New-York tribune., 1908-10-26

n
service, and made up for his disappointment bv de-
voting himself with peculiar zest 10 Yachting
IURhEfS PRIMATE VERY INFLUENTIAL
Like the Archbishop of Canterbury Primate OF
All England. the Sheik-ul-Islam. who is the MosIem
Primate Of Turkey at Constantinople enioys a sal
airy or ESoN year. well as the use of two
handsomely appointed palaces the Turkish counter
part OF the Archbishop OF Canterbury's home at
Lambeth being a palace from the YildIz
KIOSK The Sheik-ul-Islam possesses. however.
many official attributes to which the English Pri-
mate can lay no claim. For. IL addition to being
'he hignest ecclesiastical dgnitary and the supreme
interpreter Of the Koran. he is the ma gstratc
oA the empire and the keeper of its great seal
Wen as the de 1ecto Minister OF Justice Edu-
cation Twice week he presdes over the Supreme
court Of Justice. or Arzodessi, which is attached
10 his palace at Constantnople and from his de-
clslohs there is no appeal He absolute control
over the 1mans. Molshs UIemas and Softas as
ven as over the superiors various rnedrasses
or theological colleges. and over all judicial and
religious institutions
while he owes his appointment 10 the Sultan, vet
ne mas 1t IN his power TO depose the latter by re-
eving the people Of their allegiance If in his opin-
ION the Padishah has been guilty of anything cacu-
lated 70 forfeit that allegiance And although the
oCitan was credited, at any until the coup
deiat the other day. with possessing absolute
power. there have always been quite number o
Things that he unable TO do without a fetvah.
bearing the seal Of the empire and the signature
OF It's keeper-naely. the Sheik-ul-Islam who alone
could Issue that fetvah
When. for instance the military rron,,nctarnenro
took place at Adrianopla, by means of which the
new order OF things inaugurated in Turkey,
the Sultan Immediately or1ered troops to be dis
patched TO Adrianople suppress the tnsurrection
ana to crush The mutineers. HIS ministers pointed
out 10 him that, according immemorial usage
and 10 the teachings Of the Koran. Mosiem troops
could not be used against their coregionsts with
out fetvah issued by the Sheik-ul-Islam. and
when the-latter was appealed to by the Sultan to
issue decree Of this kind he refused do so.
the ground that the insurgents in clamoring for
the enforcement Of constitution granted in 1876
by the Sultan and never repealed had been guilty
OF no offence in the eyes of the Koran neriting
their prescription by fetvah Il this att-
tude Of the Sheikul-Islam which forced the Sultan
10 yield and 10 introduce the present regime
The sheik-Ul-Islam enjoys precedence over all
the other dignita-ies Of the Ottoman empire. and
his rank is 50 exalted that he can marry !nto
imperial family footing of equality. On ordi-
nary occasion he wears the old-fashioned Turkish
oostune-a dark caftan. cloak, lined with fur.
and green turban. wound around fez But
state occasion his robes Of white cashmere.
edged with gold and his mantle light green. also
heavily edged with gold. Although ne occupies
50 Influential post at stamboul he does not often
come into contact with foreigners even with those
accredited 10 the Sublime Porte in official
capacity, and II IS only the diplomats who
gifted with more than ordinary shrewdness who
cultivate his acquaintance. As I have mentioned
above. he owes his appointment 10 the Sultan. But
the latter cannot dismiss him. and the only way
that he him is By means Of poison. for
which there many precedents In fact. If the
truth were known. il would probably be found that
there jL4st few Sheiks-ul-Isar who have
succumbed II natural causes 5 sultans of Turkey.
MAROJISF DE FONTENOT.