Arkansas true Democrat., 1858-05-18
PERIl.


 The London Times thus discourses concern ing the occupation of Perrin.
 Ever since the establishment of the overland route to India the political gossips of the Con tinent have seen with extreme jealousy the eX- tension of what they call English infuence' in Egypt and the parts adjacent. It might strike them that a nation which acts is likely to have more influence than nations which mere, ly talk; and moreover that free community of active men must necessarily extend it's re- lations with countries which lie on their way to most valuable dependency This country has, indeed, done wonders for Egvpt since War- horn succeeded in his notable enterprise The whole mail traffic and large part of the pas senger traffic between England and India, China, Australia and the Indian Archipelago, has been diverted to the route of Suez and the Red Sea. The perishing cities of Egypt are living again, touched by the renovating influence of British enterprise and civilization. Alexandria, Cairo and Suez are becoming places of the highest importance, and the ViceroyaItv is taking it's position as the weaIthiest and most prosperous State of the east. All this has been done by EngIishmen, and what has been done Is as noth- ing compared with what will be effected before a few years have passed away. Already the railway is nearly finished between the Medi- terranean and Rel Sea. The Indian mail now traverscs the country twice every week, and it is certain that with the rapid increase of trade the departures of frst-casS English steamers from SueZ will soon be almost daily. Our tele- graph lines will soon be lad along the Red Sea and the shores of Arabia to Kuuochee or Bom- bay. Thrusands of British soldiers will yearly cross the desert on their way to and from our Empire in the east We may add that the di- rect trade of Egypt with this country is of the very greatest importance, and that the Nicerov- atty is linked to England by continually strengthening interests. Such facts as these, one would think, might show other nations the ilIiberaity and folly of endeavurng to thwart the intercourse which has done so much for d country but lately plunged in poverty and bar barism. But national jealousy and national vaui " are proof against reason and good feeling The French people, not content with their high position on the continent, not recognizing the truth that their destiny, though great is merely European, seek to follow Us over the world, and. without an object but tue qualification of an easy sclf-es,ecm, to force themselves into all our concerns. France has no interests in the Red Sea or the Indian Ocean. She is repre- sented in E1vpl only by a few advcuturc!s who, with pliaucy which Engishmen have no de- sire Jo rival, inqatiate themselves with the Mahomedaus, aud adopt the manners, the morals, and sometimes the faith, of the race among which they live. This clique has al- ways been animated by a bitter iealou-!v of England, and even in the midst of the Russian war; when France and Eugland were Iu arms together 1t did not care to dssem Jle its hostility To the eilspira.ion of these French fortu1c-sae.l- CTS IS to be attributed the plan of making a canal from the Mediterranean coast to Sutz "a scheme so wild and mpracticat, that no man can believe it to be sincerely pro, uaded for commercial and maratime objects. Our con- vlction IS, that if a concession were grauted by the Porte the canal would notb made-thatit is not intended to be made but that the install l lation of a French company under French pro- lection, on the route which our mails and pas sengers follow, would be used as a meaus of thwarting us in all plans for perfecting the sys- tenn of transit. In fact, it is merely a political scheme for operating on our line of commuuica- tions. Whenever we proposed an extension of railway, or another line of telegraph, or an im- provement of the port, or the erection of q warehouse or any practical object, we should be met with the rights of the Lesscps company which we should be told was in a year or two to commence that great work of civilization by which France, 10 whom alone belongs the in- ltlaton of ideas, was to attract the gaze of the universe. English steamers, as we have said, ! are passing and rcpaSSIng the entrance of the Red Sea daily. No other European flag ever | appears on the waters of this trophical gulf | Neither FTance nor Russia, nor Austria has the slightest concern with 1t. It is in the exclusive occupation of England, and must in the nature l ot things remain 50 as long as England has vast | possessions beyond it, and these other countries | have none at all. Perrin, which is advantageous | y situated at point where the navigation is diff fcult has been uninhabited rock, except at rare intervals. since the creation of the world; 1t was occupied when David Baird was about to invade Egypt from India nearly sixty years ago.
 and when, few months back our people re-
 turned they found, we are told the fortiGcatons and reservoirs just as their grandiathers left 1 them. And vel, because we form a settlement ! on this desert rock in a sea where no flag but our own ever comes, we must listen to an out.
 burst of spite from the continental press! We | are to forego the possession of spot which is untenanted by any human being, and which is l found to be a convenient haltng place for our nal steamers and transports, simply out of def | ference t0 the suscepdbiHties of continental po- ticians, who have not the smallest interest in ! those rcg.onsof the world and who never heard | the name of Perrin in their lives. Perrin may ' be necessary for the inlercoursa between Ed ' rope and Asia, but Perrin must Je left desolate because France thinks that the occupation will much increase the influence of England on the 1 Arabian and Abyssnan coasts. This is what the science of politics has come to among the ! publcsts of the second empire.
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