The Savannah morning news., 1903-07-19

nave MS breath left, and in fact, 1t
IS his nerves that keep him alive. Such
constitution must necessarily inf1u-
ence his mentality. Abdul Hamid is,
IN truth, victim of neurasthenia, and
IN some things monomaniac. His
physical condition alone can explain
the contradictions of his character.
He is full of dissimulated obstinacy,
and only yields to force with the Sc
cret intention of getting back later
what he is compelled temporarily to
abandon. He is never at a. loss for ex-
pedients, is a deep calculator, and
knows admirably how to escape dam
gers by stratagems that are always
new. He is skillful layer of traps, and
capable of all kinds of abjectness to-
ward his enemies when he fears them,
and of the greatest severity when he
has them in his power, and his ven
geance is the heavier for having been
patiently nourished in secret.
Not only is the life of man who in
troublesome to him of little account,
but spilled blood seems to calm and
soothe his shattered nerves, always
stretched to the swapping point. "At
night, before going to Sleep" says one
of his chamberlains, "he has some one
TO read to him. His favorite books are
those giving detailed accounts of as
sassninations and executions. The sto-
ries of crime excite him and prevent
him sleeping, but as soon as his reader
reaches passage where punishment
falls upon the criminal, the Sultan inn
mediately becomes calm and falls
asleep"
The Sultan, like all neurotics, has
moments of great irritability, during
which he becomes violent. Several
times he has beaten his secretaries or
his chamberlain. Once he threw his
inkstand at the head of Kutchuk-Said
Pasha, then secretary-in-chief, who
was able to dodge his head in time.
Another day, suddenly enraged with
the same parsonage during a discussion
on the Egyptian question, he drew
from his pocket a revolver, and
threatened to fire at the pasha, who,
terrified implored his pardon.
1t is said that Abdul-Hamid quickly
regrets his violence, which he fears
will arouse the resentRnent of his suite.
1t is, moreover, his policy as we'll as
his temperament to make people think
him gentle and good, and to pretend
that he has in reserve vast stores of
tenderness. He tries to enlist sympa-
thies everywhere, feeling that no one
loves him. Thus he poses often as a
victim, complaining of the malice and
ingratitude of men, and his complaints
have such an accent of sincerity that
for the moment they deceive those who
listen.
Although his voice is naturally deep
and strong, he knows how to make it
caressing and almost gentle, and he
has the gift of making himself agree
able in order to win the friendship of
those who approach him, especially
foreigners. He takes all kinds of pains
to please them, and it is seldom that a
European leaves him without being
fascinated by his cordial and charming
manner and exquisite tact. The sultan,
in fact, practices the art of politeness
and hospitality not only as an oriental,
but also as a European. Nowhere are
! foreign notabilities received as royal
I ly as at Yidiz, and even mere tourists
! passing through Constantinople and
present at the ceremony of Selamlyk
will be received with honors. If they
form numerous party of all kinds of
hattering attentions are showered upon
them during the ceremony, and they
find before leaving a sumptuous lunch
| served on the terrace of the Yildiz
Kiosk. Cigarettes are presented to
them, and an aid-de-camp of the sui
tan conveys to them the imperial COM
pllmentS. Again, at their departure
from Constantinople-a full view of
which has been facilitated by an order
from the palace-Gen. Scheker-Ahmed
Pasha presents them with Turkish de-
lght, cigarettes, ETC., as souvenirs of
his majesty. And the visitors go away
delighted with their visit, convinced
that the sultan is a most affable and
courteous prince, and that the COM
plants of Europe are entirely un1us-
titled.
In thus trying to win the sympathy
OF foreigners by these little means, he
lmagines that he counteracts the harm
that the Independent press of Europe
10 hi
minds of the general public. Even to-
ward his own subjects he endeavors to
appear benevolent when it is to his
interest. Sometimes functionary or
grand parsonage falls i'll. A chamber
lain goes and inquiries after his health
with the compliments of the sovereign;
a court physician goes to attend him;
if he dies and leaves sons whose fidel-
ity the master wishes to secure, the in
terment is paid for out of the imperial
purse.
Sometimes he attempts by feigned
amiability tn win over some
men he fears and on whom
ne has no hold. and then
there is nothing to which he will not
stoop in order to obtain by cunning
what he cannot obtain by force One
can have no idea of the persistence.
the roundabout methods they employ
in Constantinople to win the Young
generation of Turks over to the Sui
tans side. They know, for instance.
that a young mans relations and
friendships give him the opportunity
of learning certain little secrets of
great interest to the monarch, and
they leave no stone unturned to get
him to talk. They promise him posi-
tons, honors, favors, decorations, pro-
motion, money-especially money! They
are very capable of making a pretty
woman the prize; in short, they put
forward what they think will tempt
him most. If this inexperienced
young man is at all weak or lacking
in character he will find himself SO
hemmed in, so skillfully entangled,
that, after brief hesitation, he will end
by becoming a creature of the Sultan.
If, on the contrary, he resists, and
shows that he cannot be tempted, he
invites for himself an existence made
miserable by espionage, calumny and
prosecutions of all kinds.
Thus it is that Abdul-Hamid has
succeeded in winning over many of the
elite of the nation, and in creating a
class in which have been constantly
and painstakingly inoculated the most
immoral and degrading principles. He
knows the power of gold, and he uses
to corrupt the country the riches he
wrests from it. He has no love for
honest men, for he sees in them ad-
versaries of his policy and censors of