768 



TUKKEY. 



gave orders that the principles of the con- 

 vention should be regarded by their commands 

 in their dealings with the insurgents. 



Sultan Murad V., soon after his accession, 

 revealed his inability to cope with the diffi- 

 culties of his situation, and his incapacity be- 

 came more manifest as these difficulties grew 

 with the louder demands of the powers upon 

 the Porte. He became afflicted with fits of 

 melancholy and stupor. A physician was called 

 in from Vienna, who examined into his case and 

 gave the opinion that he was in an irrespon- 

 sible condition ; his disease could not be pro- 

 nounced incurable, yet it demanded a complete 

 release from business, and stimulants. Acting 

 upon this advice, the Ministerial Council de- 

 cided, August 31st, that Murad should be de- 

 posed. The Sheikh ul-Islam was consulted, as 

 he had been in the case of Abdul- Aziz, and, he 



giving a favorable response, the deposition was 

 effected. Abdul-Hamid, a younger brother 

 of Murad, who was born September 22, 1842, 

 was named as the new Sultan, and was girded 

 with the sword of Osman on the 7th of Sep- 

 tember. On the 9th of September he issued 

 an Imperial hat, confirming the ministers and 

 other high officers in their positions, and pro- 

 jecting reforms. Halil Redif Pasha was ap- 

 pointed Minister of War in the place of Abdul- 

 Kerim Pasha, who took the command of the 

 army, and Savfet Pasha was appointed Minister 

 of Foreign Affairs, in the place of the minister 

 who had been murdered by Hassan. 



The powers, particularly England and Aus- 

 tria, exerted themselves both at Belgrade and 

 at Constantinople to secure an armistice. The 

 Servians insisted steadfastly upon the accom- 

 plishment of the single purpose with which 



CONSTANTINOPLE. 



they had gone to war the freedom of their 

 Slavic brethren and would listen to no propo- 

 sitions which did not further that end. The 

 birth of a crown-prince, August 14th, and the 

 birthday of Prince Milan, August 22d, were 

 made the occasion of the presentation of an 

 address from the Permanent Commission of 

 the Skupshtina to the Prince, which was filled 

 with warlike expressions. The "name-day" 

 of the Czar of Russia was celebrated in Bel- 

 grade, September llth, with great honors, as 

 the festival of one who would deliver the 

 country from Turkish oppression. The Porte, 

 during the reign of Murad, had been accus- 

 tomed to reply to the pressure of the powers 

 for the institution of reforms, that a plan of 

 reforms to embrace the whole empire was 

 under consideration, and required time to ma- 



ture it; and the state of health of the Sultan 

 Murad was pleaded as an additional reason for 

 forbearance. After the deposition of Murad 

 the powers renewed thair demands with ener- 

 gy. As a condition to an armistice with Ser- 

 via, the Porte demanded that Servia should ask 

 for it ; Turkey had no interest in demanding 

 an armistice, and could only take it into con- 

 sideration as a preliminary to peace. The Eng- 

 lish embassador requested Savfet Pasha to 

 name conditions of peace, which the powers 

 might consider and impose upon Servia if they 

 approved them ; but an armistice, he said, 

 was indispensable, to give the powers time to 

 come to an understanding concerning the pro- 

 posed conditions. The Turks replied that the 

 council was engaged in drafting the conditions, 

 and would soon impart them to the powers; 



