The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1883-11-24
scsxr or THE parrt.x.

1 I'll Obeiu, Tue capital, " about 100 miles
west OF the White Nile, and Is a city built
like all African towns Of its size In the Mo-
hammedan belt, with mud-houses, narrow
streets, profusion OF mosques, citadel,
bazaar. and Mouderieh Governors
house,. This Is one OF the most immoral
OF all the African towns, and frequently q
prey to fearful pestiences caused by the
passage OF slave caravans bound for Lower
Egypt. Never in the days when Sir Samuel
Baker and "Chinescv Gordon had the
slave trade under the most vigorous espi-
onage did FL Obeid fail TO be a flourishing
slaye-mart and the rendezvous OF the vari-
Gus caravans, which were obliged 10 sneak
past Khartoum TO westward Of the Nile.
From the capital Of kordofan TO Khartoum
a troop OF fleet dromedaries could make
the distance in eight days, although the or
binary caravan time is seventeen.
THE SITUATION NOW.
! Speaking with thorough knowledge
OF this country, IL may be said authorita-
lively that but one course remains open to
the Egyptian troops, or such OF them as
survive, and that Is precipitate flight and
an effort 10 escape into Abyssinia. Unless
sufficient fighting force remain to
beat an orderly retreat to Khartoum,
and try to escape by way OF Sua-
kin, the command OF Hicks Pasha
is in a terrible plight They are literally
surrounded by an exultant enemy on all
sides. lie mistakes the Arab native who
supposes that this victory will not make
deep and lasting impression-one calcu-
lated TO fire his war spirit and make him
take up the cry. "0n TO Cairo !" Among
nearly all of the tribes OF the Egyptian
soudan the law OF blood-revenge-is
acknowledged, and il never dies and never
waivers from generation to generation.
! And IL is probable, too-as il has happened
beiore-that even the resident Egyptians
and Turks will Join IN the hurrah 10 save
their own lives and property.
IBy cable to the Dispatch.
| LONDON, November pa Cairo dis
patch to the Reuters Telegraph Company
says: The Egyptian Government fayors
the sending OF a strong force to Khartoum
for the purpose Of opening road between
Suakin and Bcrber. and thus maintaining
communication with Khartoum. Edmund
O'DOnnovan, correspondent OF the Daily
Ne,cS, recently wrote n private letter in
which he said he had sad misgivings as to
the resalt Of the Soudan expedition.
OPINIONS OF THE LONDON PREss-ENGLAND
TO THE RESCUE.
LONDON, November 23.-The Daily
Ne,oS. in its leading editorial, discussing
! EGYPTIAN affairs, insists that the Khedive
must surrender the idea Of attempting to
reach FL Obeic, or OF pursuing an aggres-
siye conflict with FL Mahdi. and says the
game OF conquest in Central Africa is not
worth either the great pecuniary cost or
the terrible risk 10 human life involved.
| The Morning Post says: We are struck
with amazement ut the singular short
sightedneSs and want Of prescience exhi-
bited by her Majesty's Government in
wishing to withdraw the British troops
from Egypt at such juncture.
The Standard submits that il is quite
clear that this is no time TO withdraw troops
from Egypt.
The Daily Telegraph thinks that British
military prestige alone can arrest the pro-
gress OF I'll Mahdi's arms.
| The Times saws: We cannot believe that
Mr.. Gladstone will fully. blindly persist in
weakening the small British force now in
Egypt. The broad highway OF the Nile
| Valley is now open TO the victorious fana-
tics. What is there to prevent the garri-
sons and the populations at the advanced
posts from yielding TO the temptations OF
| FL Mahdi? Mr.. Gladstone and his coll
leagues must understand that England will
hold them answerable il by further errors
Of judgment Egypt is allowed to relapse
into anarchy, aggravated by the passions
OF religious fanaticism and the maddening
influence OF invasion by the barbarians OF
the interior Of Africa.