The Ouachita telegraph. [volume] (Monroe, La.) 1865-1889, 1882-12-23
AHMED AEAEI'S.
Letter to the London Times.
His Heartfelt Gratitude.

| English mail has brought the London
Times containing Arabis letter in his
own defense. 1t reads:
To the Editor of tho Times:
| l have followed the advice of my
counsel, Messrs. Broadley and Napier,
| for whose devotion aud zeal l can
never sufficiently express my acknow-
Judgments, and have pleaded guilty to
a charge of rebellion agains: the khe-
dive. The English Ministers have
often proclaimed me to be a rebel, and
I cannot expect that they will suddenly
change their opinion; nor, indeed, is it
possible for them to do SO at the pre-
sent moment. l shall cheerfully pro-
coed to any place which England may
be pleased to appoint for my residence,
and remain there until the day comes
when it will be possible for England to
modify her opinion concerning me.
do not complain Of my fate, nor of
| the sentence which has been pronOun
ced against me, and which, at any rate
establishes my anuccence of tho char
ges Of massacre and incendiarism,
crimes in which l have never taken
tho slightest part, and which were
absolutely contrary to our political and
religious principles. l know that my
future treatment will depend upon
England and the generosity Of the
British people. L leave Egypt with
perfect tranquility and confidence in
the future, because l know that Eng
land can not any longer delay the re-
forms which we have struggled for.
In a short time the Anglo-French con-
troll will be abolished; Egypt will be
no more in the hands of a myriad of
foreign employees, filling every Available
part, to the exclusion ofthc Egyptians;
our native courts will be purified OF
abuses; codes of lazy will be enacted,
and, what is more important, carried
out. A Chamber of Notablcs will be
instituted, with voice and right of
| interference in the affairs of tho Egyp-
tan people; the swarm of usurerS in
the villages will be driven out. The
English people, when they see all these
things, will then be able to realize the
fact that my rebellion had very
strong Justification. The son Of an
Egyptian Fcllah, L tried, to the best
of my power, to secure all these good
things for the dear country to which 1
belong, and which | love. My ILL.,
fortune did not allow of my carrying
out these objects. i hope the English
people will complete the work which 1
commenced. If England acconplishes
this task, it will make clear to the
world the real aim and object OF
Arabi,' the rebel. All the Egyptian
people were with me, as 1 was with
Egypt; the country / shall love forever
l hope Egypt will not forget me when
England completes what L tried to
begin. I say it again, I do not COM
plain of my fate. am oven happy
and contented with it, because l know
my misfortunes have been the means
of securing for Egypt the liberty and
prosperity which it deserves to enjoy.
When England has carried out her
good work, she will, l feel certain, in
her humanity and high sense of justice,
permit me to return to my beloved
country and SEQ with my own eyes the
! result of her human and civiliZing
work before l die.
am graceful to MIR. Gladstone and
to Lord Granville for their interposi-
ton in my behalf, and for having saved
me from so perilotis situation. They
will soon learn that / was no rebel
when l set myself at the head of Il
people who wanted nothing but JUS
tice. 1 also thank Lord Dufforin and
Sir Edward Malet for tho kindness and
generosity they have shown me. l al.
so owe debt of of gratitude, which I
can never repay, to my dearest friend.
Mr.. Brunt, who spared neither his eff
forts nor his money to assist me in the
hour of or distress and need, when my
Egyptian friends of happier days had
one and all forsakcn me. l can never
sufficiently acknowledge the noble and
untiring efforts, and the zeal, legality,
and devotion Of Mr.. Broadly and Mr..
Napier on my behalf, and my fellow
prisoners, ] thank the British people,
rs l thank you, sir, and tho great Eng
lish press. which was unanimous in de-
manding that l should have fair
trial. thank those members of the
British Parliament who have often and
nobly spoken in my behalf. And l
thank Sir Charles Wilson for tho kind
and vigilant caro- he has bestowed on
me in the days of my captivity.
| leave Egypt with the firm convic-
ton that as days pass by the justice of
our cause will become moro and more
apparent, and that England will never
have cause to repent of the generosity
and humanity she has displayed to-
ward Il man against whom she has
fought.
[Signedl AHMED AEAnI, tho Egyp-
! tian.
From the prison at Cairo, December
4, 1882.
| Here is what Lawrence Barrett says