The Washington herald., 1909-05-02
nv W-ATTACHE.

nOud II, they may be saiS 10 have sur
yived until last week, for the bodyguard
Of Abdui Hamid. whose defense OF the
Yildiz Kiosk against the troops OF the
Constitutional party az Constantincple
has been responsible for most OF the
bloodshed that has taken place during
the recent disturbances, were Identical in
race and also in organization with those
Jenissaries who for nearly so years may
be said 10 have played dominant role
in the history Of the Turkish empire.
Recruited originally by Sultan Arnurath
I in 1850 from among his Christian cap
tives and formed into his particular body
guard, endowed by him and by his sue
cessors with favors and prerogaJives OF
every kind. they were the principal source
and foundation Of the absolute power Of
tie Padishsh. Yet at the same tine they
furnish a restraint upon his despotism-
For while they defended him against every
foe and against every danger from the
outside, II he was impTudent enough 70
90 ANYTHING calculated 10 offend him they
did not hesitate 10 remove him
Indeed. Of the thirty Sultans who
reigned during the period extending from
the frst organization OF the Janissaries IN
1870 until their massacre IN 1S26 as many
as twenty-seven are on record as having
net with their death 81 the hands Of
those entrusted with their sstety-that Is
10 say. the members Of their bodysuard.
Before many years were passed, how
ever. the Janissaries had been replaced
by another bodyguard. perhaps less AZ
rogant. less fmperious. and more sub
servient 10 the Sultan's wishes AT one
moment the imperial bodyguard was CON-
posed largely Of Kurds. az another time
Of BosniaEs, Of Candiotes, and OF Mag
yar renegades. while Abdul Hsmid
throughout the thIrty-fve years OF his
reign relied entirely upon the AIbsnians-
He had a very large force Of them IN and
around the Yil5iz Kiosk, several thou
sands n fact Their pay was far higher
than that Of any other troops OF the OF
1cman army and, moreover, was never n
arrears
Their excesses were treated with indui-
cenee by the authorities. and there have
been instances. Of the grossest Outrages,
such as murders. perpetrated by their
officers which the Sultan cid not venture
70 punish Tor fear Of displeasing them
and Of impaiTing their devotion. Il must
he admitted that they made q brave fight
for him against overwhelming odds
IN several instances detachments al
lowed themselves 10 he shot down 70 the
last man rather than 10 surrender the
post Of defense that they had been in
structed 10 hold They seem 20 have
fought. indeed. as CALAMITY for the Sui
tan as the Switzers did for Louis XVI in
1882
But their bravery was Of no avail. They
Rave been wiped out Of existence. Il has
already been decided that the ruler Of
Turkey shall never be permitted to have
q permanent bodyEU2Td OF his own again.
lest il should become a danger 70 the con-
stitution: and thus there disappears an
institution which may be said 10 have
had its origin 200 years ago. when En-
re-or Augustus formed his Prstorisn CO
hort
Each OF his successors had his corps OF
Pretorians. and when the seat Of the en-
pre- was transferred 10 ConstantinOple
she system vas retained by the Byzan-
tine enpe-ors. who. recruiting their guards
partly from the Morse pirates and largely
from the AngI0-Saxcns and GaUls. enti-
render Of the capital Of the East 70 the
Turks. the Varangian bo6yguard OF En-
perOr Constantine was replaced by the
Janissaries CT 8Iohamned II
During all the history Of the Sultans OF
the dynasty OF Gilman their bodyguards
have never been composed Of full-fedged
Turks or even Of Arabs: and IN the same
way the Pretorians OF the Roman Cae-
sars and the picked soldiers and officers
assigned 10 the protection Of the Byzan-
tine empero-s we're almost IN every case
men Of races alien TO that OF the imperial
object OF their care.
The very fact that this should have
been the case constituted an admission
that the actions and policy OF the mon
arch were frequently a. variance with
the wishes and interests Of his own peo-
pie L was because he felt that he could
not rely upon the blind obedience and
loyalty Of his feIiOW-Coultry1ne that he
deemed II necessary 10 surround himself
with defenders OF foreign origin. He
feared that 4 4 native we're called upon
10 choose between complying with an or
der from the sovereign and his duty as a
patriot 20 his country Il was the latter
that would carry most weight, whereas
az alien would have 10 such compunc-
tions.
He appreciated a fact which Il Is well
10 remember n these modern times. when
II IS the fashion 10 cynically deride
everything in the nature OF patriotism.
namely. that there are moments when
its claims rise superior 70 every consid-
Grafton OF personal advantage
Nowadays when enperOrs and kings
no longer claim 10 reign by right divine.
but admit that their rule depends upon
The viii OF the people. 70 which they are
compelled 70 defer. there IS no such oc-
cssion for foreign bodygua-ds as in the
times when monarChiCal sway was OF a
more absolute character and when the
population was ordinarily discontented
and at odds with its sovereign
Without barking back so far as the
story according 70 which Pontius Plate
was led by his birth near Fortinga1, IN
Scotland. 10 surround himself afterward
IN Judea with q bodyguard OF Scots, 7
would point out that most OF the ancient
kings of France had Scottish corps
delite. organized and maintained for
their personal protection. Later these
Scotch guards, CT whom a description
wiz be found n Sir Walter Scott's popu-
lar novel Quentin Durward.' were su-
perse6ed by Irish guards, from one OF
whom the late Marshal Aac8Iahon was q
ftleal descendant.
But already some time before the Revo-
luton the places Of the Scotch and Irish
q the French court had been taken by
Swiss regiments. Indeed. down TO the
middle OF last century Swiss bOdyguards
figured at a number OF European courts.
Every student OF French history viii
recall to mind the gallant stand made by
The Swiss guards Of louis XVI IN the