The life of Midhat Pasha 21

The life of Midhat Pasha 21

Midhat, ignorant of the game that was being played, sacrificed point

after point in it, considering their importance with reference to

public affairs secondary to that of having the Constitution promulgated

as soon as possible.

 

The following letter makes these points clear:—

 

 

_To Midhat Pasha, Grand Vizier._

 

“HIGHNESS,—After you had left the Palace, His Majesty sent for me

and questioned me as to the cause of the delay in the nomination

of Edhem Pasha as President of the Council of State. I told His

Majesty that the Irade (order) relative to that appointment had

been communicated to your Highness yesterday, and that probably the

visit of the French Envoy to your Highness was the cause of the

delay in my receiving an answer to the communication, and I told His

Majesty that the only motive of your opposition to the appointment

was the incapacity of Edhem Pasha to fulfil the duties of a post

to which were confided the constitutional functions of elaborating

the laws; that as for Sadik Pasha, whom you proposed for that post,

there could be no doubt that his nomination would add a useful

person to the Ministerial Councils. At that moment Damad Mahmoud

Djelaleddin was called in, and he expressed the same opinion, but

proposed that Djevdet Pasha should be appointed President of the

Council, and that Edhem Pasha, whose incompetency you objected to,

might fill the post of Minister of Justice. On this His Majesty made

the following declaration: ‘I am not acquainted with Edhem Pasha,

in spite of his services to my father, but I have now learned to

appreciate his abilities; I intend therefore to profit by everybody’s

capacities, and _although Edhem Pasha is not quite the person to

occupy a very high position_, I think nevertheless he is capable

of performing the duties of President of the Council of State. The

knowledge and learning of Djevdet Pasha are very limited, whereas the

accomplishments and capacity of Edhem Pasha are great in comparison

with his. In a word, I shall be glad if His Highness the Grand

Vizier will acquiesce in my wishes, and will to‐morrow propose his

nomination to me. Write and tell him so.’ This is the reason why I

have written at length to you on the subject.—I have the honour to

be,

 

“(Signed) SAÏD.

 

“6 _Zilhidje_, 1293, 1 _o’clock, Hegira_.”

(22_nd December_ 1876.)

 

 

Another and still more serious difference of opinion, relative to

persons, arose concerning Zia Bey. This person, one of the most

distinguished litterateurs and poets Turkey possessed, who had been

appointed private Secretary of the Sultan Murad, and whose nomination

to the same post by the present Sultan had been made an article of

the treaty between Midhat and Prince Hamid at Muslou‐Oglou, was

suspected of inspiring certain articles in the Turkish paper _Istikbal_

which threw doubts on the Sultan’s sincerity with reference to the

Constitution. These articles gave great offence at the Palace, and were

considered of dangerous tendency. The Sultan determined not only to

proceed against the paper, but also to remove Zia Bey, at any price,

from the capital.

 

The accompanying letter will show the feelings of the Sultan on the

subject:

 

 

_To Midhat Pasha._

 

 

“HIGHNESS,—The Imperial Irade (written order) relative to the

nomination of Zia Bey to the post of Ambassador at Berlin, was

communicated to your Highness yesterday evening, and His Majesty

has just asked me if the proposed nomination had arrived, and on

my reply in the negative His Majesty ordered me to insist upon it,

adding the following observation: ‘Zia Bey is very ambitious, and

if he had known how to profit by this quality with a view to his

advancement and his future, he would have succeeded in obtaining

a post here suited to his capacity; but this person has never yet

shown any stability of character or fixity of purpose, and when

anything occurs contrary to his views and wishes, he is in the habit

of weaving intrigues in the matter, which is not favourable to his

prolonged sojourn in Constantinople. His removal, moreover, from

the capital cannot but facilitate for the Grand Vizier the exercise

of his functions in freeing him from this kind of obstacle. These

observations of mine are no exaggerations; but if on the one hand Zia

Bey’s individual merit is only mediocre, the people are naturally

attracted by these critics and attend to their criticisms, and in

this way lend an importance to these polemics which they do not

intrinsically deserve. As for the despatch of Zia Bey to Berlin, the

Government is resolved to take the same steps at Berlin as it has

determined to take at Paris, London, and Vienna, and to endeavour to

gain the sympathies of Prince Bismark (_sic_), and if Zia Bey succeed

in this, he will have shown his _savoir faire_, earned the gratitude

of the State, and by the fact itself shown his aptitude for foreign

affairs, and then his further promotion will be justified. Moreover,

his selection will provoke no opposition on the part of the Court

of Berlin.’ On account of these considerations His Majesty orders

this nomination to be submitted to him as soon as possible. It is,

moreover, by Imperial command that I have written to you at such

length on the subject, and have repeated what has already been said;

and His Majesty desires that you will carry out these injunctions by

to‐morrow at the audience you will have with His Majesty.

 

“I have the honour to be,

 

“(Signed) SAÏD.

 

“12 _Zilhidje_, 1293, _Hegira_.”

(28_th December_ 1876.)

 

 

In the meantime the population of Constantinople, who have been

represented by interested critics as indifferent about the Constitution

and reform, hearing of the proposed exile of this champion of the

Constitution and reform, determined to prevent his departure from

the capital by electing him as one of their representatives in the

new Parliament. Consternation is not too strong a term to describe

the feelings that this proposal excited in the Palace. Zia Bey had

an influence among the people of the capital. What if his presence

among them in the Parliament should checkmate all the plans of a

carefully hatched conspiracy? The following letter clearly reveals this

consternation:—

 

 

_To Midhat Pasha, Grand Vizier._

 

“HIGHNESS,—His Majesty has just read in the paper _Istikbal_ that

the population of Constantinople have decided to elect Zia Bey as

their representative, and that a petition signed by several thousand

persons will be addressed to the Palace with a view of retaining Zia

Bey in the capital. Thereupon His Majesty declared categorically

that the candidature of Zia Bey as deputy was not acceptable; that

numerous acts proved the participation of Zia Bey in acts against his

Sovereign; that the constitution forbade the entry into Parliament of

individuals compromised in any way.[15]

 

“‘It is to be observed that this person has had recourse to

various methods, including the intervention of the Press and other

contrivances, to gain popularity for himself. Although these

proceedings have constituted no claim on his part for favourable

consideration from the Government, the rank of Vizier has been

conferred upon him, and the post of Governor‐General in one of the

most important vilayets, viz., Syria, simply in order to comply with

the request of the Grand Vizier. But Zia Bey, far from exhibiting

any gratitude, has sought more than ever to exercise an influence in

the Capital, through his position as Vizier, by announcing in the

_Istikbal_ that he is one of the originators of the Constitution,

which was, in fact, promulgated by our desire with the co‐operation

of a few patriots. We have consequently directed the Grand Vizier

to proceed against Zia Bey in such matter as may seem proper to

him.’ Such was the declaration of His Majesty. His Majesty further

criticised the action of the _Istikbal_, which, without reason,

has just published the famous letter of Mustafa Fazil Pasha, and

calls your attention to the fact of that paper, though suspended

indefinitely, having reappeared. His Majesty considers it urgent to

find means to put an end to such doings in the Press.

 

“I have the honour to be

 

“(Signed) SAÏD.

 

“24 _Zilhidje_, 1293, _Hegira_.”

(9_th January_ 1877.)

 

 

As the concluding passage of this letter shows, the Sultan, whilst

banishing Zia Bey, determined, _pour encourager les autres_, to

proceed with all possible vigour against the Press. There was to be no

faltering in so grave a matter. For this purpose the _Istikbal_ was to

be suspended, and a Draconian law against the Press prepared “within

three or four days,” although by Article 12 of the Constitution this

matter ought to have been left to be dealt with by the Parliament.

 

The following letters speak for themselves:—

 

 

_To Midhat Pasha, Grand Vizier._

 

“HIGHNESS,—His Majesty, after having made the remark to me that

the contents of the article ‘The Future of Islam,’ published by the

_Vakit_, and especially the words underlined, were calculated to

lead astray public opinion, and referring to an interview with your

Highness yesterday evening on the subject of the Press, orders your

Highness to inform him of the measures you intend to take against

the Editor of this particular paper, for having published facts

calculated to make a bad impression, and, moreover, to propose to him

a competent person ... as Director of the Bureau of the Press, in the

place of the present functionary, who has been guilty of inattention