The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-03-16


lace was announced, "and find it charm
Ing. / have sent for you TO ask If there
Is any place abroad you would like. After
thinking II over for a day or two General
Wallace said that Constantinople had al
ways possessed great fascination for him.
and IL the place was not already disposed OF
ne would prefer TO be minister 10 Turkey
TO anything in the diplomatic service.
1T is not disposed Of said the President.
and you shall have it,. SO within the week
the name of General Lew Wallace was
sent to the Senate for confirmation as min
lister 10 Turkey. The Indianian is a most
charming man socially. and he was soon
prime favorite at Constantinople with the
entire diplomatic corps and Sultan Abdul
Hamid besides. The United States had no
vexed questions pending with the govern
ment of the Porte. and the courtly Indiana
man somehow rested and soothed the much
vexed sovereign.
AS the time approached for General Wal
lace TO return the Sultan became more and
more attentive to him, inviting him TO make
personal visits to the palace and giving the
general every mark of his personal favor.
Finally. when he made his call TO take
leave, the Sultan said: How do you mean
to occupy yourself when you return to
American" The general said he had not
formed any plans yet for the future.
Then, why not remain here. and take ssrv-
ice with me?'' said the Sultan. You can
have the highest rank in the empire, mil
itary or civil. | will bestow upon you the
rank of field marshal in my army. or. if
you prefer to enter diplomacy, you can
have any position in my gift The gen.
slider it, your Majesty, for few days Such
proposition is not TO be acted upon light
ly.' Within the week the general returned
to the palace and asked for personal au-
dience with the Sultan. Il have come 10
tell your Majesty that. fattering as your
it out u.s. for yo
Should a stranger be thus advanced one
who had previously not had the honor to
serve you. this promotion would at once
arouse the active antagonism and intense
jealousy of every official VINO was thus
superseded. Ii would so greatly disarrange
the official encourage of your Majesty that
great, even serious, harm might grow out of
II. What would Field Marshal Osman Pa
sha, the hero of Plevna. think If L were
thus suddenly promoted over his head,
when he has rendered such distinguished
service TO the Ottoman empire? No, can
not accept your most gracious and Halter
ing offer. and my chief motive for declin-
ing il is the high personal esteem and con-
sideration / have for you yourself. The
good service / might otherwise render
would be nullifed by the enmity aud jeal-
ousy Of those who have served you so long
and we'll" The Sultan was deeply moved,
said General Wallace, as he related the
story. He was not accustomed 10 have the
very Hottest positions in his gift thus de-
clined. But he very reluctantly was
obliged to concede that the generals prem
so the American and his august Majesty,
the Sultan. parted in great amity. the head
OF the empire bestowing some splendid to-
kens of his affection and regard upon the
retiring minister.
When the recent imbroglio (Which may
end in wiping Turkey as a power OFF the
map of EurOpe) became acute General WAL
lace was greatly surprised one day TO learn
that the Sultan had telegraphed the Amer
lean secretary of state as follows: where
is General Wallace American minister TO
my government from 1881 10 1885? ] wish
to communicate with him. The telegram
was forwarded to General Wallace, who
at once came to Washington, and, 1t is pre-
stunned, entered into relations with the
Turkish minister. One evening very recent
ly General Wallace said to person. whom
he told of the Sultan's former offer: The
Sultan of Turkey renewed his previous Of
fer. The reasons which caused me TO de-
cline it then have induced its declination
nOw." That was all he would say. Under
the extraordinary conditions now existing
"A ConstantinopIe it is believed that General
Wallace is of the opinion that the Sultan
thinks the American might make better
terms for the empire than any other man.
General Wallace was upon the most AMIGA
BILE terms with all the diplomatic represen-
tatives of-the powers then on duty at Con-
stantinople, and the most of them are there
still and will conduct the negotiations
which will either dismember or strengthen
the Ottoman empire. 1t would be a curious
chapter in diplomacy if the American were
the means of saving the Turkish empire.
But such is the romance of history.