The Greenville times. [volume] (Greenville, Miss.) 1868-1917, 1882-07-22
The Origin of the Trouble in Egypt.
Times-Democrat.l

a'o"s 'no trouble III Egypt, al
though generally pretty clearly
understood, will bear a brief recap.
itulation just now. Egypt is a de.
tendency of Turkey, and as such
forms part and parcel of the Otto.
man Empire. To both Great Brit.
ain and France the empire is almost
hopelesslp in debt. To secure part
OF this Indebtedness, it was mu.
tually agreed that an Anglo French
commission should take in charge
the finances of Egypt, and after
dedueting therefrom 5000, 900 an.
nually s3,75O,OOO of which for
Great Britain, the balance for
France-should turn the surplus
over to the national need. The
presence of the British and French
comptrollers, as well as of the
scores of their compatriots who
have in some way or another
worked themselves into positions
of permanence in Egypt has in.
creased the innate hatred for the
Christian by the Moslem to a fren-
~ which eliminated in the late
rioting at Cairo and Alexandra.
Arab Bey, Minister of War, is
the public embodiment of the pop
ular feeling, and is doing his utmost
to free his country from all con.
nection with the Christian. The
Sultan and his agent in Egypt, the
Khediye, are, however, so com.
pletely under the control of their
creditors as to make it very diff.
cult for them to act in accordance
with Arab. Hence another fea-
ture of the difficulty. Europe is
steadfast in her demands for order,
and security to the Christian of
life and property in Egypt. These
demands will be enforced.
Meanwhile, another complica-
ton, which first manifested itself
in 1850, in the person of the elder
son of one Sidi Mohammel Els.
Senoussi. 1t concerns the Moslem
rather than the Christian. In the
sacred writings of Islam occurs
the following prophecy: son the
first month of Moharrem, in the
year of the Hegira 1900 (Novem.
Der 12, 1882, will appear FL Mehdi,
or the Messiah. He will be exact
ly forty years of age; of noble
bearing; one arm will be longer
than the other; his fathers name
will be Mohammed, his motler's
Fatina; and he will be hidden for
a time prior to his manifestation"
The person who ful6lls the require
ments of this prophecy is the SEN
noussi referred to.
Sennoussi declares God has con-
fded to him three duties:
/. To propagate the most aust're
principles of Islam.
2. To wage war against the con-
tamination of Islam by contact
with the Christian.
3. To punish the Turkish gov
ernment for adopting European
costumes and copying European
institutions.
No fewer than 700 Zaovia, or
subordinate places of worship,
have been established in Egypt
and Arabia for the preaching Of
these teachings; and emissaries
from Sennoussi have expounoed
them personally to the Shirkul
Islam and the Ulemas of Constan-
chief and priests OF
the Moslem faith. That these
teachings have been greedily i'm.
bibed by the irreconcilable Arab
Bey admits of no doubt. He has
gone so far as to call him
self Eel Medhi, although he does
not fulfill the requirements made
by the sacred writings in connec-
tion with the Messiah.
In dealing with the affairs OF
The Turkish empire we are apt to
make insufficient allowance for this
great intestine commotion going
On among the I" faithful" Turkish
rule in Stamboul, for aught that
Europe is concerned, may hang ON
rs tenaciously as Bazantine rule in
he Constantinople of 400 years
lgo. It will be to an internal strife
,f the nature of the one now being
xaged within its borders, quite as
much as to any aggressive action
,n the part of Europe, that the
collapse of the Ottoman empire
will be due. Still its present re-
,istance to the decrees of Europe
will not tend to lengthening the
lays of its pilgrimage. With foes
inside as well as outside its fold,
slam is in a very happy condition
ust now.
Bids for the construction of the
? D.A.- 1. .f