New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-10-01
TOPICS IN STAMBOUL.
HOW ARABI WAS OUTLAwED--oBE
LAHS ESCAPE

w. " o.
During the first three days OF this week the Noslon
population of the city has been subjected 10 pe.fsci
hurricane of conflicting emotions. Saturday nigit,
manuscript copies OF telegram said TO have been
received In cipher from Egypt by the French Lega-
| tion were passed about among the people. The
telegram contained great news Arabi Pacba
| had destroyed the English army. sir Garnet
Wolseley and six other generals 25,Oo0 infantry.
six regiments of cavalry, seventy-two pieces Of
artillery and an immense quantity OF stores werc
| the prizes stated to have been gathered mp after
the battle by the victorious Egyptirns. The whole
| Moslem part OF the city was at once astir. Men
congratulated each other az If they bad suddenly
| become residuary legatees to Queen Victoria's
estates. Crowds thrOnged the co1ee-shops, compar.
ing notes and surmisins how tins great feat OF
had been accomplished Sunday morning the news.
papers very late in appearing, and when they
did come ont contained only advertisements and
moral reflections upon such subjects as the ciylizs'
ton OF the South Sea Islands or the failure Of
mOnogamy in Christian lands. Tpen IL became
known that the police had seized and destroyed he
whole edition or the Vaklt and the Jerids I RGrads
nc newspapers. containing details of the battle This
people felt outraged, but found some consolation IN
reading aud rereading the precious slips OF the pre-
vIous night, aud IN making forecasts of the ablect
condition into which foreigners woald now fall as
the natural consequence Of this unexpected sette-
ment Of the Egyptian question Monday morning
and tuesday morning tie papers, while continuing
their improving moral essays, contained not word
about either Egypt or England. Then lt came out
the Government had directed editors TO refrain
from mentioning Egyptian affairs, All Turks at
| once interpreted this order TO mean that Lord
Duferin had induced the Porte to suppress news 80
disastrous to English prestige. Ttat the capture OF
| the English army was q fact seemed to
doubt. Or If anyone seemed to doubt, or dared 10
suggest that such victory would not end the war.
| he silenced with curses and blows. The per-
sisteuce OF these stories began TO convince for
eigners that great disaster had occurred, who
the absence of official information BETRAYED tho.
Turks into believing every variety OF rumor 1t
was said that Arab had telegraphed TO the Porte
describing how he had cut the dykes of the Nile IN
front OF the English army while be had outnsnkod
and captured tue whole force thus bemined IN.
Army officers explained to the people how easily
this might be done. 1t said that the Sultan had
paid one thousand dollars to the lucky man who
first brought him the news. As time went on tho
story gathered volume. The whole English neeG
had been captured the Suez Canal had been hlled
up; the Government had sent tugs to Egypt to
bring up the captured English ironclads; aud
preparations were being made to hang Admiral
Seymour as he should arrive. Meantime
enterprising printers got out hideous portrait OF
streets at two cents copy. Most Turks put on
| patronning airs toward foreigners In their good
humor and advised them to take warning from ths
| lessons of this defeat aud avoid meddns with
affairs of the great Moslem people.
Such was the situation on Tuesday eyening-thos
city at high pitch of enthusiasm and only craving
the official publication of details which would
| silence those who hinted that the French Embassy
| had requested the Porte to deny that this famous
| telegram had issued from French sources. As
| about III o'clock that night the eagerly expectant
burghers were electrified by the rush Of messengers
through the streets yelling Iavev extra at the
top of their by means delicate voices. There
was general rush into the streets In the Moslem
quarters Of the city, old and young. rich aud poor.
clad III the neat but not 2audy attire OF the couch,
rushed forth to buy the extras. Then they sat
them down their doorsteps to read by the ilcker-
ing light of candles the confirmation of the news OF
the triumph OF Arab and Islam Mon whose hands
trembed with excitement spelled through the hrst
few lines of Arabic characters and then lifted up
their voices and cursed with volubilIty. They
began far back IN their curses, too sparng not the
great grandfather, even. of His Majesty. The
extra flor which tbe.city had been roused from its
slumbers aud which had been bought with hard
earned pence dlsenchanted the city by destroying
It's air-castles IL VAS proclamation from the
Sultan declaring Arab to be rebel, aud rehearsing
events as far back the bombardment OF Aiexai-
dria order to justify that aud oil other acts OK
{" our old friend tie English Nation The bubble
had burst and tho terrible suddeuness of tho
transit from content and selfgrstulation to disap-
pointment and humiliation would have becn
pathetic had it not been so ludicrous am not sura
that as it was there nothing pathetic in the
helpless submission to events displayed by ths
people, Next morning the climax of grief and rage
hv fh4i issua of
the Bureau of the Press, which informed the public
that the famous telegram of victory lie, roos
and branch aud that il was such lie, moreover. az
anyone with half his ought to have detected
at once.
The trne inwardness of the career OF this tremet-
dous hoax is barring possible something on
this wise: The Government after dallying FOR TIL -
weeks with the question of committing ITSELF To ~
English policy had been Informed that SIT Garner
Woseley was now ready to advance, aud that hs
advance would end the time for further negotiation
as TO the participation of Turkey in Egyptian
affairs The great obstacles to the signature OF ths
military convention with England were tho oh.
stinacy of England in demanding that Arsb should
first be proclaimed rebel. and the equal obstinscy
OF the Moslem religious doctors OF this city la insist
ing that since the Government had once seemed TO
favor Arabis enterprise he could not now be absn-
doned to the English Under the pressure Of eyents
the Ministers had called great council OF tho
Ulema or religious doctors to meet at the palace -
Sunday afternoon. IL was intended to make ens
last attempt to persuade them 10 agree 10 The potsy
of the Ministry. The Grand Nzicr. II was ssids
| would resign if the English convention was dnaly
rejected. In order to make 1t impossible for tbis
meeting OF the Uema 10 listen 10 the Ministry. no
! false telegram was hastily gotten up on oaturey
| evening by the opponents of the English alliance.
| The end was partly secured by the circulation %
the manuscript slips. The seizure by the police ~
| the Sunday newspapers however, deprived the
| L. u.hirh innnI ant miId2