The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-10-28
w. de Ecsseps on the EselatEOnS
lEet Eeen E2Ypt and l,GhrI6ey.


From, the Pail Mall Gazette.
M. Ferdinand de Lesseps has just published
a brochure, entitled "Egypte ct Turquie,
which, when we take into consideration the
position of the author, and especially his init
mate relations both with the Emperor and the
Khedive, is of considerable interest at the
present iuncture. The pamphlet is in the
main neither more nor less than a second
edition of one published in 1860 under the
title of Question du Canal de Suez." The
author has, however, added some reflections
on the existing difficulty between the Sultan
and the Khedive, which are not without inn
portance. NJ. de Lesseps holds that the
'Hatticherif' of 1Sil establishes
L. That the Government of Egypt is to be
hereditary in favor Of Mehemet-Ai and his
heirs.
p That the Viceroy of Egypt has the right
to maintain a native army.
3. That in consideration Of the payment of
a fixed yearly tribute, the Viceroy has the
entire administration of the country, as well
as the collection and management of the
revenue of Egypt, conferred on him.
1t may also be remarked that the Firman
of the 9TH of June, 1867, expressly states that.
although the general laws were to be the same
in Egypt as in Turkey, nevertheless ''the in
,ternal administration of Egypt, and conse-
quently the financial, material, and other in
tcrests Of the country having been entrusted
to the government of the Viceroy, it has been
deemed necessary to grant to the Egyptian
Government permission to mako all such laws
and regulations as it may think necessary to
the due development of these interests Ode
Lesseps, p. 5O.) After enumerating the bene-
fits which have resulted to Turkey from the
quasi independence of Egypt, M. de Lesseps
proceeds to take the Vieeroy to task for
having been too subservient in his
conduct towards the Porte-( ''D'avoir
peut-etre dome lieu aux exigences
don't il est lobjet aujourd'hui par une poll
tique de condescendance qui n'avait jamais
etc suivie par ses predecessors. ''ThOse
who contend he continues, ''that it would
be lawful for the Porte on any motive to de-
pose the Khedive and to replace him by a
dignitary of the empire, or by another mem
ber of the family than the one who is already
designated in the public deed recognized by
European diplomacy, strangely deceive them
selves, and lead public opinion astray." No
one, we imagine, in this country ever sup
posed that the Sultan had the right, much
less the power, to depose the Viceroy, and
one is puzzled to understand against whom
NJ. de Lesseps is arguing.
To the pamphlet is appended a letter
(hitherto unpublished p from the author to
Lord Stratford de Redciffe, when the latter
was our ambassador at Constantinople. AL
though this letter was written as far back as
1855, and is full of expressions about 'l'al-
lance intime de la France ct de lAngleterre. ."
'lunion inalterable des deux peuples, ETC.
etc, expressions which sound Somewhat out
of date nowadays, the approaching opening of
the Suez Canal gives it an interest at present.
Nj. de Lesseps endeavors to prove that the
opening of the canal will put an end to all
possibility of a contest between England and
France for the possession of Egypt. His
words are so remarkable that we quote them
i'll the original
"Que l'Isthme soft coupe, ct PEgypte, en-
acQueTant une plus prande Valcur CONNIE paws de
production, de commerce interieur, d'enrepot ct de
transit general, perd sa perilleuse importance
CONNIE vote de communication La possession de son
C77 7itvirc dydnt piHS diteTet pour A A0ieteTe
detTe lohjcct dune lutte possible entire cette pus-
sanCe CT la France, lunon des deuX peuples est
desormais materable, ct lie monde est preserve des
caamitcs Quentrainerait leur rupture.
There is process, well known among NJ
de Lesseps' countrymen, which is termed
'lire entire les lignes. If we were to apply
this process to the sentence which we have
just quoted we should read, ''The only power
who can and will oppose a French occupation
of Egypt is England. If we can once per-
suade England that, with the opening Of the
Suez Canal, all her interest in the neutrality
of Egypt ceases, we may some day get pos
session Of what, in French hands, would be
one of the richest countries in the world.
How so clever man as nj. de Lesseps un-
doubtedly is can persuade himself that it will
cease to be a matter of importance to Eng
land that Egypt should not be in the hands
of n rival power as soon as the transit from
tlNp H. Il lNnI,