The examiner. [volume] (Louisville, Ky.) 1847-1849, 1849-11-17
From the London Times.

have given way at length, but that they
should have remained perfect until little
more than twelve-month before the close
of his eventful career. Few monarchs re-
corded in history have retained possession
of power for so long lime as Mehemet
Ali. For very nearly half century he
was the virtual sovereign Of Egypt-that
is to say, of country which proposed a
double difficulty to its ruler-a difficulty
from within, and difficulty from without.
Throughout the whole period of his sway,
the territory he was endesvoring to reduce
into order, was subject to the attacks and
maneuvres Of the most civilized nations Of
Europe; whilst, at the outset Of his rule, he
fund himself hampered by the savage in.
dependence Of those who should have been
the almost passive instruments Of his will.
There was, moreover, third obstacle to
the successful administration OF Mehemet
Ali, which should not be forgotten. In
place of being an independent sovereign,
he was in theory mere feudatory, bound
to receive the orders and TO act in subser-
vience to the policy Of another power, and
TO counsels most frequently inspired by his
own rivals in ambition. The task Of Me
hemet Ali may be summed up in three peri
DDS: He had first to clear the ground ON
which to found sovereignty; he had then q
sovereignty to found; and when that was
done came the hardest task Of ALTO civ
llze the people he had brought under his
sway. In other words, Gerocity, policy
and intelligence were in turn to hold sway
over the mind Of man who set out in life
as an untutored barbarian.
There have been many false ideas enter.
tanned in this country upon the subject Of
the extraordinary man who has recently
expired at Alexandra. We do not offer
any justification of his crimes when we say
that he must not be Judged by an Euro.
pean standard. As compared with Onen-
tai rulers, Mehemet Ali was not a sanguin.
AIRY or violent man. When he struck
down the Mamelukes, at Cairo, in 1911,
the act was inspired by great political mo.
live, not by wanton cruelty. Separated
as we are by some forty years from the
crime, we cannot deny that by the desIuc.
ton of the Mamelukes, Mehemet Ali re.
moved the great obstacle to the civilization
of Egypt. We must search for a parallel
to the bloody scene enacted in the citadel
of Cairo in the destruction Of the Strelitzes,
or Of the Janissaries. We do not Justify
the Egyptian ruler in saying that his bloody
and violent deed must not be mistaken Cor
another act OF totally distinct nature
No doubt he displayed profound indiffer-
ence to human life when il stood between
him and the enterprises he had in hand;
but in this respect it is difficult to draw any
distinction to his prejudice between him
and other men upon whom history has be-
slowed the title Of "Great." OF Mehemet
Ali, as Of Frederic, Of Prussia, or of the
Muscovite Peter, it may be said that he
was cruel with direct intention Of bene.
fitting people. Leaving, however, such
discussion as this for the amusement of cas-.
uis,s, we prefer, in considering the career
of the Egyptian ruler. to call attention to
those extraordinary anomalies in his char.
acter which will cause him to be placed in
The records Of history side by side with the
founder of the Russian empire. In thirty.
six years Peter the Great raised Russia
rom a semi-barbarous state to a pitch of
military strength and political importance
which placed her on level with the lead.
ng powers Of Europe. Her army, her
navy. her commerce, her Legislature, were
all the work of one man. His great quail
ties were often stained by acts Of tyranny
and cruelty, but he accomplished work
which would have been impossible to a
nan Of finer fibre and keener morality
He gave polish" says Voltaire, "to his
people, and was himself a savage-he
aught them the art Of war, of which he was
himself Ignorant from the sight of a small
,oat on the river Moskwa he created a
powerful fleet; made himself an expert and
Ictive shipwright, sailor. and commander;
lie changed the manners, laws, and customs
f the Russians, and lives in their memory
s the father Of his country" If the
chievements of the petty Roumelian shop
eeper have been less important, We must
efer the inieriority of the result rather to
ne deficiency of opportunity than to the
elects OF the man. With the like mate.
ais in his hand. we doubt not that Me- |
emet Ali would have accomplished as
luch, or more, than his Muscovite proto. |
gPe.
We cannot pretend to pass in review, in |
he space of a few lines, the various impor.
int acts of Mehemet Ais career. The
rst object Of his ambition, when he once
'und himself firmly seated as the ruler Of
'gypt, was no doubt to make himself in.
ependent OF his SuIerain at Constant
Ople; the second, to aggfandize his power
y the annexation Of the Syrian provinces,
nd TO carry the war even to the Darda-
ellis. Stranger revolutions have happen.
in the East than that the petty tobacco
ealer of Covalla should have leaped into
IS masters seat, and borne sway in the
ty OF Constantine. The events of 1910,
nd the bombardment Of Acre, are fresh in
e recollection Of Europe. No such idea
nd ever entered into the imagination of
10 crafty viceroy, as that he was fitted to
'Pe by himself with the arms Of the Eu.
pean powers. He trusted that the strength
all would be neutralized by their mutual
sunion; and how nearly he approached
ccess, the events OF the time have proved.
he conquest of Constantinople by Me,
smet Ali has been, within the limits oil
climate dreaming, the most splendid 20.
.ical conception Of the last twenty-five