The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1882-05-14
The ENHANCEMENT In Egypt.

It has for some days seemed probable that
the problem presented by the political situa-
ton In Egypt, which for upward Of year
has been extremely complicated, could only
be solved by the Intervention OF Turkey
or OF England and France. But, according
TO last evenings kilograms, the Khedive may
have at his command some elements OF ma
terial strength with which he has not been
credited, and the crisis provoked by the
army may end In the complete subordination
OF the military to the civil power. In any
event. 1t may be well to distinguish the
several parties now arrayed against each
other in the Nile land, and to inquire which
deserves the sympathy of foreign nations.
Let us say at once that the Khedive repre-
sents nothing but the house Of MEHEMET
ALI, which, on the whole, has been burden
rather than benefit to Egypt, inasmuch as
the mass Of the inhabitants derive no ad-
vantage from the Suez Canal, whereas they
may expect to be taxed in perpetuity to pay
the foreign bondholders The present ruler
of the Nile Valley is essentially u puppet in
the hands Of England and France, who have
for some time exercised virtually complete
control over his finances but this fact, which
cuts him off from the earnest devotion OF
any element Of the native population, rem
ders his favor an object Of desire and in
trigue to contending parties, and may enable
him at this juncture to maintain his own
authority by setting one agency against an
other. But although the khedive may not
need in the present crisis to invoke the actual
interference Of an English fleet and French
army, it is the knowledge that such forces
are marshalled in the background that keeps
this effigy of u monarch In his seat.
What may be called the Turkish party is
centred mainly in the class OF civil and relig
iouS functionaries for the ministers OF the
Moslem law and religion cannot overlook
the fact that ABDUL-HAMID is generally
recognized as Commander of the Faithful,
while ever since the time OF MEHEMET ALI
the posts Of influence and profit in the Egyp-
tian administration have been largely filed
by Turks. Numerically, of course, this party
Is quite weak, but morally and financially is
strong, and it has lately been strengthenedby
the Circassians, who, in accordance with
custom which has survived the Mameluke
regime, have been recruited in considerable
numbers for the army. The Turks and Cir
cassians, who would like to see the nominal
suzerainty Of the Ottoman Caliph over Egypt
transformed into rule as direct and abso-
lutte as that exercised over Asia Minor, are
encouraged by the military preparations
which the Porte has made to that end, and
which would have been already turned to &C.
count, but for Turkeys natural unwillingness
to afrront the Western powers.
We come next to the party headed by
ARAB Bey, which has been virtually domi-
nant at Cairo since February OF last year, and
which, owing to its specous programme OF
Egypt for the Egyptians, has been regarded
with certain sympathy in England, although
ARABS first official act after he became
a member Of the Ministry was to practically
withdraw the finances from the hands Of the
English and French Comptrollers-General.
There is reason to think that ARABS shib-
boleth is to large extent delusive So long
as he confined himself to removing Euro
pean Christians and Turkish or Circassian
Moslems from their posts in the Khedive's
service on the ground that they were for
eigners. he could be credited with patriotic
views. But it is now known that his defini-
ton Of Egyptians covers only the urban
Arabs, the descendants OF the early con-
conquerors who settled in the towns and
villages Of the Nile Valley, and that section
| VI lhc iuliNc ptihh idSo NIiSil huo
accepted Islam. The Copts or native Chris
tians, who are as truly descended from the
subjects Of the PHARAoHs as are the Moslem
| fellahs, are denied political privileges by
ARABI Bey; and even the nolnad Arabs or
Bedouins whose numbers are variously esti-
mated, but who can probably place ten thou
sand horsemen in the field, have been treated
| by him with almost equal disregard.
| 1t cannot be said, therefore, that either Of
the parties into which the population Of
| Egypt Is distributed deserves to acquire
complete ascendancy, and the impression
left upon impartial observers is that the
| form of Government most advantageous to
the people as whole would be- European
| protectorate like that exercised over Tunis,
or even regime more closely resembling all
| neXation To some such result events have
seemed to be tending ever since the fiscal
management OF the country fell into
| European hands, but the hour seems
scarcely ripe, and meanwhile 1t will
| be decidedly convenient for the French and
| English Cabinets If the present Khedive can
manage to sustain himself without overt
help on their part for short time longer
Last week. however, as we have said, his
muted the sentence of the Circassian officers
who had conspired against ARABI Bey and
his fellow Minlsters-a proceeding which nat
urally incensed the so-called Egyptian
party. The Ministry at once proceeded to
oonvoke the Chamber of Notables-a
step they could not constitutionally
take without the Khedive's express au-
thority-and avowed their intention to pro-
pose the dethronement not only OF the
present ruler, but Of the house Of MEHEMET
ALL Strange to say the Notabes, who were
commonly supposed to be the creatures OF
the Ministry, refused to obey the latter's sum
mons, whereupon ARAB Bey announced his
determination to depose the Khedive with
the help OF the army alone.
Such was the situation up to yesterday,
and the sole remedies appeared to be
the interference OF Turkish military
force, which the Sultan is ready and eager to
lend, or a joint intervention of the two West
| ern nownra which hnth NJ pr Eppy1ux,,,,r