Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1883-05-24
Political sentiment in Egrpt.
From Report to the British Government b
Villiers Stuart, NJ. Z. $50.

From a Report to the British Government by
Villiers Stuart, NJ. Z. --..a Lat
| have not been able 10 discover i'm
Upper Egypt any trace whatever of Ma
tionalism. Arab did not attempt to
appeal here To any such sentiment; it
would not have been understood, but as
the lever presented TO him in the Delta
by domestic debt was not so potent mere
Christian usurers being comparative
ly few-he appealed to their fanaticsm
rs Mussulmans, and ut last succeeded in
arousing it TO some extent. The large
CopGc Christian element in Upper Egypt
presented butt at which IL could be
directed, all the more readily because
they are the most thriving, prosperous
and moneyed class in the community;
they are numerous in all the provincial
towns, and are also found in the viii
lagos. The anti-Christian agitation or
ganized by Arab was fast ripening at
the time of his defeat, and had the re-
bellion lasted another fortnight there
would have been general massacre Of
the Copts. England saved them from
this, and they are profoundly grateful;
there is not a Copt in Upper Egypt-who
does not pray that English rule may con-
time. The Mahometans say that Arab
told them that the English were coming
TO destroy their religion and to take
away their property and that he was
their champion, and they believed him,
but now they are undeceiyed and they
regard him rs an mpostor. The Copts
are jealous partisans of the English, the
Mahometans have relapsed into indifler-
ence. 1t is imagined in England that
the nominal sovereignty of the Sultan is
regarded here with religious generation.
L have found, however, that the great
majority of the fellahs, cultivators and
owners of the soil are absolutely igno-
rant of the very existence of such a per-
sonage rs the Sultan. They do not look
beyond the Khedive, and the more ignor-
ant of them in the remote provinces
scarcely look beyond the Mudir of their
provinces; i'm him is embodied their idea
of government. The subject of politics
is new and foreign TO them; they do not
embark willingly on it, and their usual
conclusion is To the effect that they do
not care how or by whom they are gov
erned, provided they arc well governed
l have already said that there is not a
trace of any national movement or as
piration. Even the notables, when ques-
toned, say that that cry was limited to
the military party, and did not take root
outside except among persons of the
student class at Cairo and Alexandria.
In the Delta Arab availed himself of
the domestic debt grievance, which he
artfully Intervene with their religious
anthipathics to impart motive power To
his enterprise. In Upper Egypt he APP
pealed almost exclusively to their relg-
ious prejudices, aud awaited himself of
the jealousies and antipatbies that exist
there between the Mafometans and the
Copts; he proclaimed war of religion.
butthere, too, there was prize in view,
viz, the property of the Copts. which
after the massacre would have fallen To
the Mahometans. The people here have
been very outspoken; they have not at
tempted TO deny that they wished Arab
success, but that was not till after he
had proclaimed the religious war; then
they said it was their duty as good Mus
sumans TO do so. Now they declare
that they are undeceived and perceive
him TO have been an impostor; there is
no sympathy whatever for him now;
they expect reform from the English.
and are willing TO welcome them i'm
Upper Egypt rs in the Delta.