Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1882-07-15
THE DESTRUCTION OF ALEXANDRIA


If we may Judge from the dispatches the
Arabs have destroyed a great part of the
city of Alexandria, since the lombard
ment, including the whole of the European
quarter. This involves the destruction Of
the most modern and attractive as well as
INTELLECTUALLY important part of the city.
The most of this modern portion of Alex
andria was the work of the late Khedive
Ismail. who was ambitious to do for Egypt
what Hausmann did for Paris. He intro
duced gas to the Oriental city, and paved
and watered it after the most approved
European models. In fact he placed both
Cairo and Alexandria very far ahead Of
Constantinople in cleanliness and modern
improvements, and of Cairo in particular
he made the most charmingo eastern cities
In the great square of Alexandria, called
Mehemet Ali square, and where an
equestrian statue OF the conqueror has
long stood lin open defiance of Moham-
medan ecclesiastical law, which forbids the
making of any craven imagesl, are Tor were)
the foreign Consulates, the best hotels,
the banks, and the English Protestant
Church. The dispatches state that this
great square has been entirely destroyed,
and Il that is the case it will be long time
before the city regains its former aspect of
prosperity. 1t has been the custom of
more than one Khedive to give plots for
building to whoever would guarantee to
erect buildings of a certain architectural
consequence upon them. Thus the Duke
OF Sutherland has a mansion at Cairo,
which was built upon these terms, and
many foreigners, both resident and non
resident, have done the same thing. In
the suburbs of Alexandria, and particu-
larly at Ramleh, are a great number of
villas standing in their own grounds, the
property and residences OF foreigners, and
more especially of the Greek and Jewish
bankers and cotton brokers, who are
among the great financial magnates of
Alexandria. All these costly and beauti-
full residences will, it is feared, be sacri.
feed to the bigotry and malice Of brutal
and stupid mob, and the interests of
Egypt will thus suffer blow from which
recovery will be tedious. 1t is perfectly
apparent that great deal if not all of this
destruction of valuable property could have
been prevented, and equally clear that it
ought to have been foreseen. Mr.. Glad
stones statement in the House of Com
mons, that the Government could not have
anticipated the sack OF Alexandra by
the Arabs, is hardly tenable. The Govern
ment certainly was aware that the Alexan-
dria mob had only been restrained by the
presence of the Egyptian army, since
the first massacre of Europeans. As
Mr.. Gladstones purpose in bombarding the
forts was to drive away the army and cause
the downfall of Arab Pasha, he must have
| known that in the event of Arabs with
drawal or defeat, the city would be left at
the mercy of populace whose turbulence
had recently been demonstrated. 1t will,
therefore, not do for him to say that the
sacking of the city could not have been
anticipated. On the contrary, it is pre-.
cisely what ought to have been anticipated.
As to the intentions of the English Gov
eminent, Mr. Gladstone's statement ap-
pears singularly inadequate and unsatis-
factory. He surely cannot mean that he
proposes to suspend operations until Arab
Pasha does something to make it necessary
to proceed against him again? Arab is of
course responsible before all else, for the
looting and burning of Alexandria. 1t is
even said, though this requires confrma-
ton, that ne ordered the assassination of
the Khedive. There would be nothing I'M
characteristic or surprising in this, for
Arab is thorough Oriental, treacherous
and cruel and INSCRIPTIONS, and no doubt
he thought the opportunity good one for
disposiug of the occupant of the throne,
ard thus clearing his own way to promo
ton.
The destruction of Alexandra would,
however, have been accomplished to very
little purpose if the Porte were to step in
at this juncture and take the work out of
the hands of England. 1t would not be
unlike Mr.. Gladstone's forcible-feeble for.
eign policy to make such blunder as this,
and as he would certainly be encouraged in
such line by all the powers who view
with impotent jealousy the progress of the
British arms in Egypt, he would no doubt
obtain plenty of backing for the policy.
But what would be the result to Egypt
and the world of Turkish intervention :?
Either the Turks would refuse to leave
Egypt, having once obtained possession, or
they would be dominated by some Pasha
of the Arab kind, and would play Me-
hemet Ais game over again. In either
event the future of the country would re-
main unsettled, the condition of the fellah-
cen would be changed for the worse, and
! the security of the Suez Canal would be
imperiled. In fact nothing but harm can
possible come of Turkish intervention.
The Porte has not the strength to hold the
country as a province. 1t has been too
weak to assert its sovereignty for half a
century and more, And if it would assert
its sovereignty it would only restore the
old bad government, so that it is better
that it should be as impotent as it
is. But one effect of placing Egypt in
the hands of weak power like Turkey is
to challenge the cupidity of every strong
power that has ever cast longing eyes upon
that fertile province. Turkey could not
hold the country against all Corners
hardly against any comer-and so Egypt
would at once become the assumed prize of
|