New-York tribune., 1901-09-01

tn, pf-tllres which have been published within |
the last ten days Of the Turkish Sultan in con-
naction with the trouble between the sublime
Port. ana France. bear a strangely familiar |
aspect. and il requires only small effort OF |
memory to recall that they the same which
we're first printed at the time of the war with |
Hussia i'm 1871. and which have been doing duty
ever since. They. as q rule. represent ABDUL
IIanid as "A youthful man his upper lip adorned
~ slight mustache. But this portrays him as |
J.. was prior 10 his succession To the throne |
Tor ever since then he has worn a full beard |
j. accordance with the custom which requires
that the Padishah should never place himself in
the hands of any barber.
This rule is due partly to the fear of assassina- |
ton and in part also to a question of dignity. |
The beard is looked upon in the Orient en- |
titled To the highest honor and respect. The
most solemn oath by which Mahometan can
le bound is when he swears by the beard OF
the Prophet and there is greater form of in !
suit and ignominy in the Orient than To clutch |
any one by the beard 1t would lower the Com
1nander of the Faithful in the eyes Of all true !
believers were they to know that he ac
customed to have his beard pulled about. or
even touched by barber, while the surround
ings Of a Turkish Sultan such that he could
not place himself with impunity in the power OF
a man who might cut his throat with a single |
sweep Of the razor. either the nstigaton of
others in obedience to some mistaken pa
tliotism momentary or unaccountabe i'm
pulse That this danger of assassination is very |
real will be understood when it is pointed cut
that of the thirty SuItans who have
reignel at Constantinople since 145I not one is
known To have died a natural death.
Abdul Hands beard would be not merely ;
gray. hut almost white. were he not TO dye ii
with a curious kind Of tncture invented for him
ly sheik. in which henna and coffee are two
Of the ingredients. and which has the effect Of
impartng a reddish brown hue To the hair. The
Sultan prepares this hair dye himself. Hc will
allow one else TO do so FOR fear OF poison and
he likewise applies it with his own hands and
not always in an artistic manner the eye oc-
casionally smearing his cheek and neck in a way
that gives him d singularly i'll groomed appear
ance. His features have grown frightfully hag-
gard. and while his cheekbones have become ab-
normally prominent has also his nose his
eyes appear 10 have sunk almost TO the back OF
his head. Indeed he has become almost as
emaciated Leo Nil. and looks so thin and
fran as TO convey the impression that tho least
breath of wind would suffice To carry him of
1t is due to no lack Of enterprise on tho part
OF the press that such misleading pictures OF
Abdul Hamid are presented TO the public Por-
traiture is an art which is strongly dscoun-
tcnanced by the Koran. In fact, it Is absolutely
forbidden by the canon Law. and the Sultan AS
supreme head Of the Church and as the p!inci-
pal representative Of the Founder OF the Faith
cannot afford to disregard one Of it's best known
tenets. Moreover. he has no wish t. do So: for
H. is 10 such degree haunted by the dread OF
assassination that he is anxious 10 avoid. rather
than to invite recognition: and has actually
gone 10 the length Of causing his chief valet
no is his foster brother 10 trim his beard and
T. dye il ia the same way as his own and TO
promote in every way the striking resemblance
which naturally exists between the two to such |
degree TO make it difficult to distinguish |
them one from another. 1t may safely be as
sumed that no photograph or painted portrait |
Of the Sultan has been made since he came To
The throne, more than quarter Of century
ago and that those pictures which are printed
Of him either represent him as he was before
ms accession or else imaginary productions
The Sultan is by means the only parsonage
OF sovereign rank who objects to have his por-
trait taken. The late Empress Of Austria like
her surviving sister. the ex-Queen Of Naples
was most obstinate in her refusal to face the
camera, or even 10 sit to any artist for her pjct
ure. The big. black fan which she invariably
carried in her walks used to shield her from
the snapshots Of kOdaks and ii was seldom in
deed that she taken unawares Indeed the
only time that she was caught off her guard bv
a photographer. concealed behind some bushes
was few weeks before her assassination when
rc