The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1882-09-07

Don't rashly mar his smooniness."
A mani IS helpless as child 81 Z
When suffering from sspooujuessn
Leve's patients ne'er like being chaffed
Although they show inanity: - 80
Just give him wedlock, that's the draught
TO bring him back to sanity.
s
THE FALSE PROPHET OF THE SOU.
DAN.
Mohammed Achmet, the false nronbet
of the Soudan, is the product at once Of
an intense religious fanaticism and an
oppressive system of government. His
aim IS thus religious and political, while
his religious pretensions are probably as
sumed only as a means to gain politi-
calend. He has posed as q savior of the
people at atime when Moslem fanaticism
has become greatly revived, and when
the country was ripe for an insurrection
The worst element of a discontented and
naturally turbulent population have
gathered around him. Circumstances
have favored him in the Soudan much as
they have favored Arab Pasha in Egypt.
He Is now at the head of q revolution
which for the Egyptian Soudan is as
great, IT not greater, than that which is
running Egypt itself. Whas connection
he may have, if any, with the party of
revolution In Egypt, it is difficult to say.
After again and again defeating the
troops sent against him, he il at last COM
plete master of the situation. Egypt
has, Tor the present. at least, lost her
hardly-won possessions in the Soudan.
which, If they ever belong to her again.
or they are ever again opened to COM
merce or to any civilizing and religious
aniluerce, must be reconquered with 4
large army and much expenditure of life.
and money. 1t may be interesting, there
fore. briefly to note some OF the causes
which have led to this revolation, and to
trace the career of its victorious leader.
The Soudan is q general term applied
% thstyast and vaguely defined region
OF Central Africa lying between the edua-
tor on the south and the Great Desert ON
the north, and stretching from east to
west nearly across the continent. The
Egyptian Soudah is generally supposed
y begin at Assouan, or the first cataract
q the Nile on the North, but perhaps
might more properly be said TO COM
mence at the point where the Nile makes
l!s great westward bend 1t extends to
tne Great Lakes on the south, and from
Anyssinla on the east. to and inclusive
q Darfir and the provinces Of the Bahr
VI Guazal on the west. This extensive
nglon' many times larger than Egypt
i!self' was not conquered hy the Egyp-
tlans all at once, but has been annexed |
piece BY piece, and at no time can it be
sad to have been thoroughly subdued or |
mlly occupied The Egyptian Govern
ment at Cairo was continaally short of |
I,nds, and the Soudan, in company with /
we remainder of Egypt, was the victim |
q many abuses. The Geyernment as@
sumea the monopoly of almost every- |
taiag on the White Nile, even to the sale I
VI seven poor parrots, one of which was |
pind and another lame. Contracts were |
su0iet to the farmers of taxes. Each /
agent made handsome profit for him |
yen, SO that when the taxes, which COW T
eled every conceivable means of indus
~ uown to the wheel which raised the /
r,Ner from the Nile, were paid by the
.ssoref' they were many times larger
yuan the original exhorbitant apportion-
sssnt, w and we even heard of cases on the
- /" nl'e Nile where the same taxes were col /
.es'eu Two and three timesover by differ
~ offlcials. Such being. the methods
y the Government, made doubIv 4
opnoxious by the corrupt officials who
sa'fied ! them out, it is not to be won
Nled at that there was very general
splrit OF discomfort; but never had there
s;ps sppearea . leader who for any length of
s.lle could maintain successful oppose
- Soh 70 The Egyptian Government till Mo- I,
~ Mlsni,led u Aehmetproclaim himself the
pb pauab or successor Of. the Great
asvpnet' 4 the expected teacher and savior
.ls people. This claim was suggested
4 sle general belief existing among the
sosleIns ems that toward the end OF the
p' polld successor and expotlnder of the
s.suPhet ~ and d fuller revealer of the
lef M ) = oo1' was to appear. This be-
;s,;,. =; = founded on various passages and
los;a ls;,,aalons In the Koran. like the fol-
M. Say unto those of Mecca:
s ~ 3 = ny way; invite you unto God | I
hs 81 =, evident demonstration; both and | I
~. = wno followeth me. The popular L
80 esgss'ssinon prescribes certain signs and II
iass:sses ises by which this prophet is to be Ie
xssaaaileu, some Of which Mohammed liz
- ny s.said to have shown, while he Fl
49,. aaaled mothers. Several such pre- ,
IS wa. va; have already appeared, one in.
srs snality Of Tunis, another in South 1
S.. eesSs Sassapla, " but none of them have sue 4
e,s:a IKE Mohammed Achmet. II
Do.us,m as man was born in the region of &
NM on the western bank of the 9
"a, "a where it makes its great bend. He &
h;ld.lp poor man, a carpenter and boat !
tos;a. tusr py trade. He first eameinto no i
psssJ sis On the large island of Abbas, sit I
Hessa Ha aooot =. 20O miles south of Khartoum. e
bolv allef the fashion of the fakirs and
leso.a.s 81 aasn, ne withdrew from society and f
S'''s'eu himself to prayer and medita- t