New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-08-07
TURKEY IN DIFFICULTIES.
THE SULTAN'S FUTILE ATTEMPT TO RIDE
TWO HORSES AT ONCE.

lrRoM AN OCCASIONAL CORRESPONDENT OF THE rRrBUSE.f
CoNsTANTINOPLE, July 2O.--The recent expert
ences of the Turkish Government have added TO
the existing records new illustration of the diff
Guilty of riding two horses at one time THIS feat,
if the rider is broad in the beam and the horses
are donkeys, requires great calmness Of mind both
in rider and in the beasts upon which he rests Let
that mental poise be broken and the rider finds him.
self in a heap at once. The Turkish policy of doing
nothing was he condition by which the Govern
ment expected to succeed In guiding both Arabi
and the Khcdise of Egypt Given time
enough, it stood a fair chance of avoid
ing outbreaks the part of either
and OF consolidating grip upon both which would
one day enable 1t to control Egyptian affairs to suit
itself Given time enough, it would oe able TO place
Eng land, or any other interfering power, in the
dilemma of having TO accept the disagreeable or of
having to interfere with accomplished facts. In
the one case the prestige of England would be ru-
ined in the East; in the other the action of Eng
land would probably be checked by the protests Of
Europe. so the Turkish papers of the city painted
In glowing coors the happy solution of all difficult
ties in Egypt. The KhedIve, the representative OF
the status quo ante aud Arab Pacha the represent
ative of the revolution, had shaken hands
again under the shadow of the Sultan, and
all causes of anxiety were removed. The papers
began to camOr for the removal Of the fleets, and
even went so far as to say that the Europeans were
fleeing from Egypt under causeless panic, or else
with wilful purpose to create trouble where mono
existed. The Government would not send troops
to Egypt-there was no need. The Conference Of
the Powers might disband and acknowledge itself
to have been foolish attempt 10 scare the i'm
mutsble forces OF Islam. The people even began To
eer at the military preparations OF England as
mere swagger. They expressed endless regrets that
with panic at the mere sound of the feet Of Euro
pean soldiers. 1.-The English are trying to frighten
us by making great tramping of feet" they said,
but no Englishman will dare to fire upon the forts
of Alexandria"
The decision Of the English Government TO insist
upon the stoppage of work the Notifications OF
Alexandria was masterpiece of strategy. It
forced the hand of the Porte, by bringing to light
the inevitable antagonism between the khedive
and Arab. 1t was, so to speak, the lash unkindly
applied to the two donkeys at the very moment
when their rider most needed the continuance of
reposeful attitude. In moment Arabi was re-
vealed as rebel against his lawful MASTER the khe-
dive. The Sultan now has no choice but TO aban-
don ArabI or to abandon the attitude hitherto
taken before Europe, of supporting the khedive.
The news of the ultimatum of Admiral Seymour
produced something very like CONSERVATION in OFF,
cial circles here. Recourse had to all the for
eIgn Ambassadors in town, and especially TO
General Wallace, in hope of finding some escape
through mediation. 1t was even proposed to try
the effect of an autograph letter from the sultan TO
Queen Victoria as means of deferring the crisis
for which Turkey was not yet ready. With the
first shot from the English feet at Alexandria, tho
laborious efforts OF the past SIX months came TO
nought, and the Grand VZier who was so unhappy
as TO have failed to restrain the English fleet was
ANONYMOUSLY dismissed.
said Pacha, the new Grand Vizier, is man OF
great experience and ability. He 1t was who pi-
loted the Turkish administration through tue Du-
cignO difficulty and the Greek frontier difficulty.
He has more sense of the true relation OF his
try to Europe than his predecessor. What he will
do remains 10 be But the most that he hops
for Is to save what he can from the rum of the
Turkish hopes | am told that said Pacha will sim.
ply decline TO send troops 10 Egypt, aad VIII wae
to see what England VIII do with her problem.
Meanwhile tue Egyptian difficulty has raised
host of new difficulties wnIcn begin TO loom III the
politics OF Turkey. There are literally mutltudes
of people VINO day anu night crave general war,
because II Will, they thlnk, give theln the cance 10
repeat throughout the Empire the bloody exploits
of Arab Pachas sayages, ana this rs an eXpiatory
work for Islam. We need to clean up the coun-
tryn is the prevailing sentiment, and the statement
of It is accompanied Oy very expressive gesture Oh
the hand, as slasbing corn-stalks. IIe people arc
impatient of the SuIJans InactlOn against the en-
croaching iniidels Last Friday. as the sultan was
going 10 mosque an army officer called out 10 hlIns
" My king, the time Tor action mas come; wake up.
be man ~ OF course he was instantly seized aud
senced but the incident speaks for mass Of the
population The people look rather askance at their
sovereign anu ask why he has done nothing 10 drlva
English ships iroIn Turkish waters Seeing that he
does nothing, they once more qHerylng whether
Arabi Pacha is not perhaps the oahiD khourouI,
tine man VINO Is to throw OF his allegiance TO
the Caiph, aud is 10 reform the Mosiein
world with the sword If Arab Pacha
is this great and divine messenger say the people, 1t
may pe our duty tO rise Ell Lnasse 10 nelp him. Ihe
sniIenne.s ol demeanor toward foreigners Is very
marked and dark whIsperlngs 20 on TeiL.ing "
necessIty Tor prompt and decisive action TO save
Islam rom what Is called Gadstones new crusade.
There /, no Immediate danger 10 foreigners IN the
emnire az large, but the growing fanatclsm OF tho
peope B an explosive element winch a"aits only
emergency " show IGSelf 10 ah0rror-sIlcken
world In view OF this fact cannot De entirely
composed in watching the conduct oI the Moslems.
you ant oDposlte a Turk on tho horsc-caIs and you
notice thc glare of his eye as he uxes III upon Your
face You are forced To reflect that the man 10 con-
acentiousiy revolving III his own mud the question
whether MS duy 10 COD does not compel hiiu WHAT
ever other men may DO, to cut your throat Tor tho
sake OF Gods glory.
The Egyptian difficulty if quickly removed from
the arena may not lead 10 troubles III the En-
plre at large. But If its unsettled phrase dfdgs out
a long existence, 1t must inevitably involve w