Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1882-07-28
The Coming war.


made on Monday in Paris and London were
explicit and satisfactory. Tho French Gov
eminent has virtually decided to allow Eng
land to act alone. 1t may send a forco Of
marines to protect the line of the Suez Canal,
but its operations will be purely defensive.
NJ. de Freycinet stated that the French ma
rines would not take any measures to secure
the safety of the Sweet Water Canal from the
Nile. This is the fresh water supply not only
of Ismailia but of Port Said, aud if any ope-
rations on the line Of the Suez Canal are to
effective, they must include a complete de.
fence Of this channel from the Nile. II is
probable tho marines will be kept on board
ship, and that the vote Of credit for which
the Ministry has asked will be applied almost
exclusively to naval expenditures. The Pre-
mier may not understand the temper of the
French people, but he can apparently count
with confidence upon the support of the Leg
isature. He has chosen the cautious but in
glorious part Of inaction. The defence of the
Suez Canal by the marines will be nominal,
but not effective. England is expected TO do
all the serious work. This result will be hail
ed with satisfaction in London, where the
risks and embarrassments of Joint expedi-
tion are fully appreciated. For military as
well as diplomatic reasons, one agent is better
than two in work Of this sort. The isolation
Of France may not be credtable to her Gov
European interests are concerned.
The two Premiers are in accord on one
point. NJ. de Freycinet states that the Pow
ers have renowned the idea of deputing any
agent to act in Egypt, and Mr. Gladstone re-
feTs only i'll the vaguest way TO the authority
OF the Sultan aud to the moral assent of Eu-
rope. 1t is evident that the work Of the
Conference has practically ended. The Sui
tan will not be allowed another opportunity
TO- he Al
tacitly acquiesce in English Intervention with
out formally sanctioning it. The responsible
ity Of suppressing the military revolt and of
restoring Tewfk's authority devolves upon
Great Britain. vote of credit has been
asked, an increase of the income tax has been
proposed, the reserve has been called out, and
arrangements are rapidly making for the de-
spatch of an army corps Of 25,OOO men for
active operations. This force will apparently
include eighteen battalions of infantry, three
of the guards six regiments Of cavalry, as
many seventeen batteries Of artillery, and
a commissariat reserve.
This army of seasoned men ought to have
no difficulty in dispensing Arabi's forces If an
| engagement can be brought on in an open
field. Egypt will however, be very differ
| ent battle ground from India, where there are
dense MASSES of population and where sup
| plies of food for an invading army can al
ways be secured. With the lower Nile basin
| under water, as it will be in August and Sep
TENDER, the conmissariat will present unusual
difficulties, and the English regiments will
readily fall prey to disease. II their foes
| wisely conclnde to fight like the Arab or the
| Moor rather than to meet them in the field
where artillery will decide every battle, the
campaign may be indefinitely prolonged. But
whatever may be the hazards and difficulties
of the work which lies before England, the
issue has been Joined. Her forces are in mo-
ton her honor is pledged; and her people
unite in pronouncing the war both necessary
and justihable.
This, we think will also be the sober and
deliberate judgment of mankind. Mr.. Glad
| stones speech, delivered after the lombard
| ment of Alexandria, is an unanswerable de-
fence of Englands policy. While European
| Conference was striving TO induce the Sultan
to suppress military despotism in Europe, and
| by reinstating Tewfik in authority to secure
the safety of tho short water way to the East,
there was AN atrocious massacre of foreigners
| in Alexandria. Whether Arab was or was
not responsible for that massacre, it was the
duty of the British Admiral to keep his feet
in the harbor and to protect not only those
residents of his own nationality who remain
ed on Shore but the Viceroy, who had been
| loyal to his engagements with Europe When
the safety of that feet was menaced, he was
| justified In battering down the earthworks in
self-defence. When the city was burned and
pillaged, it was his duty to land his marines,
to rescue the Viceroy, and to restore order in
the blackened and bloodstained streets FL
nAlly the Government is acting wholly with
in its rights as a member of the European
State system when, perceiving the unwilling
ness of the Sultan to assert his authority, 1t
takes effective measures to put an end to the
reign of military violence in Egypt-the rule
of soldier mob led by officers who have been
bribed by an Arabian adventurer-a state of
anarchy and suspense which has not only
brought ruin upon thousands of foreign resi-
dents and pauperism and misery upon the
entire native population, but has also menaced
tho commercial interests of the world. It is
not lingo craze. 1t is not bondholders'
war. Rngland's diplomatic negotiations will
bear, we think, the closest scrutiny, and her
course throughout the present crisis can be
justified on the highest moral grounds Her
troops are departing on an errand of mercy to
the Egyptian people-on a mission of inexo-
rable justice sanctioned not only by enlight-
ened self-interest but by the interests of civil
lization.