The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1882-02-25
Arab Bey.
"a Remarkable Career,

Achmet Ourabi Bey-or Arab Bey, as he IS
called in the dispatches-the new Egyptian
Minister Of War, has had a remarkable career.
A felah, or peasant of the lowest class by birth,
he entered the army as a private; but, being
able to read and write, and having an educa-
ton above that of the average Egyptian, he
was promoted rapidly and soon became Ser
geant and Quartermaster. He was handsome,
intelligent and studious, and soon by hard work
acquired sufficient knowledge to enable him to
compete in the annual examination for promo
tion from the ranks. He was without friends
or patrons, and SO owed every upward step to
his own merits, and these were so pronounced
that he had attained the rank of Lieutenant
Colonel, when jealousy or ill-wirl caused him
to be accused, during the reign of Ismail Pa
sha, of having drawn the pay Of men whom he
was said to have kept on the lists after liberat-
ing them. Every possible agency was brought
to bear to compass his ruin; but, although the
trial was prolonged three years, absolutely
nothing could be proved against him. But at
the end of the trial. to his complete astonish-
ment, he was summarily removed from the ar
my by order of the Khedve Liberal in his
ideas, at all times aItagonistic to the ruling
powers, this act of crael injustice made him
savage, auQ aTOuS6Q III ulIu a 0aJrcd OF LuS au-
tocratic system which was guilty Of sHch a
wanton abuse of power. He was finally rein
stated but this did not deprive him Of the rep
utation he had gained with the people as q mar
tyr to their cause In every Egyptian village
his name is known, and everywhere 1t is spok-
en- with tones of respect and held in honor. He
was the leading spirit in the mutinies OF Feb
10 and Sept last year, and the chief bat So
cret instigator OF the military troubles which
led to the fall OF the Wilson Ministry. In the
nuf nf facf bar ho o.I fana
face with the khediye, with his hand upon his
sword, and when asked his business exclaimed,
1--WE come for law and justice; so long as you
give both, you are our Effendina; from the mo-
ment you refuse either, we have your success
sor ready" In like fashion, few days ago,
Ourabi had an interview with the President OF
the Assembly OF Notables, during which he
pointed to his sword and told that functionary
what the Chamber might expect If it swerved
an inch from the path prescribed by the mill
tary. ORrabi had already early IN January
been made Under Secretary of War, and the
result of this last demonstration is the resigna-
tion of Cherif Pasha and the appointment of
new Ministry, in which Ourabi is Minister OF
War and the ruling spirit. Ourabi has tall,
athletic figure, with solder-like bearing He
has natural gift of oratorY, speaking with
great energy, and depicting with remarkable
bitterness the degradation Of his countrymen
at the hands of the foreigners. But he is op-
posed to any intolerant movement, and no
into his antagonism to foreigners. To CORE
spondent of the London Times he recently said,
"God is the author of all law. 1t came from
God first, and by His will was adopted into our
religious books, and from our religious books
has emanated the law which is daily admins
tered. The Jews have their book, delivered 70
Moses; the Christians have their books con-
tanning Gods commands; and the Mussulmans
have their books, also proclaiming to them the
will of God. In all these books Gods will is the
same-that we should do no murder, that we
should not steal, that we should not commit
various offenses; and we all, Christians, jews
and Mohammedans, have the very same COM
mands of God embodied in our law. How,
then, should one man tave enmity against an
other if they both walked by the same law Of
God?' The correspondent described him as
speaking on this point with remarkable energy
and force Many of his expressions as to the
eternity and immutability of Gods laws re-
minded the correspondent very forcibly of tte
famous lines Of Sophocles declaimed by Antig-
one on the same subject. Such is the man who
has come to the front as the leader of the Ma
tional party in Egypt, and whose future course
may exert wide influence on the destiny OF
that ancient land