Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1882-06-14
COUNTY PENNA WEDNESDAY,
Egypt.

6byPi.
1t seems but yesterday, it was but few
years ago, that Mohammed Ali sprung
from the lowest origin. A Macedonian
boy, who had French merchant for his
patron, became successfully brilliant
soldier an influential leader in the dis
tracted state of affairs in Egypt after the
French occupation, secret manager OF
Cairene politics and Governor of Egypt
by the Sultan's appointment, and the
most powerful man in the Mameluke
aristocracy which feared neither God nor
Sultan. In 1911 he gave that memorable
feast in the citadel If Cairo to which the
unsuspicious Msmel,ikes came, to be shut
in and shot down like dogs, By that mas
sacre of 470 men, and the subseqIen. ex-
ecution of their surviving friends, he re-
moved all obstacles from his way and
established his family on the throne, which
the Sutton was compelled to recognize as
practically independent. Mohammed Ali
was one of the ablest men Islam has pro-
duced. He reformed Egypt, and brought
order and the beginnings of prosperity out
of the chaos and misery which had pre-
vailed. He introduced all the industries
out of which the revenue of Egypt has
since been derived. He constructed the
Mahmoudieh canal connecting Alexandra
with the Nile and thus with Cairo. His
expeditions for the conquest Of Greece,
his contest in Syria with the Sultan. the
brilliant campaigns of his soldier son lbra-
him Pasha, all form a page OF the most
exciting history o. Eastern politics. The
Western nations were compelled to take
part In it for the repression of the rising
power of the Egyptian dynasty. But for
England's love of the Sultan In Constanti-
nople, the story of the last fifty years in
the Levant would have been altogether
another tale.
These are matters of well known history,
but it is well just now to recall and review
them.
BY the Mahammedan law the succession
of princes is not from father to son IN the
direct liHe, but to the eldest male descend
ant, IN whatever branch Of the family.
This was the order by which, until the
accession of IsmaIl few years ago, the
family of Mohammed Ali relgued. The
succession has been marked with the old
Oriental use OF poison and dagger for the
removal OF one to make room for sue
cessor. We have no space to enumerate
the murders IN Egyptian palaces and else
where. 1t Is wholly out OF the order oil
things for descendant of Mohammed Ali
TO die natural derth. After Ioosoon
Ibrahim and Ismail had disappeared from
the scene Abbas Pasha reigned. Under
him the wise cOUnsels of the founder OF
the family for the good of Egypt began to
give way to the desire of personal wealth
and ACKNOWLEDGEMENT. Abbas was mur-
dered IN his bed by daggers hired by the
family-for these Egyptian murders were
often family affairs, The fat and good
natured Said succeeded. He was the
victim of European plunderers. Easy aud
unsuspicious, he was led TO pay enormous
prices for European steamboats, and sugar
mills and engines, and became the general
object of robbery by English and Frerch
contractors. Ii has never been quite GER
tain. but always suspected, that Said died
of a slow process Of poisoning, leaving
Erypt mortgaged TO Western Europe.
| When Ismail succeeded he desired to
'.Europeanize' Egypt enrich himself and
change the law of succession so that ms
own son aud grandson might succeed
hIm. This latter concession he obtained,
at a high price, from the Sultan. But IN
buyipg it he brought the bitter enmity OF
all other descendants Of Mohamned Ali,
and incurred a'so the opposition OF all
Nohammedans who adhere to the strict
law of the religion. New complications
were thus Introduced into Egyptian
politics >,
IL must be remembered that during al
this time there has been in Egypt a
powerful though silent enmity TO the
whole family of Mohsmmed Ali. That
family is Turkish. The Turks are for
elgners in Arabia and Africa. They are
hated in Egypt as the ancient Egyptians
mated the shepherds Of Asia An Arat
sovereignty would command tentold sup
port In Egypt. The Turkish invader has
sustained lis position by giving offices to
Turks and excluding Arabs as far as pos
sible
The Europeanlzing notions of lsmall
brought about their natural result. Destl-
tute of the sagacity of his illustrious an
cestor Mohammed Ali, who knew just What
European ideas, customs and inventions
were suited to his people. lsmall brought
in low-cass theatres, dance houses and ali
the denominations of French and Italian
seaport towns. The calm of old oriental
cities gave way to midnight orgies lei
wears made a fearful change in Alexandris
and Cairo, and the change was felt as far
m the Nile as MInieh and Es-Slou', anC
even at Souan AID worse than all fol
himself. he borrowed European money
| and found that his plantations and palaces
and crown were in the hands Of European
nawnbrokers. He was dethroned by th'
summary process Of forecloslng a persona
mortgage, and the pawnbrokers have sinc'
been trying to use for their own beneh
the last remams of the power which wa
created seventy years ago by the son OF
Macedonian beggar. 1t has been three'
score years and ten of blood, poison ant
plunder, and it is yet unchanged. But tn
end ought not to be far oil.
Meantime the great population OF Egyp
is a quiet, suffering, silent peasantry
laboring from sunrise TO sunset, an
sleeping from sunset to sunrise, and thi
population has not for all this Tim
: moved hand or foot, or taken any part l
the buying and selling OF Egypt In
reader should always remember that whe
dispatches report the state Of feeling !
Erypt, the action of the 'Notables" tn
excltements of the people, none OF TIL
has reference TO the millions who are th
bone and slnew of Egypt. They hav
never vet risen to assert themselves.
Jehiel Jasper.