The Wellington enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 1867-188?, 1882-12-06
ARABPS EARLY HISTORY.


ARABPS EARLY HISTORY.
1t is worth while, l think, to give your |
readers a connected and truthful ac-
count of the early years of Arab Pasha's |
history, since so many improbable |
things have been printed about him in
Europe. He has been set down for a |
native of Spain, and been declared to |
have lived long in the Peninsula, while |
he has even been said to have served in
the warehouse of a merchant in Liver
pool. Whence he came and how he
rose are, however, as l shall relate in
this letter. Arab admits that he does
not know in what year he was born, and
although this may appear singular to
the uninitiated, it is easily and satisfac-
torially explained by Orientals or by
those acquainted with the East. In
Egypt and Turkey time is not reckoned
from one fixed point, but various
events, such as great fire. an earth
quake, or an extraordinary rising of the
Nile-in the way that Americans often
say that this or that took place ''during
the war" Arab says he was born just
after the indecent Sheik was murdered
in the mosque at Cairo, which event is
supposed to have taken place in the year
1901. VI luCIC1OOutSy ~ bh1b hO ID W
tween forty-seven and forty-eight years
old, although he maintains that he is only
forty-two. There is nothing remarka-
BILE about his appearance. He resembles
the ordinary middle class Egyptian one
meets here every day in the streets or
at Cairo. He stands five feet seven
inches high, is inclined to be corpulent,
has very small black, bloodshot eyes
sunken deeply into his head, heavy
black and gray mustache, and the high
cheek bones, wide nose and lips denot-
ing the African. His father was a la
borer on a State farm at Tautah, on the
Delta of the Nile, and it was here that
Ahmed-el-Uraby was born. This farm
was managed by a Swiss gentleman
named Jean Ninet, and, curiously
enough. the only European now in
Arabi's camp is M. Ninet, who is in
danger of being summarily dealt with
by the English if he could be caught.
Arab received no education whatever
The little Arabic he can read and write
he taught himself after he was grown.
In his youth, however, he had learned
to repeat many verses of the Koran,
which he now uses freely, and being
powerful speaker he has always found
eager listeners to his discourses. He
worked upon the farm until the age of
twenty, when one day recruiting COM
pany dashed through the village. and.
as he was not fast enough in getting
away from them, was seized, put in
irons, and taken off to Cairo, this being
the ordinary Egyptian method of filling
up the ranks.
Arabi Pasha remained a private SOL
dier for over twelve years, and was only
promoted to the rank of Lieutenant
through the influence of NJ. Ninet.
whom he met cidentally at Thebes,
where his regiment was hunting down
some Bedouin robbers. This was the
turning-point in Arabi's life. Gratitude
is a great virtue among Arabs, and he
became, so to speak, the slave of M.
Jean Ninet. This gentleman soon after
the event was dismissed by the late Khe-
dive, Ismail Pasha, because he was
known to favor Hahn Pasha, the only
surviving son of Mehemet Ali, and from
whom Ismail had practically usurped
the throne. NJ. Ninet had protested
against the wrong done to Hahn. and
actually went to Constantinople in hope
of persuading the Sultan to reinstate
him, but to no effect NJ. Ninet re-
turned to Egypt and has ever since act
ed as Hahn Pasha's secret agent, and
the eventful period through which Egypt
is now going is due very largely to his
intrigues. He is seventy-two years old,
but looks remarkably young for his age;
he is tall, handsome and of command
ing appearance, and having lived
all his lifetime in the country, knows
the language and people well. He is
known and respected by the majority
of the natives, over whom he has an
enormous influence, and he is, after
Arab PaSha, the most noteworthy man
of the revolutionary party. Lieutenant
Arab was devoted to Ninet, and the
latter noe only persuaded him to espouse
Hahn Pasha's cause, but used him also
as an intermediary in getting other of
ficers to do the same. He saw that If
anything was to be done it could only
be done through the army, and the only
way of getting at the army was through
Arab. Rumors were ingeniously spread
that this officer was inspired by the
Prophet, and this had such an effect
upon the army and the people that the
Government thought it wise policy to
promote him. He was therefore,
gazetted Major. M. Ninet, when in
Alexandria, lived with MIR. Douglas
Gibbs, the agent of the Eastern Tele-
graph Company, but when in Cairo was
the guest of the Princess Toussoun,
who favors Hahn. The Princess
palace soon became the rendezvous OF
Arab, Ninet, and their followers.
The great point was to enlist the
sympathies of the lower classes, and
this could only be done through the
press. but how and where to print this
revolutionary paper was matter for
serious consideration. 1t was attempted
once or twice in Cairo, but the enter
prise was discovered by the secret
police, and all who were proved to have
any connection with it were severely
punished. 1t was then resolved to issue
the paper abroad, and the Princess
Toussoun provided the necessary funds.
The paper was called Abott Naddrd, and
was printed by James Sanua, of No. 4S
Avenue de Clichy, Paris. and was smug-
gled into Egypt, tightly packed in sar-
dine boxes. Once in the hands of the
revolutionary, or Young Egypt party.
it was easily distributed. 1t was writ
ten in common Arabic, so as to be
understood by the people, and con-
tanned wood-cuts which to US would ap-
pear ridiculous, but which have had
great effect on the multitude. One
represented the Khedive in the act of
being baptized by an English clergy
man; in another he was selling the
country Ga slave in chains) to England;
and in another the Khedive's eldest son
(the present Khedive) was represented
as falling from his horse while review
ing his troops-such an accident being,
of course, highly disgraceful to any
Arab. The papers were eagerly sought