New-York tribune., 1882-09-29
1K1BTS Defence.

q
to all officers from captains downward except
those who took part in riots or joined the army
after tne opening of the canpaign. The
remaining officers are to be prosecuted by
special commission and tried by cours martial
either Mt Cairo or Alexandria. In every case
publicity is 10 be allowed, and the privilege
of employing counsel is to he accorded. The
prisoners will not be condemned by secret
tribunals nor denied tie right of defending
themselves as best they can. Such travesiics
on human Justice as were witnessed III the pro-
ceedings against Midhat and his Turkish
cunfederatcs will not be enacted in Egypt
under English tutelage.
The nature OF the leading rebels defence may
be conjcctured from an ingenious plea pre-
pared at the Sultan's request by Sebib Ellcndl,
one of the Turkish officials who accompanied
Dervsh Pacha on his mission to Cairo. Arab
was represented in that publication as defend
ing lis course on the highest grounds OF
National patriotism and religious duty. His
retrosnect opened with tho IcmOnstrancc
which he had made when n colonel in the
Khedive's service against the employment
of foreigners IN all dcpal tmentS of the admins
tration. These officials frequently received
high salaries for nominal service, and their
influence was rapidly increasing. Arab and
his principal advisers Ali Fchmi and Atol-al
Muacl, cOntende1 that the Khedve could
dismiss this swarm of foreign officials without
violating any international obligations, and
they were arrested by the Minister of War for
advocating that course. No sooner were they
imprisoned than the War Office was surrounded
by two regiments, and their dclirerance was
speedily effected. From that moment Arab
had the confidence Of the army and the
sympathy Of the mass Of the people, who
looked upon him not 50 much as the enemy of
the foreigner as the champion OF home rule.
Not long aftcrward his troops surrounded the
Palace of AbbedIn and demanded the con
vocation of a Chamber of Notabes and the
substitution of National Ministry for one
which merely executed the orders of foreign
Controllers. These constitutional changes
were ordered by the Khediye The Cabinet
was reconstructed and Arabi was invited to
enter the War Office, and the Chamber Of
Notabes evimced Il disposition to discuss the
budget after the manner OF European lesisa-
tues. Egypt was IN a fair way Of being governed
hy and for the Egyptians
Such is the accouLt which Arab himself
gives OF his rise as a National leader. His
downfall he attributes, with Oriental subtlety,
TO the plots of his insjdous foes, the foreign
oliceholders. As Minister Of War he DIS
patched certain Crcassian officers to the
Soudan. They refused to obey ORDERS and
presented a rcmonsrance against their being
employed in a service which was distastcful
to them. II WAS his duty TO maintain military
discipline, and ne had reason to suspect that
they were plotting against his life. \ court
martial was accordingly held and they were
sentenced to exile in the Soudan. At this
stage the foreign Controllers intcryrned on the
plea that Arah vas becoming too powerful.
Acting upon their advice, the khediyc com
muted their sentence to exile to ConstantinOrlc,
disregarding thereby the urgent appeals Of
the Ministry and leading members of the
Chamber OF NOtahlcs. This incident was
followed by attempts to cOnyoke the Chambers
and secure the revocation Of the sentence unti
the Khedve, abandoned by his Ministers and
his army, was forced TO subordinate himself
To the wishes of the foreign Cont oilers.
When the Turkish commissioners arrived.
Arab declared that his objects were the main
tenance Of the Sultan's right and the authority
of the Khcdiye, and the prevention oi abuses
on the part Of foreign o1iccholdcrs. A rec
onCiliation between the Khediye and his
Ministers would have been Immediately effected.
if the presence Of the French and English fleets
had not excited the population of Alexandria.
As Arab pleads his OWE ease, foreign in
terventiOn arose from an occurrence Of no in
tcrnatonal significance whatever. The Con-
troleis had used their political influence to
sGbycrt the judgment Of Il court martial de-
signed to restore discipline in the amy, and
when breach had been made in the relations
Of tho Ministry 10 the Khedive, q naval dem
OnstratiOn was planned as a direct menace
of coercion. THIS will he n unique defence
before a court organized for the prosecution of
military rebels. At the same time Agabi dis
claims responsibility for the lamcntable occur
fences at Alexandria. lie not only took
measures to restore order after the II ssacre,
bnt arrested the guilty ones and organized
tribunal for their trial He chages that while
the Ministry were striving 10 dispel the
appIchcnsIons of foreigners and he himself
was avowing his willingness to submit 10 his
sovereign and the Niccroy, the French and
English Consus refused 70 be represented at
the trials of the rioters, did nothing TO prevent
the emigration oil Europeans, ana persisted III
keeping the Egyptian question open. When
Alexandria was again quiet and the discipline
of the army WIS restored, Admiral Seymour
willully assumed Il mcnacing attitude and
declined 10 accept positive evidence that the
land forces were not making military prepara-
TONS Arab iustiliea his own conduct in reply
ing to the guns of the fleet 10y declaring that
he was acting in self-dcicnce and in accord
ance with the Khcdile's wishes. He avows
that he was ready at any stage OF the campaign
to submit to his sovereign, the Sdtan, all the
questions which had arisen between himself