THE REAL SULTAN.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 419, 30 January 1909, Page 9

THE REAL SULTAN.

A RULER WHO IS MUCH REpW • SENTED. , . So. many dark crimes have-been told aboufl ths Sultan of .Turkey thathe is.almost.uni« versally regarded as the "black■'• sheep"' among the crowned heads of 'Europe. Hβ has, however,' found, an apologist in the per- : son of Vely Bey, who writes to say there is no foundation for these scandalous rumours. .■ Whatever may be said to the contrary, he Abdul-Hamid without ■ a doubt meant and means wellfor his subjects. 'As a .man his .personality .stands.. high... in -•'.the esteem of the people who know Jiim;' intelli.;, gent,_ sincere,:Toyal to his' friends",' generous, kind-hearted, dignified, .he.has. appreciated and respected merit and personality in'.others. ' There is not a man in Turkey,' no.matter how modest, his birth or. circumstances,'.whose . merits, if any, have not received to some extent the personal recognition of the Sultan. ' He took at all times special pleasure in butprising his acquaintances with presents and : favours, and had always a•. kind word for everybody. The hospitality and courtesies he extended to; foreigners are known all over the; world, : and. the thousands of. tourists who have witnessed the. weekly,.reviews;; at- 'tie '.'. Selamik " .all- remember, the attention' of .-'■ which.they invariably have been the' object. : If-he heard of any v of his personal acquaintances being ill, he would not only send them ■ medical assistance, but also money fromihia privato purse.-.;; : .'■ .-.' ]i ■■.■-'■ . Several stories have been printed ing the cruelty with which he punished poli« tical offenders, - but those stones,, as; far as this writer can ascertain, were: written by the . offenders themselves, and therefore- -show much partiality. As''a matter of fact,-he' says, ;",Irhave ! fonowed with great interest , the fate "of, ; such men, and to; my seclusidn.for a short time in a fortress was as high, a punishment 'as her ever inflicted." He adds that the: Sultan; was. not aware ofi-.the chain of \ endless and atrocious crimes committeid By his Ministers and- favourites who wero.using. all the.means in. their power to keep the. truth from reaching : him. s Urimany, instances those crimes, were, unjustly attri» buted to Abdul : Hamid.' The extreme cohfidericehepkeed uiihis.fayourites accounts for. the power he invested; in. the hands of Izzet Pasha and Tahsin,Pasha,':who;were pri-- : vate\secretaries;;Eb"ul Huda, : Zeki Pasha,.and 6th'erV'.vileTcreatures;'of .circumstances, '. but' men:with-;prains , .:.and/unlimited.kamoitione' ' •ljacked : by;a conscience of surprising, elasiio'. ity; 'From -"the ; .<start;.-;^these , parvenus ;. : ; had roadoi themselves odious to their colleagues through'their.intrigues :and>abject servility tolthe.Sultaui.'arid-knbwingvtHat-they- had ■ many and'powerful enemies at;, the Court, : . .they, used; all to -'maintain ■■' their influence, over their And in,this respect: it 'must 'be. said that, they succeeded!so: well that : it i was impossible, for'- anybody; to 'approach : without one of. the. clique being ■' a' yntness.. -Abdul-Hamid, on the contrary,.it ia, insistedy : was never-known to have badhabit3i br.to associate with'men whose private life was not correct, ;ahd even-his favourites (of! whom some are now in gaol, awaiting .trial, and' some.-were;iorfunate enough .to make' their,escape), : .who ! we.re-guilty of the 'most) lihfamous were men of irreproachable; ■social'manners. •:l'he ; .chief':phy'sician i of;':tHe.': Court, : a' man ■of reputation,''and' who; knew'the Siiltan intimatelyj'--' told .Vely Bey due day that, "he had never, met a "mail l who "was so naturally a grand' gentleman, arable .without effort, .'democratic withdw *' ■familiarity,,as; Abdul-Hamid;"' ! This v.was ■later ■' corroborated by Kaiser : Wilhelm; >ho ■was, : ; twice i his • guest,', and ; who said of: liija s ,!'that-he.iwas i-lpriv/to be a ', ''E'rom' ;niy .personal experience, "concludes this'-'adr"' mifcr of the.'.'sick/man," 1 "I'cansay that-'it was easier.to ; . approach him'that some of Hist Ministers, and'the our. to. see him. I: felt more-at ease in'his. than; with any -of. tho high .Cburb officials. ..'; '■'.'■■<■ y.i , :: •;■'".'.■.■■■•' ■ -.- '\' : \-:-.S' '■"■''■

V. "Again,, and. as rumour goes, .-/the Sultan js..supposed: to have: been\ lunkind towards his.;.••••relatives,;-..specially . sos tor. his 'sons, MitSS's, ' brothers," who,!p v W: has'Jbeen, accusSH of\lioldiug as-prisoneT-srin. their reS palace's, \,The this is that he/did^not , allow? them to go out at riights/fqr'.cprfupijioiL'was.gfeat-iii Constantinople, and he feared their.sportjr.inclmations. § But : 'in'iYildiz;, : .wliich".'.is' a city- to itself, and ' where their. palaces!; are located, they were allowed to act as -they, pleased and enjoyed unlimited freeddin. ''Again, ho never objected to his. son, Burhanedin,; or his neplew, Izze,din,/going wherever theywanted to, for they had.suown from'an early age seriousness and dignified conducti: For all tlie reasons I have enumerated- Abdul-Hamid^.. while: his reign may..; be .considered, as a national-disaster, is !still7a" well-liked man-in Turkey..', But if as a ,man;,he,Js.' above reproach, as. a Sultan he' ; ha_s ; , given.. to the. sharpest.- enticisms. His? greatest "mistake - was :!undoubtedly to think-that'.'he" knewit all,' :and':to want to| : concentrate ,in his ,'owii liaiids -all the responsibilities'of the "administration without heing .gjfted'with'theneeessafy,qualifications. Like .Lous SIV, of France, Abdul-Hamid waa strong.ia.the belief,that' 'Hβ "was the State, , and gaye'littler'or no consideration to thef warnings or suggestions of jlus,"advisers, who •By- a 'strange' coincidence .-have -.all: been excellent.men; of vast knowledge and recognised ' integrity." .•;''■ ; /'V: '■' ,