Democratic standard. [volume] (Georgetown, Brown County, Ohio) 1837-1850, 1840-11-24
TYRANNY OF MEHEMET ALI.
BY AN EYE WITNESS.

BY AN EYE WITNESS.
The boasted civilization which Niche
met Ali has introduced into the countrie:
under his sway is entirely superficial, anC
has no origin whatever in any real i'm
improvement, or ameIioraton ia the con
dtion, orfor the benefit of their respec.
tive populations.
In Egypt the whole Of the land belongs
TO the Pacha; besides himself there Is M
landed proprietor, and he has the abso-
lutte monopoly ofevery thing that is grown
in the couRtry. The following is the
manner in which il is cultivated: Portions
Of land are divided out between the fell.
lahs of a village, according to their num-
bers; seed, corn, cotton, or other produce
is given to them: this they SOW and reap,
and Of the produce IS per cent is imne-
diately taken to the Pacha's depots. The
remaining 25 per cent, is left with them,
with, the power 10 take it at price fixed
hy the Pacha himself; and then resold to
them at higher rate. This is generally
done, and reduces the pittance left them
about five per cent. more; from this day
they are TO pay the capitation tax,whicb is
not levied according to the real number
Orthe inhabitants Of a village, but accor-
ding to numbers at which it is rated in
the Government books; so that in one in
stance with which was acquainted, a
village, originally rated at 200, reduced
by the conscription to 100, and by death
or fight to 40, was still AbIiged ito pay
the full cupitation; and when went there,
:l6 Of the 40 had been Just las'inadoed
10 extort from them their proportion Of
The sum claimed. After the capi-
captation comes the tax on the date
trees, raised from 80 to 80 paraS by the
lacha, and that Of 300 plasters a year for
permission to use thar own wates wheels
without which the lands situated. beyond
the overflow ofthe Nile, or too high for
it to reach, would be barren. Then comes
an iD6nity Of taxes,On every article Of life,
even to the cakes of camels' dung, which
the women aud children collect and dry
for fuel, and which pay twenty five par
cent. in kind at the gate of Carlo and the
other towns. Next to tho taxus comes
cOruce in the worst form, and in contin-
nal action; at any moment the fellahs are
liable 10 be seized fer public works, for
the transported the baggage of the troops
or to track the boats of the Government
nr its officers, and this without pay or ref
Orence to the state Oftheir crops.
When Mehemet Ali made his famous
Capal from Alexandria to the Nile, he did
it by forcibly marching down 10000
from all parts Of the country, and obliging
them to excavate with their hands, as
tools they Id not, or perhaps could not
be provided The excavation was COM
pleted in tai months. 10000 men 0ied
in the operation. Tbencomes the curse
of the conscription, which is exercised
in most cruel and arbitrary manner.
without any sort Ofrule or law 10 regulate
it. An order b given tonthe chief Of =
district to furnish certain number Of
men; these he seizes like wild beasts
wherever he can find them, without dis
tinction or exemption, the weak as well
an the strong, the sick as we'll as those u
health !; and as there is no better road 70
the Pachas favor shan showing great
zeal in this branclf Of the service, he, if
possible, collects more even than were
demanded. These are chained, maTch-
ed down to the river, and embarked
amidst the tears and lamentations oftheir,
families who know that they shall prOpa4
bly, aever see them sgain; for change OF
climate, bad treatment, and, above all,
despair, cause a mortality in the PachO's
army beyond belief: mutulation isnotnow
considered an exemption, and the cense'
quence ofthe system is, tina: from Assou.
an, at the FIRST cataract, to AlepPo. you,
literally speaking, never see young man
in avillage, and such is the depopulation,
that if Fittings continue as they now are,
for two years more, and the Pacha insisisis
on keeping uphis army e, it's present
force Il will be utterly impossible for the
crops to Be got in, OF for any ofthe Oper-
ations Of agriculture 10 be carried on.
The whole Of this atrociOus system is
carried into action BY the crHellest means
mo justice Of any sort for the weak
no security for those who are better of;
the baStinado and other tOrtureS applied