The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-05-01
From the New York Globe.


 N BDUL IIAMID IT., thirty-fourth
 P7T Sultan of the Ottoman empire,
 regarded for a generation as
 'srhe Sick Man of Europe" ever at the point of political death, nevertheless for 33 years has played the powers against each other with consummate skill, and has kept most of his tottering empire in- tact He is a man of many contradictions and little understood. One of the most bitterly hated men in all Europe, among the common people of Turkey he is popu- lar. His name has long been a synonym for bloodshed and unspeakable cruelty. He has been held directly responsible for some of the most appalling massacres in history. Yet in his private life he is often
 considerate toward his associates and gentle in his manner, almost to the point of effeminacy.
 Traditionally believed to be an indolsnt, whimsical voluptuary, he is in reality all most ascetic in his tastes and mode of life, and has worked unceasingly IS hours a day for what he believed was the good of his people. He ascended the throne at a time when the constitutional spirit was rife; he became reactionary of the reac- tionaries, a despot of the most absolute type. He was representative of the con-
 servative Mohammedan party and revived the pretense to the headshp of Islam.
 The Sultan has no real conndants. He dares not have The arch-intrigver among
 nation of intriguers, there are few whom he can trust. He has been enabled to play this difficult part by an unconquer.
 able will and remarkable self-control. It is said he never allows himself to be-
 come excited, and has never been known to raise his voice in times of greatest
 stress.
 No Sultan probably has ever ruled Tur-
 key through a period of greater msfor-
 tune, and with less ability Abdul Hamid would doubtless have seen his empire
 fall to pieces
 On his accessionfto the throne in 1876 the war with Russia was impending. Defeat was inevitable. There was growing in- surrection in Bosnia and Herzegovina. servia had already declared war, and | Russia was fomenting rebellion in other l tributary states.
 | In April, 1877, the Czar declared war, | and his armies nearly reached Constanti-
 nople before he was checked by the jeal- ousies of the other powers. The Sultan
 made surprisingly good terms of peace, however, by the treaty of San Stefano, which were modified still more in his
 favor by the congress of Berlin two years later Nevertheless Turkey lost her last
 vestige of authority over Montenegro,
 servia and Roumania, gave up all real | sovereignty in Bulgaria. Bosnia and Her | zegovina and lost some territory in Asia
 Minor.
 l Peace once assured from without Abdul
 Hamid adopted his policy of reaction. He
 abolished the constitution, built up sys-
 tenn of spies and established a loyal body | guard. The promised reforms were not
 made. Surrounded by dissensions. po- litical and religious, he devoted his power | to retaining his throne and keeping the empire together. He has played races and
 sects against one another within his bor-
 ders as he has iuggled nations without. l The Armenian massacres of 1895 and 1896 | were laid at the door of the Sultan.
 Whether he directly fostered them Is not
 known At any rate. the signatory pow
 CTS of the treaty of Berlin were aroused i to action, but international relations were ; so complicated at that time that the Sul- 1 tan was able to evade all demands for 1 redress or reforms.
 | In 1908 the reviving power of the Young Turks began to be felt. The demand for
 a constitution grew louder and louder. 1 At length, in July of 1908. the Sultan
 yielded, and restored the constitution he l had granted in December of 1876 and then l abrogated-
 l Many stories are told of Abdul Hamid' { l diplomatic methods. He exercises most