HEAD OF MIDHAT PASHA.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 540, 22 June 1909, Page 5

HEAD OF MIDHAT PASHA.

Aesoclatidn.-popyriErit'.)', '::j %■ ''ffi^ijS)- .-J' Constantinoplej' June : W./r' : tiisooveryjViri;the;cellar., of ;i-guardhouse at: Yildiz-1 Kioafc, of.':a : ;box; T iwhat-is , alleged to: be,the skill] of,'MidhatVPasha/' .for'nieriy^Grandi^izier;^:":;^!';'':^^'':^^""::'' .- .'■ .Midhat!s head; , was ■'undoubtedly 'sent'' in :a" similar, boxj,from T.aif, 1 . Arabiaj. the; scen'elqf, his 'death,■ "to. ■wasthon Sultan V".;..;;.■.'«;■•■..;•• ■■''•'■;;.'•" ■ ';:■.';''■•';■ '■:'.• .-';■.■ ■•■■■!• r.';.'-- ; :,y/>.';v;^M'iK' l^^;T'i''d'.iii;iiri: (r7i'>n:i'.>itvN );;A;TURKISH CONSTITUTIONALIST; v: ;:;;;. ; : :.'':■ :;.;I:; , '■ Midhat; Pashaj ;'as .'Gran'd 'Vizier,-'introduced the ■■. Turkish "Constitution, of 1876, :i whichj'after , ,a:. lapse ■■ of/over .'thirty-ybars, r was ' revived' in ! Turkey : ;last ; .yeari ! and::still.'obtains. •, Midhat 6oon ,:fellT. fromi the Grand '•" Viziefship; and vis believed: .to; haVe- been'.murdered' at Taif .'■ at AbdulsHamid'e^instance;:; 1 '.■'■■. . : .-;i* :'■ : v. •'.■;' •'-.-■''''■■■ > fMidlia't Pasha,; the eon of 'a.biyil'J'udge, was •boru;,4t : Coiistttntinbple v ih 1822. 'Hife father/a, partisan; of;, reformi:trained";him:;for. aii'administrative career, and at the age.sof ;22;he .was'.attachediis secretary' to' Faik'Ellendi, wihohij'.he-'accpmpanied , . in ■Syi'iatfpr l three yeare.':: ( On.-his;return"'to. Constantinople';' Mid-. ■hat.'was' appointed Chief Dirrttor'of .Confldcn'tial',Eeports,"; and,' after !ai;ne'w' financial' mis-, : Syria,■■;waß.made;, l second secretary-of ' the: Grand Council. , ,, His enemies, , , however, sucdeeded','in Vqusting him' -.from;.th'is* post, , : arid caused'.-him:, to '.be entrusted .with J the' apparently impossible,task of settling; the .revolt and brigandage rampaht in Eumelia,'His measures were;,drastic,,and their snobess '.was startling, jand the.: Government, made 'him : an bpcial of .the• first- rank, , and , restored him".to his 'place ,in ;the-Gfand : Council. :".■ In"'similar 1 l vigorous fashion;ho Testored .order:in;Bulgaria : in. 1857;: :In-1860,'he.was made;vizier''arid pasha, and en:trusted; with; the; government tfi -Nisoh,' 'where his'reform's 1 >ere so .beneficial: that .the'.Sultanicharge I d;him,--in conjuiiqtioh' with Fuadipasha and,-Ali^Pasha,; to:.'.prepare; tho .scheme 'for' ada'pting'themvto.the Empire, winch was afterwards'., known;.: as. the/.Law. ;of', theV.Vilayets. lAfter.further'admiiiistratiye work in his province', .'ihe : was' ordered-to ,brganiso : -the Council of,State,,in. 1866; and,was thenimnde ? Governor :of.;Baghdadi-. where his success' was as decisive as: at 'Nisch,' !biit attended i with' much greater. -difficulties.',?ln"lß7l the anti-reform -influence of thei.GrandiVizier,.MahiiioudiNedim,'seemed .to -Midhat a -.danger to; the ; country, • arid in a 'p'ersdnali'interview he boldly 'etnted/hia views to:thfcSultan,:;who' was 60,. - struck withi- their force .;and entire disinterestedness: that'.be. ap-' pointed Midhat "Grand■■; Vizier, in: place of: Mahnioud.-- V.-Tod.'-independent, )however; 'for the .Court, .llidhat. remained,.m power,.only three 'months, • ■ arid■ ■after ; ;a : v'short. : 'governorship i of Salbniki; :he lived, apart/from. v aff airs-at, 'Con--etantinoplo..until 1875.' ■''■'■■■\ : ■■■.'"/',-,\ , : '.■■'. .-, ; ■: Two^SiiltafiS/p^pbsed;;; V ";':s'-;. ■':'■^-' .- : Froiriw this; time. forward. ■ howovor, ,'Midh'ai : Pasha's :career resolved itself into a series',of straiiga ■;; and■•..' almost.' romantic-.' adventures; ,\Vhile .sympathising with- the ,'ideaa arid' aims pf.the' , -: Young Turkey, ".'party, he -was 'anxious: .to..restrain' its impatience; but the'. Sultan'sl obduracy.'led to a coalition between' the" ■Grand A.yizier,, :tlie Minister,, and Midhat , - Pasho; which/deposed the Sultan, in May, 187G,' and he, wiis-'murdered in ■ the' following month. ■ His- nephew,; was in, turn dopoeed, in and replaced by his brother,'Abdul llamid 11.. Midhaf Pasha,nbn beoame:;Grand:Vizier, reforms. were freely promised; 'and the ■ Parliament- was inaugurated: with, a ■great flourish;. In'the.fol■lb.win'g^February,':however, llidhat/ was :-'disi missed'■ and., banished for supposed complicity in' the-murder of Abdul;Aziz.- ":He then ■ visited various capitals, and 'remained for some, time .in London,:- whore ho ~:carefully studied:-the procedure in ' the' Houso of Commons./.Again recalled; in'lß7B,- he was appointed Governor, of.Syria, and ih'.August he exchanged omoes'.with'.the'Goyefnor of. But in the following May-the Sultnn again 'ordered him to be.arrested,' and, although he effected ; his.'escape , and-'appealed to the Powers,,: he ■ shortly .after Wards. saw fit to surrender, claiming a.fair. hearing. The trial accordingly took place in-. June, when Midhat .and the others , ■were, sentenced'; io; death. . It- was, however generally, regarded as'a mockery, and,'.on the intercession of:' the British 1 Government, : the sentencejiyas.Commuted to banishment. Tho remaining three yenrs of' his life consequently:; spent; in'exile -nt. Taif, , in Arabia, -where he died, probably; by' violence, : on -Slar 8,-; 1884.. ,To erent ..ability, Wide' sympathies, and" undaunted patriotism, he absolute honesty,-that rare quality.in .a.vizier,.for he left , office .as./popr.ns.when, he entered it; /