Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1882-10-31
ARABI PASHA.
Revelation OF Some Secrets Con.
neeted with the Egyptian Question
The Message thas Bennett Carried
20 the Egyptian Leader.

Sultan in all this Egyptian business
And it must be said in candor that the
success of the British depended solely
upon the decision of the Sultan, whose
poltroonery, equaled only by his
avarice, crushed the Egyptian cause at
the last moment.
Ali Miami Pasba and Dervish Pasha
himself, the sol disant Commissioners OF
the empire, charged with the duty of en-.
deavoring to bring Arab to submission,
were only the Intermediates of the Sui.
Stan with Arab, to whom they trans
mitted verbally the orders of the master.
Arabis work was consolidated in the
eyes of the different Mohammedan popu-
latiOns. first, by the entente c0rdadLe be-
tween him and the ENJOYS of the Sultan;
secondly, by his rapid advancement to
State; thirdly, by his promotion to the
rank of Grand Officer of the MeGiidie,
the insignia of which was pre-.
sented to him by Dervish Pasha in
the presence of the Egyptian populace,
in order to thoroughly establish the fact
that their military chief was in COM
munion of purpose with the Caliph.
Then followed immediatelv the disaf-
fection toward the Khedive, who is de-
tested by the Sultan, while the adhesions
of high personages began to rain around
Arab. The Khedive was abandoned.
In fact, with the exception of a few
Pashas and Circassians who had been
exiled, everybody in Egypt was in the
national movement, and success ap.
peared certain. In the palace of the
Sultan there was no doubt of it. Islam
was about to rise again from its ashes.
Things were in this situation when
France and England, aware perhaps Of
the disposition of the palace and the
part played by Abdul Hamid-although
they are generally badly informed-put
their fingers in the pie by sending their
ironclads. Then came the lombard
ment and burning of Alexandria, fol-
lowed by the landing of English troops,
which allowed OF no other solution of
the difficulty than that of the cannon.
The palace was prepared for it, and in
tended to send Turkish corps, which
gradually would have passed over TO the
Egyptians. This, moreover, was no
secret. Officers and soldiers were per-
fectly well acquainted with the situation.
1t remained to reinforce Arab morally
IN order to gain time to bring matters to
favorable conclusion. But how was
this to be doue2 To send an envoy off.
ciallyS Impossible. A secret agent
would have produced no effect.
just at this moment Providence ap-
peared and came to the aid of Abdul
Hamid, holding an American journalist
by the hand. Mr.. James Gordon Ben
nett arrived in the harbor of CONSTANT
nople in his yacht. Wallace presented
him to the Sultan. who invited him to
dine with him. Under his napkin Ben
nett found his insignia of the order of
the Osmanli.
At the dessert Abdul Hamid unbos-
omed himself. "You can render me a
very great SERVICE" said he to Mr.. Ben
nett, who, greatly surprised, Immediately
replied; ''Speak. your Majesty; shall
be delighted What can | dof"
"Go find Arab, and bring him to me-"
is that all? There is nothing more
simple. Count upon me. In five days
Arab and l will be here;" and, as he was
about to leave, Abdul Hamid said to
him: zone moment; | wish to aid you
in this matter. think that word from
me to Arab will not be without its infu-
ence. Here it is, and rely upon your
honor to give it into his own hands,"
Mr.. Bennett at once departed. He
carried with him the reverse of what he
believed he was taking. What the Sui
tan wrote was designed precisely to con-
firm Arab in his resistance.
Now. the question is, did the English
obtain knowledge of the existence of this
letter and of its contentsl Certain it is
that the very next dav Lord Dufferin
upon the Sultan's proclaiming
Arab a rebel before sending Turkish
troops to Egypt? Naturally the Sultan
How could he compromise
himself to such a degree in the eyes of
all Islam? Everybody in Turkey knew
of the understanding between Arab and
the Sultan.
"Sign" said Dufferin.
Certainly I'll sign, but after the
of my troops Then we
will see the effect produced.
''No, Immediately" said the English
man. Otherwise you know that we
have quite number of methods to rem.
der you obligiDg-a d. affair, the Suari |
matter, and the Constitution p
1t didn't need so much. Abdul Hamid |
prostrated himself and signed. That |
signature was worth $4,000 men to the |
English. Immediately the proclamation |
posted by them among the Arabian con- |
tingent produced the effect of a stone |
thrown into a frog pond. Arab, wild |
at such duplicity and infamy, pitched |
to the devil. OF his parti- |
sans, one portion, discouraged, aban-
doned him. and the other, enraged at |
being duPed by him, turned against him. |
The pOpulace, ignorant of the reality, |
saw only the brutal fact-Arabi had |
spoken in the name of the Sultan, and |
the Sultan disavowed himi
Hence the desertions. Hence the vic |
tory of the English, who were compro-
missed to the last degree in the field, and |
whose military incapacity, proved by |
slowness in motion and weakness in |
action, cannot at all be covered by two |
new titles to the peerage or sheltered by |
the presentation of sword of honor.
1t is easy to understand after this the |
interest that Abdul Hamid has to prove |
to the Islamitic world, but little disposed |
in his favor, that his rascalitv was a |
stroke of genius Take the Hdkt. the |
HdrGdis, and you find that |
hey all sing in the same key: 'The pro-
clamation of the Sultan putting an end |
70 the insurrection has saved Islam /
from complete disaster. Thanks |
10 the sagacity of our august and mag
nanimous Emperor and Caliph, as well |
as to the support of our brave allies and |
friends, the English, we have been able
10 get rid of this miscreant, this unholy
1ne, this rebel and traitor, Arabi." You |
zee nothing else in the Turkish journals.
And, since no Turkish journal can write
except from the dictation of the Palace
IN pain of being quickly suppressed,
Tou can appreciate the language.
As to the Turks, they know their feel.
ng in their own fashion-bY starting
ncendiary fires all over. Not a day
passes without one or two fres-the |
Turkish method of expressing dis
pleasure.
have spoken of the threat of the
Englishman Nord Dufferin) to revive
he Suari matter, and also the affair d.
Here is the story of the former:
When Abdul Hamid took the place of |
his brother Mourad, who became an
diot, he had two preoccupations-one
was TO re-establish despotic authority, |
and the other to prevent the possible re-
urn of Mourad.
With this view he informed Sadyk
Pasha, then Grand Vizier, that he could
obtain the authorization of the Ulemas
10 suppress his brother for state reasons;
and he sought his (Sadyk's) CO operation.
5adyk refused, and, like YAH, was sent
away. Since then he has not appeared |
IN Constantinople, and will never return
while Abdul Hamid reigns.
Raffled In this effort The Sultan nnn