The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1873-07-16

vival OF tho Ancient Seat Of Em-
pire-The Csntsnpiatea visit % the
Sultan. ,ta
We live in an age which may well be called
the age Of miracles. The nineteenth century,
as compared with ell previous centuries.
has been Q century of miracles. The last
decade Of the nineteenth century has lite
rally been crowded with miracles. We use
the word miracle advisedly; for the xiumphs
Of progress in these later years have been suoh
that we cannot include them in the mere cate
CORY of wonders. In the earlier years Of the
worlds history progress was slow. and slow
necessarily. Men vegetated rather than lived.
In proportion as science has come to the aid
of man life has become intense. Men began
to live years in days-days in minutes. But
though progress has been more or
less steady, the ratio of speed has
been slow until comparatively recent
times. From an easy, gentle walk, life
has quickened into march, to double-quick
march, to run and now we rush on, not
only with the force and rapidity Of steam, but
with the swiftness and the ferceness of tho
thunderbolt. What changes, what revolu-
lions take place in day! In few hours
thrones, which seemed strong and frm-
rooted as the everlasting hills, totter and fall.
Great kingdoms and empires, which seemed
destined TO last forever, are suddenly blasted,
as if by the breath of the Almighty, and they
wither away like Jonah's gourd As king
doms fall, however, so do kingdoms rise. Az
great States and empires pass away, 30 are
their places filed. Every morning as we open
the newspaper we find fresh cause for wonder,
if not for alarm.
In nothing do we find the characteristics of
the modern world more strikingly dis
played than in the ancient land of the
Pharaohs. Egypt under Ismail Pacha has,
perhaps, more than any other land on the
face of the globe become identified with mod
ern progress. Within the memory of men not
yet old it was still thought of as the
land of bondage, Of filth, of desolation,
of death. 1t was priced for what it had
been it was despised for what it was.
Its wealth of ancient memorials attracted the
traveller and the philosopher; its squalor and
its wretchedness sent them home in disgust.
A Napoleon, filed with the visions of the
past, sought TO revive it and to make it once
again the seat Of empire; but even he was
compelled to admit the foolishness of his
dream. True, the grand old Nile was there,
and the marks of ancient canals were still
traceable but the enterprise was wanting to
utilize the one and to reopen the other and
80 what ought ever to have been one of the
richest gardens Of the world remained arid
and barren as desert It seemed as if the
ancient curse still rested upon il, and as if
recovery were impossible. Men thought and
spoke of the vicious system of government
and of the more vicious system of belief
which prevailed, and calmly came to the con-
clusion that the once rich and prosperous
land of the Pharaohs could never be restored
until it was conquered and occupied by
the Christians. The Bedouin might still
exc his living out by the baeshish of
the stranger; the Nile might roll on in his
majesty and delight and astonish the traveller
from distant lands; but for Egypt there was
no hope, except through Christian conquest
and occupation. And what made the situa-
ton more hopeless was that conquest and
occupation were rendered impossible by the
rivalries and jealousies of the Western Powers
1t was, as we have said, at q time not yet
remote, in spite of its glorious river, its splen-
did soil and its sunny skies, doomed land
land of moral darkness, over which brooded
sorrow, desolation and death.
How wonderfully within few years has
the actual picture changed How wonder
fully the prevailing opinions of men regard
ing Egypt have been revolutionized! How
the change has been brought about it were
long to tell in detail. A variety of causes,
however, some of which it will not be difficult
to mention, have contributed to accomplish
the resurrection of Egypt First among these
must be mentioned the advent to power OF
Mohammed Ali. A Roumelian by birth, this
man, after the retirement Of the French from
the country contrived to make himself chief;
of the authority of the Sultan. The Name.
lukes who had ruled Egypt for some centuries,
and who made it q perpetual scene of strife
and bloodshed, were. naturally enough, jealous
of his ambition and resolutely stood in his way.
His wholesale slaughter of the Mamelukes, ag-
gravated by the treacherous manner in which il
was accomplished, will be remembered as one
of the darkest deeds Of history; but it is un
deniable that the slaughter of the Mamelukes
made Mohammed Ali all but absolute rule,
of Egypt; and it is equally undeniable thai
the government which he established, and
which has been successfully administered by
several of his descendants, has proved bless
ing to the country A tyrant, he was yet man
of large views; and the development of these
views has contributed not little to make
Egypt what we see her to-day. 1t is no doub
true that Egypt has been largely indebted
to England, and that but for England's neces