New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1869-12-20
EGYPT MAKING WAR.

Private but trustworthy information has
reached us that war between Egypt and
Turkey is almost inevitable. We forbear to
state our news with the emphasis with which
it has been impaired, but we understand that,
beyond the unusual ornaments for which the
Sultan has taken him to task, the Viceroy's
war preparations are to the extent OF many
thousands of muskets, good part OF them
purchased in this country. The war Will occur
in face of the frequent assurance that the
good offices of the European Powers had
brought about harmonious understanding be-
tween the Porte and the Viceroy; but to those
who have watched the audacity, prodgaity,
and duplicity with which lsmael Pasha has
pursued an ambitious aim, the prediction
which has been made to us on warrant OF facts
cannot be surprising.
The Viceroy will rebel, we presume, from
failure to adjust his views as to the propriety
of making loans on his own account with the
terms of the Sutan's firmans and more recent
letters. He may also object to submitting, as
in duty bound his budgets to the Porte, and
he may be jealous of the Sultan's suspi-
cions with regard to his military arrangements.
It is more certain, however, that his last
ViNbNN"jNONb
contracted in Europe, has, together with the
general question of his budget and his taxes,
furnished the ground of his hostility, open or
covert. One hundred and fifty sheiks were
represented as having united in petition to the
KhGdiye's master against his financial Oppres-
sions. On his part, ISmael Pasha maintains
that the firman of 1867 implied an exclusive
right over his own budget and loans. The
possession of such financial independence
would be equivalent to sovereignty, and would
enable the VicerOy to mortgage an estate
which he does not own. 1t would be surren-
der by the Porte of all power over the
revenues of its most important dependence, and
all claim to interfere should the Kh6dive ex-
tort tribute from his subjects in prejudice of
the interests which Turkey has in her Egyptian
property. Nevertheless, if the Sultan made the
frman which the KhGdive CONSTITUTES as it suits
him. the Sultan had the power also to with
draw it ; 30 that the Kh6dive gains nothing by
referring to precedents which stroke of the
pen can unmake.
For the rest, his scheme for annexing Crete
to Egypt, his intrigue for separate diplomatic
representation, his purchase of arms and IRON
clads, his suspected cOquetry with Russia, and
his recent extraordinary hospitality at Suez,
with the possible intent of eclipsing Turkey in
the magniiicence of Egypt, constitute grave
charges in COnstantinOple against the good
faith and intent of the Sultan's vassal The
Sultan is VIGOROUSLY more sinned against than
SHINING in the question at issue; for he has
made the Yiceroyalty hereditary in Ismaers
house. to the exclusion, at his request, of his
Ian Ea1nn ha Dnng yir
enemy the Viceroy has in the Ottoman Gov
eminent. He has also extended his territory,
and, either through fear or grace, allowed him
more privileges than compOrt with territorial
vassalage. This the YlcerOy appears to ac-
knowledge, for in his notes to the Sultan he
dwcls upon the Imperial favors. and Orientaly
enlarges on the high and genial kindness of
" his Majesty, more precious than the world
"and all it contains
The Yiceroy, if absolutely bent war, has
n greater lion in the way than has been gener-
ally imagined. The Sultan possesses two humid
red thousand stand of breeCh-lOading ." Sniders"
and five hundred thousand Enfield rifles, which
are being converted into breech-lOaders. 1t is
said that the reorganization of his army will
give him 100000 men in case of necessity,
while the ability of the Porte to borrow has
been much worse than it Is now,
albeit the Turkish imposition of taxes
is clumsy and burdensome, and the
real financial resources of the country are COM
paratively shallow. No war will result, in all
likelihood, without some degree of instigatiOn
from Russia. which is already limited to us in
the proposal of the Kh6dive to visit ST. Peters
burg the reported familiarity OF Gen. lgnatieff
with an Egyptian agent or two, and the in
trigues of Russia and Prussia in the Prince of
Montencgro's neighborhood.