The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1869-09-18
Tho Sultan and the viccroy-The Eastern
Question Again.

fuo Suitan ana tno SlccrOy-Tne Eastern
Question Again.
The message which the Sultan has just sent
to the Viceroy, and which we printed in the
HERALD of yesterday, reveals to us state of
things which does not by any means guarantee
to US the peace of Europe. If it does no
more it at least threatens to revive the Eastern
question in shape more dangerous than ever.
The Sultan insists that the Egyptian army
shall be reduced; that certain war vessels,
guns and other munitions of war supposed TO
be ordered in Europe shall be countermanded;
that taxes shall be levied only in his name and
imposed only with bis sanction; that no
foreign loan shall be contracted without his
approval, and that generally the Viceroy shall
be more mindful than he has been Of his sub
ordinate position. A manifest willingness to
comply with these conditions will make the
viceroy welcome at Constantinople. The
conditions, it must be admitted, are hard
They are all the more 80 when we consider the
present position of the viceroy.
By course of policy which the Sultan has
not hitherto seriously questioned, his vassal,
the Viceroy, or Khedive, as he is now called.
has made himself almost Independent. He
has, with the help of England, constructed one
of the grandest and most useful railroads In
the world-a railroad which brings all tho
wealth and resources of the East to the very
| threshold of the Western World. He has
supplemented the railroad by most useful
and efficient system Of telegraphy. Not con-
tented with this, and acting with full
knowledge and appreciation of the central
position of Egypt, he has enlisted French intel
lect and made use Of French capital in the
construction Of canal which, when fairly
completed, will revolutionize the trade of the
world. While these works have been in pro-
| gress the Viceroy has himself made large
sacrifices. Naturally enough, he has used all
| his talents and all his influence to secure
the resulting benefit, if not to himself,
| at least to his family. The Sultan, as we have
said, has not hitherto been stubborn. He has,
at the Viceroy's request and after the receipt
Of large sums of money, changed the order of
succession in favor of the heirs male of Ismail
Pacha. A change 30 violent and 80 unheard
of in the East has begotten its natural fruit.
1t has banished the Viceroy's only brother,
Mustapha FAIL Pacha, from Egypt and made
of him most bitter enemy. 1t has done the
same to the viceroys uncle, Hahn Pscha, the
My surviving son of the founder of the fam
iIy-the celebrated Mohammed Ali. The Vice.
roy's enemies have had no power in CONSTANT
| nople His career of prosperity has been I'M
checked until the present time, when thu
European tour and the invitations given Il
European princes to come and witness thu
opening Of the Suez Canal have suddenly
opened the sultan's eyes and half convince,
him that his vassal was in the eyes Of Europ
and the world, more important personag
than himself. Hence the present excitement
hence the Sultan's repeated messages; hence
his exacting and somewhat extravaganza de
mands.
Those who know Ismail Pacha well an
who judge him from q domestic standpoint d.
not and canno. love him. He Is essentially
members Of his family has been shameful, an,
but for the skilful manner in which he dole
out backshish to the various Consuls Genera
would have brought down upon his head tn
indignation Of Europe and the world. It i
stated on the very best authority that when
some two years ago, Hahn Pacha found
necessary to leave Egypt some hundreds Q
thousands of dollars distributed To the differ