The Russellville Democrat., 1882-07-20
The Origin of the Trouble in
 Egypt.
\. 0. 1'imes-D Democrat.

The causes Which nave brought about the trouble in Egypt, although generally pretty clearly understood, will bear brief recapItulation just now. Egypt is dependency of Turkey, and as such forms part and parcel of the Ottoman Empire. To both Great Britain and France the empire is almost hopelessly in debt. To secure part of this indebtedness, it was mutually agreed that an An glo. French commission should take in charge the finances of Egypt. and after deducting therefrom S5,000, ,000 annually -$3, 750,000 of which for Great Britain, the balance for France should turn the surplus over to the national need. The presence of the British and French comptrollers, as well as of the scores of their com patriots who have in some way or another worked themselves into DO. sitions of permanence in Egypt has increased the innate hatred for the Christian by the Moslem to Q frenzy which culminated in the late rioting at Cairo and Alexandra. Arabi Bey, Minister of War, is the public embodiment of the popular feeling, and is doing his utmost to free his country from all connection with the Christian. The Sultan and his agent in Egypt, the Khediye, are, however, so completely under the control of their creditors as to make it very difficult for them to act in accord ance with Arabi Hence another feature of the difficulty. Europe is steadfast in her demands for order, and security to the Christian of life and property in Egypt These de- mands will be enforced.
 Meanwhile, another complication, which first manifested itself in 1850, in the person of the elder son of one Sidl Mohammed -Sennoussi. It concerns the Moslem rather than the Christian, In the sacred writ ings of Islam occurs the following prophecy: "On the first month of Moharrem, in the year of tue Hegira 1900 November F, 1S82), will ap pear Fl Mehdi, or the Messiah. He will be exactly forty years of age: Of noble bearing; one arm will be long CT than the other; his fathers name will be Mohammed, his mother s Fauna; and he Will be hidden for & time prior to his manifestation. !" The person who fulflls the require ments of this prophecy is the Sen noussi referred to,
 Sennoussi declares God has con fided to him three duties
 l. To propagate the most austore principles of Islam.
 }. To wage war &galnst the con tamination of Islam by contact with the Christian.
 3. To punish the Turkish govern ment for adopting European cos tunes and copying European insti. lutions.
 No fewer than TOO Zaoyia, or sub ordinate places of worship, have been established In Egypt and Ara bia for the preaching of these teach ings; and emissaries from Sen noussi have expounded them person ally to the Shirkul-Islam and the Ulemas of Constantinople-the chef and priests of the Moslem faith. That these teachings have been greedily imbibed by the irrcconcila- ble Arabi Bey admits of no doubt. He has already gone so far as to call himself Fl Medhi, although he does not fulfill the requirements made by the sacred writings in connection with the Messiah.
 In dealing with the affairs of the Turkish empire we are apt to make insufficient allowance for this great intestine commotion going on among the faithful" Turkish rule in Stamboul, for aught that Europe is concerned, may hang on as tena- ciously as did Byzantine rule in the Constantlnople of 400 years ago. It will be to an internal strife of the nature Of the one now being waged within it's borders, quite as much as to any aggressive action on the part of Europe, that the collapse of the Ottoman empire will be due. Still its present resistance to the decrees of Europe will not tend toward lepgthening the days of it's pilgrim age. With foes inside as well as outside it's fold, Islam is in a verg unhappy condition just now.