The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1882-07-20

,,crt az Alexandria. We have been asked
on the street by distinguished clergyman
70 write an article which would, as little
wuw,uxs demanded Of his grandfather,
ten him .swhat twas all about" We
lacked information ourselves, and have
been reading up" But We have no more
s,,.. % ,ose A correspondent writes us
July Is, 1882.
IN the Editor of the Dispatch:
Dcar sir.--Will you be kind enough to
o,vc your numerous readers statement or
&c causes which led TO the Egyptian war
what Il was for and what It Is prosecuted
fort A constant reader OF the newspapers
ri the day, 1 confess to a total ignorance
on the subject, and none OF the many ac-
uuaintances 1 have seem to he able 10 IN
form me. In fact, / have asked and have
been asked the question without ne,hg
mile 70 give. nor have received, . satisiac-
tory answer. Enlightenment VIII, there-
fore, oblige your many readers.
England interviewed IN Egypt because
she seems to have had the best right OF any
Christian Power, and because she was
asked to do so by the other Christian row.
ers. She had acquired this right by treaty,
we think-a treaty entered into to protect
the interests OF the British holders OF the
Government bonds Of Egypt.
To a correspondent demanding the same
information asked for by ours the Cincin-
natl Commercial replies as follows:
The rumpus occurred because 4 bull
necked and tiger-eyed Egyptian Arab
Rev. or Pacha as he is now] got the better
of the authorities, civil and military, OF
Egypt. and proposed, as he was kind
enough to phrase it, to relieve his country
of the yoke OF foreign bondage. The real
woke upon the country was the ignorance
and degradation OF the people, who had
been enslayed through centuries, and never
so bitterly burdened as when left to them
selves. The foreign yoke consisted OF OBJ
legations TO pay debts and preserve order, TO
accent the conditions that made commerce
possible, that introduced the railway, the
steamboat and steamship, the telegraph,
the bank, the printing-press. The foreign
yoke was letting in the light, building great
cities, pouring the most valuable trade In
the world through the desert between the
Mediterranean and Red seas. Why, Egypt
had become the halfway-house between
England and India, and therefore once
more the centre Of the earth. This foreign
yoke the barbarian proposed to throw of,
and he supposed himself to be following in
the footsteps OF Washington. He became
successful insurgent, and so speedilysan
irresponsible despot. Such was his inllu-
ence that when The first furry OF excite
ment came the monsters OF the desert and
the loafers of the Nile fell upon the unof-
Tending Europeans gathered in the famous
old city OF Alexandria, engaged IN COM
mercial pursuits, and slaughtered them
by the hundred. There never was q
more hideous butchery by the savages OF
North America. The mob was as cowardly
as il was ferocious, and the few who dared
to fight the assassins saved themselves.
This massacre was under the guns OF the
war-ships of all nations. The presence OF
the feet gave the barbarians a sense OF I'M
exampled luxury in murder. They thought,
owing to the mysterious powers Of the
Sultan, or the supernatural horrors OF
a threatened holy war. the artillery Of
Civilization must remain forever mute,
They had an idea that "Christian dogs
would not dare to fire upon the sacred
blackguards of the Egyptian mud and
suit the fleet. The way TO do that was to
mount guns Bearing on the ships, and
throw up earthworks. They were warned
to desisf from this amusement, hut after
promising to do so were detected hard at
work in the night. The electric light
searched them out and exposed their false
hood and treachery. The British Admiral
told them il the work on the Notifications
did not cease he would open fire. Full oil
the concet OF their great ignorance, tho
barbarians stuck to their work and were
crushed by the bombardment they defied
Then they destroyed all the evidences o
European capital, taste, and industry the!
could find. The Arabs burned the town
IT was not the first time they had done 1t
They have for thousands OF years beef
more ruthless than time and tempest.
"But," it will be asked, isn't Egypt
part of Turkey, or subject to the rule 0
the Sultan of Turkey" That is tn
general impression; but the Sui
tan's right to rule Egypt is no
very clear one; or, rather, 1t is not cica
how far his authority extends. He is Tn
head of the Mohammedan world if it ha
any head, and regards himself no doubt q
the rightful ruler OF Egypt. We quot
again from the Commercial:
The Oriental understanding is tha
Egypt is province Of Turkey, but the al
thority of Turkey is vague and shadowy
Still the fiction that they rule Egypt i
essentials Is very dear to the Turks.
will be remembered that during the strul
Gle with Russia the Turks called upo
Egypt for troops, and division w;
placed on Turkish vessels. The Turks
Empire also, according to the popular fl
ton, includes Tunis, and there was talk
summoning Turkish troops TO that pr,
vince to interfere with the conquests
the French.
The effort was made to use the presume
authority Of the Sultan to suppress Ara
Pacha, but the interference desired coul
not be obtained. Either the Sultan symp
thized with the rebel or feared to exert h
alleged authority lest it should prove to
without efficacy.
1t has been semi-oflicially declared th
the Sultan only wishes to intervene
Egypt in the name OF his "sovereig
right" AS we have said, we don't kno
what that sovereign right" amounts
The most recent statement Of its extent
that at Constantinople "that authority
known to be the result Of external pr
tlge-that Is to say, 1t reposes on an esse
TALLY superficial principe-on the iana
cism Of credulity and ignorance" The
fore the Sultan is apprehensive that il
intervenes in Egypt he may lose his pr
tigc as the head Of the Mohammed
world; because either he may fail to int,
yene successfully, or he may offend his
\ religionists In Egypt.