The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1882-03-04

people of their right to voice in the
government and administration of their
own country. Ismail Pasha, unscrupu-
lo1s despot and squanderer as he was,
qua push Egypt further on the path of
progress than any other Moslem land
WIN the material progress brought about
by the introduction of machinery and the
construction of important public works
tnere was also marked moral progress.
constant intercourse with Europeans
could not fail to influence the mind of
Inc Egyptians more or less, and there
gradually grew up feeling that all was
Eo' as it should be, and considerable
amount of grumbling and discomfort
manifested itself, which, however, found
no vent until after the downfall of Ismail
rasha. When Ismail Pasha, finding
lhat the generous persons who had adj
Vanced him money expected their inter-
est, and began to complain of his meth
oos of administering the country, he
asked some of the European governments
10 supply him with competent persons to
assist him in the work of administering
the various departments of state. These
administrators, who in turn were sue
ceeded by host of commissioners, d.
rectors-general and comptrollers, and
most of whom were absolutely ignorant
OF the language of the country, dismissed
from the various departments they con-
troled the old-established Arab and
Coptic clerks, who, though perhaps
venal, obstructive and scheming, were
in many cases capable. These ma
I sfre officials were replaced by their
only possible succeSsors-a crowd
of Syrian Christians, speaking Arabic
and French, or Italian. The dismissed
officials, many of whom were men of
considerable influence, and in many cases
considerable land owners. left Cairo and
Alexandria, and settled in the villages.
The Syrians imported into the admins
trations lost no time in asserting them
| selves, and endeavoring in all possible
ways to discredit the Egyptians by great
activity and by making themselves al
most indispensable to their European
patrons. Their chief competitors were
the Copts, who, on account of their apti-
tude for ACCOUNTS, were not easily dis
placed. Sill, continuous misrepresenta-
ton did its work, and every one who has
lived in Egypt is familiar with the depre-
ciating shake of the head when the fitness
OF Copt for vacant post is being dis
cussed. The result of this great Syrian
influx was that rapidly they occupied all
the subordinate posts in the departments.
and the Egyptians found themselves
ousted from nearly all the positions of
trust and import ance in the country.
This state of things went on for some
| time and tha natural ,.oc,i1t folIo,.roI
The young Egyptians who found them
selves declared from advancement in the
service because they were Egyptians, the
dismissed officials, the sheiks, and other
country peBonages, who not unfrequent-
ly found themselves treated with rude
ness and dbrespect by the young Euro
pean employees of the cadastre, domains
and Daira Sanieh, joined together, and
formed themselves into what was at first
known as the young Egypt party, but
which to-day has just claims to the more
dignified title of the National party. The
National party once having been formed,
after much interchan9ing of ideas and
serious discussion, decided on pro-
gramme, which may be said to embrace
the following articles: /. Independence
|
ton of Chamber of Representatives to
be elected by the people. 3. The direct
administration of the country with or
without the control. 4. The dismissal
of the highly paid foreign officials, whose
presence is unnecessary if the control be
effective. 5. The employment of Egyp-
tians in all departments where foreigners
are not absolutely necessary. The pro-
gramme, as originally drawn up nearly
two years ago, was reasonable one, but
it was just one of those programmes
which require strong measures to
push them through. If it be acknowl-
edged that the programme was reason
able, it is difficult to see how anything
could have been done without calling
into play force capable of making itself
felt. The army was naturally the force
most easily utilized, and had proved its
own power, having been utilized by
Ismail Pasha to rid himself of his two
foreign ministers, Messrs. Wilson and
Blignieres. Under Colonel Ahmet Bey
Arab, who, by his character for integ-
rity, his eloquence, and force of charac-
ter, had gained the confidence of both
the National party and the soldiers, the
army, after showing their power in a
number of small ways, overthrow the
Riaz ministry.
The demonstrations of February and
October have startled many people, and
great deal of nonsense has been writ
ten; but it is greatly to be doubted if in
any other country but Egypt what really
amounts to great rev olution could have
been effected without bloodshed, and it
certainly speaks volumes for the prog
ress of nation when such revolution
can be carried through quietly and rea-
sonably. The whole programme was
well thought out and executed; no ex-
cesses have been committed nor are any
likely to be. No greater mistake can be
made than to accept the assertion that
the movement is confined to the towns
of Cairo and Alexandria. l have had
occasion during the last eighteen months
to visit many of the villages, and l may
say with absolute certainty that all the
leading men, the shieks, the mudirs Gf
not Turks, the various muffettishes-
in fact, all the people who influence the
masses-are warm supporters OF the Ma
tional party. The fellah certainly knows
very little about matters political, but his
experience of Turkish and European in