Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1883-01-01

| Egyptian regime has never been one in which the
rights Of the people recognized, and unless
European capitalists made to understand that |
there could be pressure put upon the Khedive who
borrowed it is difficult to see how repetition of the
old dismal round of extravaganza and embarrass-
ment could be avoided. In fact, to save the |
Egyptian people from being plundered, wholly ire
spec,ve of the question of fereign loans foreign n
terventon is necessary and unless the country is |
to be permitted to drift back into its old helpless
and oppressed condition, England must maintain
practical protectorate over 1t for some time to !
come. 1t is land OF great possibilities, and has
most industrious, frugal and contented population.
With wise and honest administration its present |
revenue Of $50 COO 900 could doubt be greatly in
creased and this without adding in any way to the
burdens Of taxation.
CENTRAL AFRICA.
| Several currents Of exploration have been flowing |
through Central Africa but with the exception of De
Brazzias vainglorious and boufe annexation o, the
Congo, very little has been accomplished The
country is vast thickly peoped FERTILE and capable
of great things. But the condition of the various
tribes that inhabt it, and their relations with one
another render any development Of Central African
resources very uphill work. The slave trade has
done most OF the mischief 1t has set tribe against
tribe, created jealousy and suspicion, fostered
cruelty and savagery, and what is organized
powerful opposition to every civilizing movement.
The Systematic Efforts of experienced men like Sir
Samuel Baker and Colonel Gordon to break up the
slave trade, and the elasticity with which that
traffic renewed itself every time alter the vigilance
of the white man hal been withdrawn, together
with the almost absolute control exercised at
Cairo by the Arab slave dealers and their agents,
long ago convinced the keenest observers that it
would be hopeless to attempt any great movement
of civilization in that region until Egypt itself has
been taken from under the dominion of the
vena and constituencies elass of officials who have
until now ruled and ruined it. In the Soudan
False Prophet appeared about the middle Of
the year, and was followed by some cannibIl
and other tribes from Uganda and the
neighboring countries At one time it was feared |
that the False Pro- het had captured Khartoum, but
the latest advices represent him as having been
beaten of f;on that place. and as having been gen.
orally checked in his advance. great deal has
TO be done before Central Affca thrown
open. One Of the most formidable obstacles to its
exploration at present is the system OF blackmail
which has been established among the petty chiefs
who swarm through the country, and which sys |
tem the slave-dealers are said to have invented |
as protection to themselves. 1t has now, how
ever, become a means of preventing travel, and 1t
is very difficult to deal with Another serious diff
Guilty is the continual blockades OF the various
branches of the Nile by enormous masses OF vege-
tation 1t is quite possible that effect of these
blockades is to preserve the river from evaporation
during its passage through level and deforested re-
gions but it is the less fact that the phenom
enon renders navigation often impossible, and that
no considerable commerce can be carried On through
the natural waterways oi the country while it con-
tinues
SOUTH AMERICA.
The war between Chile and Peru which continued
up to the close Of the last year. ended in the total
exhaustion OF Peru. TIL United States made some
efforts to induce Chile TO refrain from imposing
terms upon her adversary, but without success
The Chilean Government insisted upon terms which
it absolutely impossible for Peru to fulfill, ard
which Peruvian Government could possibly have
accepted. In fact Peruvian Government could
be got to accept them, though Chile attempted
to create Governments for that purpose The con.
sequence las been that Chile has been obliged to
occupy the conquered country all the year. ard that
she herself has incurred liabilities which she is by
no means able 20 meet The obstinacy aud rapacity |
of the Chileans have bafled themselves, and |
unless they are prepared to undertake the |
incorporation of the whole of Peru it is evil |
dent that they must at distant date leave the |
country to ITSELF at present Peru has no settled |
Government, and in fact has gone to anarchy. |
1t is claimed that this is the result of the Chilean
occupation, but the indications are that the veneer
Of Peruvian civilization very thin and that it |
| has been broken through by the sharp shocks Of |
war. Unless energetic measures taken
it probable that the greater part of the
Peruvians will relapse into the condition OF savages
and that their civilization will all have to be begun
anew. Brazil has during the past year not been
making much prog: ess. There is ground for believ
ing that the capacity of the Braziiaus for the recep
ton OF modern ideas was a few years ago much ex
aggerated, and that the supposed mission of Dom |
Pedro was good deal in the air At all events |
Brazil has remained comparatively stationary dur
ing the past four or five years, and in some regards
may even be said to have gone slightly backwards
MEXICO.
Our next door neighbor, Mexico, has of late been
bordering the advantages of railroads and reci- |
procity treaties but without yet becoming quite
converted to either The present state of the fiscal
laws in Mexico is certainly nimicaI to intercourse
between the countries, seeing that they have
Custom houses and different tariffs at the frontiers
of every State, the general effect being that the
farther into the country goods carried tine more
duties they have to pay. OF this constitutes
very serious discrimination against all the inhab-
tants of the interior In fact it is precise parale
to the system which at this moment is preventing |
commerce and exploration in Central Africa. 1t |
would seem that the Mexican Congress ought to see
| ~
in Mexico, as elsewhere, there is a party which
argues that foreign intercourse brings harm instead
Of good, and that the Government ought therefore
to put many obstacles possible in its path To
the Arguments of this school added those of that
| large element which views every American move
ment towards Mexico with sharp suspicion and |
which finds covert scheme OF annexation in every
enterprise. These people say that the present eff.
forts to introduce American capital and enterprise
and trade being made for no other purpose than
to facilitate the seizure of the country that in fact
the railroad builders only be regarded as a sort
of advanced guard of the army OF occupation.
Again, there is the national spirit which is capable
of being very fierce, and which views with jealousy
all foreign encroachments and cannot be got to be-
leve that railroads will improve the country. All
these influences Of course tell upon the politicians
|
tendency of things is nevertheless towards Mexican
development, and it cannot be doubted that the
movement viii establish itself in the future.
CHINA.
| China pursues the terror Of her way, little |
moved by external pressure, allowing herself
to be hurried, vie ding some kind OF hybrid gov
eminent over the most enormous population on the |
globe, despising Western civilization, practicng |
civil service reform, and despite all that has been
said to the contrary showing very little inclination
] to change any of her customs and habits She has,
it is true, partially adopted modern arms of pre- |
cision, and she has bought ironcads and gunboats |
abroad. But her naval strength is stilleo little in
creased that she is suffering under the inroads Of
pirate who has held the seas against the Govern
ment for five years, who continues to plumber her
commerce and kill her merchants, and who has thus
| far laughed to scorn every expedition sent against
| him. During the past year China has arranged her
difficulties with Japan and with Corea, and has got
| into more serious one with France about Tongkng
| The French resolved to open up the navigation
OF the Red River, and to establish protectOrate