MIDHAT PASHA ON TURKISH AFFAIRS.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXII, Issue 5030, 8 May 1877, Page 3

MIDHAT PASHA ON TURKISH AFFAIRS.

(La licpubliquc Fmncaisc —Paris, Feb. 19.) Several journals have already announced that on the eve of his dismissal Midhat Pasha wrote the Sultan a letter, reminding him, in energetic terms, of the duties of a Constitutional sovereign, and that his letter was not without influence in inducing the Sultan to banish the Grand Vizier. We have received from Constantinople the following translation of the letter in question :—" Your Majesty : Our aim in proclaiming the Constitution was to put an end to tho despotism of the Palace, to awaken you to your duties, to awaken ourselves to ours, to accept tho complete equality of Christians and Mussulmans, and to work seriously at the regeneration of the country. For thirty years we have published enough hatts and firmans. The publication of these decrees has always coincided with a grave political conjuncture ; but as soon as the danger was past, we have immediately forgotten why we had published those decrees. Do not think we promulgated the Constitution only to close the Eastern Question. I have spoken of duties. In the first place, your Imperial person must know the duties devolving on you, iu order that those who have assumed the responsibility of government may be able to act. Then it is incumbent on us, the Ministers, to know ours. I mean that we must abandon the system of dissimulation and flattery which has prevailed for four hundred years in our couutry. I respect your Imperial person ; I respect your family ; but I cannot make that respect an instrument against the interests of my country. My responsibility is; great; and above all, I fear that which I contract with my conscience, for my conscience requires that I work for the welfare of my country. I fear next that Power which may require me to account for my acts. Do hot deceive yourself as to the sense of my words. I fear the reproaches of my conscience and those of the Ottoman Empire. Beyond that I fear nothing. The Ottomans have their own duties. They have recognised them and fulfilled them. We must imitate them. We are, above all, a Constitutional Government. Do you know the signification of the. Constitution? He who gives a thing ought to understand it. Ido not dwell upon this. I know, the importance of the post you have confided to me. An Ottoman, and occupying a high post among my fellow-country-men, I have a twofold duty to fulfil. Just a 3 I recognise my duty as an Ottoman, so I ought to know my duty as a functionary. A Turk who does not fulfil his duty to his country is only responsible to his conscience. A Grand "Vizier is responsible to his conscience and to the nation. lam proud that I have nothing to reproach my conscience for. I wish to feel as. proud in my responsibility to the nation. Nine days have passed, and you still continue hot to acknowledge what I have submitted to you ; in.other words, you refuse to the workman the tools he requires. I cannot work without tools. Those lam using at present are made rather to destroy than to rebuild the empire. I therefore beg you will intrust to another the functions with which you have charged me. " Midhat.

"February 4th." (La Roma —Naples, Feb. 19.) In an interview which I have just had with Midhat Pasha (writes the editor) the ex-Vizier attributed his exile to the intrigues of some Ministers, who were supported by Mahmoud Pasha, the brother-in-law of the Sultan. He considered his recall to Constantinople improbable, although the Sultan was personally attached to him. Midhat Pasha read a letter which he had received from a friend of the Sultan, stating that his Imperial Majesty, on seeing the Izzedin set sail, shed tears. The writer of the letter added that on the Sultan being asked the cause of Midhat Pasha's exile, ho replied, " How was I to act with the document I had before me ?"

Midhat Pasha expressed it as his opinion that Edhem Pasha's term of office would be very short, on account of his violent temperament, and added that he believed Reouf Pasha would succeed him. In answer to a question respecting tho probability of war, the exVizier said:—"A war with Russia is inevitable and imminent, even after peace is concluded with Servia. Russia would, have crossed tho Pruthlong ago, if she had not been deceived by false notions regarding the condition of Turkey. Turkey will offer a desperate defence with her army of 600,000 good soldiers."

Russia, in the Turkish statesman's opinion, cannot draw back, and ho himself builds hopes upon the result of war, and does not believe that the war can be localised. Austria will, he thinks, be drawn into it by her various populations, and will take part in the struggle, for the reason that the inhabitants of Dalmatia and Croatia will provoke disturbances, whereby she may be compelled to intervene. Midhat Pasha expressed a belief that Prince Bismarck is tho author of the present situation. He greatly eulogised the Sultan, and, in conclusion, said that without a complete revolution of the customs of tho Mussulmans a resurrection of the Ottoman nation was impossible. '