, 1882-09-15
PUGET SOUND ARGUS.
FRIDAY, sEprENu.a II, i~,4.
What England is Fighting For

riur, uu the lltu of June; the bonn
uU,lmuut followed ON tine IOth Of
July. One whole month England
Wa, waiting for some atonomcnt for
that hmnIoo outrage. some show OF
disposition to punish such narhar-
ity and crime. ljut instead of tuat
the military party which was now m
full power felt not 50 much shame at
this iuhumau massacre IL annoy
pnc, at the continued presence of
English ships III the hmDor. They
uad perfect right to be there, as
American ships would have had Il
right to be there if Americans had
been maSsacrcd in the streets of Al
rXanlria, and punishment was 50
long delayed that the authorities, in
stead Of furnishing, seemed to Justify
the act, and to make 1t their own.
Instead Of Selling and punlshmg the
mludcrers, they began toplot to drive
out the fleet. II they had had torpc-
does. they would have blown up the
irouclads. As it was, they could only
throw up breastworks and plant guns
with the plain intent, as soon as they
were strong enough, to open fire.
Now it is not in human nature, least
Of all in the military nature, to see
such preparations for attack with il
tranquil mind, and Arab Pacha was
politely requested to desist Not only
did the English admiral request this,
but the Khedive and the Sultan com
manded it. The willy Arab professed
compliance, and declare that all
mounting OF guns had been stopped;
but when an electric light from the
fleet was turned ON the forts, the men
were found as busily at work as ever,
After this discovery of falsehood and
reachery, the admiral thought it pru
dent to take some other security than
the word of a Moslem; and we know
the rest
But" we are often asked trium-
phantly, as if this single question
demolished our whole argument,
what business has England in
Egypt 1t may be well to answer
tins question before we go farther
Enghshmen, as individuals, have Just
the same rights III Egypt which
Americans have no less and no
more. We claim the right, which we
have exercised more than once, of go
lng to Egypt, as to any other foreign
country, and going quietly about our
business, asking nothing but the pro
lection of its laws. We think it not
an unreasonable demand of the
Egyptian government to insist that 1t
shall see to it that American citizens
sh Ill be protected in life and proper
ty, that they shall not be robbed or
;.ssassinateu. If, in spite of all as
surances of protection, they are rob
bed or murdered, the very least their
government can do is to make de-
lnand, respectful but determined,t that
the robbers OF murderers shall be
punished. The most violent de
nouncers of English intervention can
hardly deny that in this respect Eng
lishmen have the same rights as
Americans. .''.' ....
But farther, beyond these general
rights, which are common to all for
eigners, England rs a country has
some special claims to consideration.
England has fought for Egypt and
for Turkey again and again. Indeed
it may be SAID that both owe their
continued existence TO England.
When Napoleon invaded Egypt in
1898, he would have taken the coun-
Try and kept it if it had not been for
England. The Egyptians could do
nothing. Napoleon swept away the
Mamelukes at the battle of the Pyra-
mids. 1t was an English fleet under
Lord Nelson which fought the battle
of the Nile 1t was an English gen
eral who gained the final victory on
land which drove the French ont of
Egypt Napoleon invaded Syria, ,and
carried everything before him till he
encountered the English at Acre, who
soon put a stop 70 his victorious ca
reer, Again in 1881 Ibrahim Pasha
invaded Syria, and would have march
ed ON Constntinople if he had not
been stopped by the European pow
crs. In 1854 England and France
went to wa: with Russia to preserve
Turkey. Thus often has England
fought for Turkey and for Egypt,and
the bones of her soldiers who have
fallen in defending those Moslem
powers. are scattered on many battle
fields in three continents in Europe,
IN Asia a-a in Africa 1t is not yet
tive years since England put forth
her powerful hand to save Turkey,
which was at the feet Of Russia \
Russian army was at the gates OF
CoLstantinople. 1t had always been
myst ary to us why it did not enter
There was no power to oppose it
Russia could have planted her guns
on the heights overlooking the BJs
pholu-, and the Russian flag might
have waved from all the minarcts OF
A"I.... IL . ..