The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1882-07-15
THE EASTERN QUESTION.

It's origin anu tne idCtS surrounding IL, Dut
there seems to be a great Ignorance and a
multiplicity Of views thereon. together
with q general desire to know all about it.
What the exact relation between Egypt
and Turkey, who and what the khedive,
pashas, etc., and what is the real origin OF
the difficulty at present existing, are ques-
tions about which there seems to be wide
difference of opinion and very little
positive information, although general
desire exists for news. In the first
place, Egypt is dependency of Tur'
, Key, not direct province or portion
of the empire, as Asia Minor or Palestine
but tributary state, under the general
control of the sultan and ruled by khe.
dive. This last Office is hereditary, but the
superior sovereignty of the sultan is admit
ted. Egypt pays tribute to the porte and is
bound to furnish a contingent of soldiers
amounting to ten or twenty thousand men
to Turkey in case Of war. Some thirteen
years ago, in 1869, the Suez canal was open.
ed by DeLesseps, Egypt holding large
amounts of stock therein. In 1873 she sold
to Great Britain III 900 slMres OF
canal stock for $20,000,t,) and the
condition of the finances being hope
lessly involved they were placed
in the management Of European commits
soners to secure the obligations Egypt had
assumed with reference to this canal stock.
Ere long it was announced that the khe-
dive had accepted the European system of
constitutional government, and q reformed
administration was created, but summarily
dismissed in 1879 by the same khedive, Is
NAIL. The European powers interferred
and IsMAIL was deposed and the present
ruler, TEwFIK, was made viceroy of Egypt.
The governors of Egypt have been known
az pashas, which term indeed signifies
rulers and is applied to provincial govern
ors and military commanders. There
are three grades Of pasha, answer
ing to our word general and its grades
or ranks. The khedive is the old
hereditary title of Egyptian rulers and
IsMAlL PAsuA obtained permission from the
sultan to assume it in 1866. The national
debt of the country is nearly 5000 W,C 20,
spent principally in recent improvements,
and the khedive's personal Indebtedness
three or four years ago amounted to over
$40, OC ),0C0. One of the cabinet officers OF
TEwFIK was ARAB BEY, minister of war.
The real cause of this trouble with the khe-
dive, briefly, as detailed by Cairo cores
dent, was TEwFIK s refusal to confirm upon
| fifty officers the sentence of a court-martial
banishing them for an alleged conspiracy
against ARAB. The minister was en-
ragged, misunderstanding increased,
and ARABI was asked to re-
ign, which he did. A great
howl was raised by the army for his rein
statement, as the cunning minister had led
the people to believe that he was deposed
through European influence and demands,
working upon the national sentiment to re-
gain power--the complications thus spring
ing directly from AEABI's ambition. The
pressure was so great, and excitement ran
so high, the khedive was compelled to reap
point the popular minister, who then began
to lord it over both the khedive and Euro
pcans, until the idea, encouraged by AnNnT,
took possession of the country that they
would throw Off the European control en-
tirely and manage their own finances and
affairs. Then came the dreadful ma
sacre of Alexandria, q month since, when
the NEST frightful scenes were enacted, and
the gauntlet thrown down to Europe. AT
once to protect their capital and their sub
jects, England and France sent down their
ships of war with the results so far with
which all are familiar. This is briefly the
origin of the trouble and the various facts
surrounding it. All, so far as the army and
Egyptian population are concerned, is in
| the hands OF ARAB BEY, but what the
final outcome may be it is hard yet to
determine. In n contest with Euro.
pcan power, and particularly England
Egypt could not long, of course, hold out
but by fleeing to the deserts her armies
might prolong the difficulty indefinitely
Then the season of the year is very disas-
trous to Europeans, and thousands of the
invaders would certainly perish. Tn,
chief danger is the cutting OF the canal. II
is l26 miles long, some so feet wide and .,
feet deep, and II is extremely difficult il
peace to keep the. sands of the desert from
destroying it, and to cut it any
where would DO but q tritling work
and would occasion great loss o
time and money to repair. The powers
have at last spoken, however, and til,
Turks will probably, if no other inter
national complications arise, soon dispers,
the Egyptian forces and restore order
While the hatred against the European,
will be bitter for some time, their powc,
and influence in the east will undoubtedly
be greatly enhanced and the ultimate re-
suits will be infinitely better for both Flu
rope and the east. This is the eastern
question as briefly as we can put 1t,
Tue loss In the unfortunate affair ut Tex
arkana IL probably greater than was at frs