The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1879-04-22
THE LAND 0F EGYPT

Recent developments of European
policy are such as to indicate the pur-
pose of bringing about some radical
change in the political affairs of Egypt.
Both Frame and England have lately
acquired material interests of such mag
nitude in that country as to induce them
to the adoption of measures of most
important character as to the immediate
future of the country itself. The changes
that may follow the enforcement of the
line of policy now indicated can not be
without interest to the world.
That Old land of the Pharaohs where
the Hamitic race achieved its most Won
derful development, the schooI-mastcr of
the Greeks, the parent Of civilization,
and the sphinx of history, has always
been an object of interest to both the am
cient and the modern world. Every
child in all Christendum, "mong its first
readings has read of incidents and
events connected with the Land OF
Egypt" 1t has commanded the attcn-
tion of the Antiquarian, the historian,
the man of science and Of arts and Of
letters, from Herodotus to Champol-
lion. In that valley of the Nile, that
slender oasis, created by the Nile itself
out of the vast material Of the Lybiau
Desert, have been seen those marvels :
antiquity whose remains even now alton
ish mankind. The land of Egypt was in
the fullness Of its civilization and in the
grandeur Of its power when Abraham
was living as a pastoral prince on the
plains of Syria. Through all the ages
since it has remained the land of his
toric wonders
During the lapse of those ages, the
Persian, the Roman, ana vne u.", nave
been Egypt's successive masters. 1t
NAV be that this ancient land, the only
bright spot of the Ozark Continent" is
soon to pass under the dominion of new
and modern rass; with a civilization
higher than anE'i6f itsformer masters ever
knew.
1t is we'll known that the Sultan's do
minion over Egypt is more nominal than
real. The formal recognition of his SOW
ereignty and the payment Of an annual
tribute are about all the ties existing be-
tween the ruler Of Egypt and the Sultan
o. Turkey. And recent movements Oh
the part of the present Khedive signify a
purpose on his part to sunder th3scsnom-
jnal ties and make Egypt aiisindepen-
dent kingdom, over which he WQnh
reign in his own right. lie has accord
ingly increased his army, and has added
munitions of war to his ar.cnals. He
has dismissed the foreign officers who
had, as volunteers, held military COM
mands in his service. He knows that
the Sultan's power has been weakened by
recent wars, lis treasury empty, and his
credit gone. He knows that the Egvp-
tian people would welcome their indie
dendence of the Turkish government.
He has made no public declaration of
such purpose; but all his movements
point to such design.
The same thing was attempted by
Mehemet Ali when ruler of Egypt,
whose arms were 50 successful against
the Sultan as to oyerrun Syria, carried
his troops into Asia Minor so far as to
threaten Const,ntinople itself, and would
probably have succeeded had not Russia
come to the aid of the Sultan with both a
fleet and an army and thus saved Egypt
to the Turkish Empire.
But now new element appears that
m st tend to thwart these ambitious de
signs of the present Khedive. France ant
England virtually hold mortgages on th'
land Of Egypt. Surprising his plans o
independence to be secured, the Khediv
commenced schemes of internal improve
ment by railways, canals, constructing