The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1869-11-18


New London; Ira Harris and J. Morians, for Albany,
aud ex-Mayor L. Blackstone, for Norwich.
The Great Event of the Dny-rhc Open
Ing of the Sucz Canal.
The Suez Canal, of which for some years
past we have heard so much and which month
by month and week by week has been COM
handing an ever increasing interest, is now
the greatest fact as well as the greatest sensa
ton of the hour. The opening ceremonies
have commenced. Port Said, q new Eastern
name, has been specially honored. Ii is the
European end of the canal. II has had fair
share of praise, but no one dares to say it did
not deserve it. Port Said is to the Viceroy of
Egypt what Alexandria, centuries ago, was to
Alexander, and, later, to Caesar and Anthony.
The Viceroy has great purpose TO accomplish
and the facts of the hour encourage the belief
that the vassal of the Sultan knows his pur-
pose and knows as well how to accomplish it.
In modern times nothing of the same kind
has occurred before this date. 1t is really
new thing The London Exhibition and
the many things of the kind that fol-
lowed, both in the Old World and the
New, were all important; every one of them
was more or less success; but the exhibit
tons of London, of Paris and of New York
were triiing and Insignificant as compared
with this latest affair-the Suez Canal. We
have for long years despised the East. We
have deemed it beyond the pale of civilization.
We have pronounced Mohammedanism incom-
patible with the liberty of this enlightened age.
Our grand Western efforts, in the shape Of
expositions, of Pacific railroads and other
affairs of the kind have encouraged the belief
that the East was necessarily dead. 1t has
been the province Of the New YORK HERALD
to teach the West that on this particular
affair it was altogether too slow and a great
deal too ignorant. In the month of August
last we gave full and detailed account of
this grand Eastern canal. We traced its his
tory from the Pharaohs TO Anthony and
| Caesar, from Anthony and Caesar to the first
| Napoleon, and from Napoleon down to the
\ present time. In our columns complete his
tory of the Suez Canal may be found. We do
not boast when we say that such history can
be found in no other newspaper, either in the
Old World or the New.
The Sultan, with wise discretion, has
decided to remain at home. His presence ia
| Egypt would have marred the ceremonies.
The yiceroy had fair right to be first on the
occasion. No one who has been watchful OF
! this affair viii refuse TO admit that the
presence Of the Sultan would have been mis-
take nor can any one deny that the opening
ceremonial has been managed in such man
ner as to command the respect Of all thinking
! men. Eclat was required, and 6ciat has been
| commanded by the Port Said ceremonial. Prus-
STA, Austria, Italy, and particularly France,
have been represented, and the promise
| is held out that at Ismailia the
ceremonial at Port Said, grand as it
it seems to have been, will be left thousand
miles behind. All the nations mean to 90
through the canal, and Suez, which is the
grand terminus, will present spectacle which
the world has not Witnessed before. The
Arabian Nights have long been famous, and
deservedy SO but the Arabian Nights, through
the Viceroy and the Empress Eugene, will be
left far in the shade. Fact is more potent than
fiction in these late ages, and all the force OF
fact has been promised and so far given to
this latest Eastern show. On the route be-
tween Port Said and Suez the history of more
than forty centuries will be forcby recalled,
and no one viii dare to think or say that the
sensations Of the moment have ever been
equalled before. OF all the Arabian Nights
these last will be recognized as the grandest,
the noblest, the most poetic, and at the same
time the most practical Even Haroun AL
Raschid would be more than transported.
Aside however, from all ceremony and from
all show, this opening Of the Suez Canal com
mands attention az the great event OF our
time. II implies revolution Of trade and
commerce. 1t implies resurrection OF the
past, and the best of the past. Ii implies a
future, the glory and the conclusion OF which
we can imagine but not fully comprehend.
Egypt is once more to become the seat oil
empire, With the help Of Egypt the Medlter-