i'm fez and
a lang black frock coat, and marches
down he middle with slow waddling
steps, casting arrogant and insulting
glances to the right and left. This is
the Chief Eunuch. and he is followed
by n dozen of his unspeakable tribe.
Formerly their horrible Interpretations
| were concealed under long robes. Now
these are emphasized by European
dress. Pot-bellied long-legged. splay-
footed, thin-shouldered, beardless abor-
lions with dropping jaws and bulgine
lips, their eyes rigid. half with fear
and half with defiance. poor sexless
beasts, lowered fcscibly with all the
vices of civilization and of
and cut OFF from the virtues of either
You shudder to our marrow as they
pass.
THE SULTAN'S MUTE EUNUCHs.
There is something at Yildiz. how
ever, worse even than these intriguing
keepers OF the Pearls of the Harem,
Hidden away from common sight and
hearing are the mute eunuchs. render
ed also ~speechless in the earliest child
hood. These are the peole of the lag
ger, tn pillow, the bowstring and ahe
trsf rtNE ~ nr rINsA. -