The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1904-05-19
WALTER BLOOMFIELD

| with not so much circumstance that
the forgettal thereof shall embarrasS
thee on another occasion. In this lies
the whole art of lying" Thus admon-
ished. and with an overpowering sense
of my newly acquired dignity. | set
out for TrebiZond accompanied by Il
numerous retinue.
The city and province over which I
was appointed to rule had been de-
plorably i'll governed from time i'm
memorial. The people had been har-
ried and plundered by an unbroken
succession of incompetent despots.
and 10 mans life or property was Sc
cure. Before sci foot in Trebizond,
had resolved to use the unlimited
powers entrusted TO ME in reforming
any abuses which l might find pre-
vailing there. Having taken up my
abode in an ancient castle which faced
the sea and stood just within the city
walls. addressed the chief men Of the
city who had gathered to receive me,
and occasioned them much consterna-
tion by announcing my intention of liv-
| ing as simply and frugally rs possible,
of administering impartial justice be-
| tween man and man irrespective of
| rank, office, or wealth. and of my will
ingness to hear personally all cases in
which suitors for justice could show
reasonable cause for appeal against
| the Judgment of the cadis. The au-
thority," I said. delegated to me by
the Commander of the Faithful, to
infict death on any inhabitant of this
! province who shall incur my displeas-
ure, I will never exercise except to
punish the evil doer whose deeds In
the judgment of men shall merit that
penalty. The annual tribute of Trebi-
zond fixed by the Sultan's advisers is
heavy one-heavier, fear, than you
can pay without hardship. Neverthe-
less. it must be paid, punctually and
fully; but l hope by the laws l will
enact and the impartiality of my rule
soon to tighten your burdens, to which
end / will direct all the energy of my
nature, confident of success if only
your present protestations of loyalty
be sincere"
The domestic establishment of my
predecessor (who-marvellous in a
Turkish pasha!-had died natural
DEATH was large, expensive, and most
1x, ,,calacS. on I doamod n q fitfinp S1lh-
ject for first experiment with my re-
forming hand. l reduced it four
fifths, and reconstructed the remainder
on a system which had devised my
self-abolished the Office of purse
bearer, personally controlled the treas
ury, and kept a sleepless eye on ac-
counts rendered to me by my suborGi-
mates. Verify the ways of reformers
are hard, and the opposition of those
whom it is sought tc benefit is too
great to measure. At first my rule was
as unpopular with the people as that
of any Of my predecessors had been.
which is saying much: but lived it
down. and in few years converted
hatred into tolerance, which yet later
was changed TO esteem when it was
seen and felt that l scrupulously ad-
hered to my original declaration.
Trebizond proSpered enormously under
my rule, and in ten years had become
one of the wealthiest and most peace.
full vilayetS in the empire, whereas
before it had been one of the poorest
and most turbulent. Mahpeiker's
Grand Vizier, who, true to the tradY
tons OF his race anu Office, had tiXeG
the tribute of TrebiZond at ten times
as much as had ever before been
wrung from that province, was as
founded to see from me the sum he
had demanded, and was at a stand
to know how l had accomplished sucl
4 wonderful feat. In his dilemma the
yizier resorted to the Court Astrologer
from whom, after narating the cir
cumstSnces, he asked for enlighten-
ment. After practicing divers fooler-
les with an astrolobe the astrologer
Informed the Vizier that the Beardless
Pasha of Trebizond had discovered a
gold mine, and announcement which
so powerfully excited the cupidity OF
the Vizier that he undertook journey
to Trebizond to see whether it was
really so or not With great difficulty
proved to this vile wretch that his
credulity had been abused-that my
success was due merely t. my acting
directly contrary ro his advice; and
he returned 10 Constantinople, disap-
pointed and disconnected. But during
his absence from the capital faction
had been formed against him. his
REGULATIONS had been exposed, and in
passage leading to the Seraglio he was
met by the Seven Mutes and there un-
tremendously strangled.
Years came and passed away, and
many were the changes in the govern
mcnt of Turky. In 1852 Amurath,
ut that time a youth Of twenty. as
sumed full power and ruled his en-
pire with rigorous despotism which
ho. -,ayar bepn eycppded in the history