The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1882-07-28

| JACKSONVILLE, fla, July PA repre-
sentative OF the Chattanooga Times mel
General Loring at st. Augustine day OF
two ago, and had long and interesting
conversation with him In regard to the
state Of affairs In Egypt. The General,
though he has been several years absent
from Egypt, exhibits good deal Of feel
ING in regard to the recent catastrophe.
HE holds England directly responsible for
the existing troubles and impending an.
archy; and ne regards the bombardment
OF Alexandria as, under all the circum'
stances. one OF the most abominable out
RACES Of which history has any record. In
the bombardment and the extensive iires
which followed 1t nearly everything that
constituted the magnificence OF the modern
citv was DESTROYED, and he says that capl.
tal will not easily be induced to go IN ana
b,,ild II IN again, while the khedive, I'M
der the European domination which Is
sucking the liie-blood Of Egypt, does not
command the necessary resources.
The Notifications Of Alexandria were
built nartly under General Loring's super
vision. and he is confident that II they had
not been caught unprepared they would
have given the English fleet good deal
more trouble. "It must be recollected,"
he said, "that the feet was inside the har.
bor. to which it would have been obliged
N force an entrance had its hostile pur-
nose been avowed at the beginning. This
nlaced some OF the strongest defensive
works at a decided disadvantage. The
worst difficulty, however. under wblch tne
Eovntaans labored i'm their defence was
thai their gllnners had had no experience
in handling the great Armstrong guns
with which the forts were provided"
Said the General 81 warned the late
Khedive, Ismail, that these great guns
would be useless unless he had men who
knew how to work them. and that the only
way to teach them efficiently was by actual
practice. But as it costs about hundred
dollars every time one Of them was fired,
the Khedive felt that the expense was more
than he could stand. The result was that
when the shock of battle actually came the
firing was wild and ineffective. l can as
sure you that if the Egyptian gunners had
been as experienced as they were brave the
English fleet would have had a serious
time OF it,"
To the inquiry whether any effective re-
sistance could be made by Arab TO the
march of an army toward Cairo, the Cen
eral replied that there were no Notifications
between Alexandria and Cairo, but that
good deal Of trouble and delay could be
caused by the destruction OF the bridges
across the Rosetta and Damietta branches
of the Nile, both of which have to be cross
ed in going to Cairo.
GLOW about Cairo itself? Does it af-
ford any opportunity for effective de-
fence?"
"No. Cairo is not fortified city. There
is q citadel which crowns hill some three
hundred feet in height and dominates the
town; but it is too high TO be OF much
use, and it could not withstand modern
ordnance"
"Then, General" said his interlocutor,
81 gather that you have no great amount
of faith in Arabl's ability TO maintain the
contest which he has provoked"
"No," said the General II fear he cam
not fight regular European army, espe-
cially with the Khediye against him di-
yiding the loyalty of the soldiers. But the
strength of Arabi's cause lies not in his
power to fight an English feet or an An.
gls-French army. 1t lies in the sense OF
wrong on the part Of an industrious and
long-suffering people, who are the victims
of slavery immeasurably worse than any
ever known in the South. Arabs revolt
is but the symptom and expression OF this
sense of wrong; and even though Arab
may be defeated, the conflict will never
really end so long as the life-blood OF the
Egyptian people is drained to satisfy the
eXactiOns OF foreign bOndhOlders."