The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1884-02-21
UNITING THE BELIEVERS II
ISLAM.

| CNl11N he DELI Il Ihio l.
ISLAM.
THE condition of affairs in Egyp
is any thing but pleasing to English
people. For the qualification of few
bond-holders the government inter
fered between the Khedive and Arabi
and enforced submission to the for
mer, when, had Arab succeeded, il
would have made with him such
financial arrangements, as the bond
holders demanded, and permanent
peace and the most friendly inter.
course between Mohammedan powers
could have assured. AS it is
the cause, first supported by Arab
has been espoused by Ell Madhi, a most
powerful leader and aspirant to the
sacred Caliphate at Mecca, which il
the hereditary ana traditional right OF
the family to which he claims to be,
long. Besides this, prophecy of Mo.
hammed leads to recognition by Mo
hammedans of Ell Mahdi as the divine.
ly appointed agent for uniting Mo-
hamedan races. 1t is said
the great apostle of Islam
named man with an arm shorter
than the other as the instrument
through which the unification of the
Moslem races was to take place. His
enemies call him the "false prophet,
and they say that to make the ide
tication as the prophesied leader more
certain he has himself cut off portion
of one of his hands. Be this as it may,
Ell Mahdi has developed wonderful
power and his influence over Moham-
medan tribes is absolutely wonderful.
They stand ready to be led by
him through holy death for
Islam to a seat beside Allah. That
England took dangerous step and
that she still steps dangerously, may
be understood more fully when it is
stated that in Asia she has over thirty
millions f Mohammedan subjects
who will, if occasion permit, adhere
to the traditions Of their faith, instead
of to the British throne. They believe
in "God and His Prophet" and they
hate English rule, and would be
in arms against England on the mer-
est pretense. Already the spirit of
religious enthusiasm spreads at the
success of Ell Mahdi. The destruc-
tion of Hicks Pasha and his army
caused the world to look in wonder
towards the plains of Soudan, and
now that the second army of vindica-
tion under Baker Pasha has been de-
stroyed, every Mohammedan heart
beats with eager anticipations of a
glorious end. The gloomy forebod-
ings of Gen. Gordon, uttered before
he had any idea of accepting his pres
ent perilous mission to Khartoum, and
when the news had reached him of
the destruction of Gen. Hicks and his
army have been accurately fulfilled.
Knowing more about the Soudan than
any other European, and having an
influence and a prestige with its wild
tribes only surpassed by the power
OF the Mahdi himself, his opin-
ions had significance which
is now only too fully appar-
ent. The defeat and massacre
of an Egyptian army commanded by
British officers was fatal blow to
British prestige among a people who
were only too quick to ascribe to it
the proportions of the annihilation of
an entire British army. Gen. Gordon
pointed out that the expedition was
hopeless, that Gen. Hicks handful of
an army would be powerless against
the fanatical hordes flocking to the
standard of Ell Mahdi, and that a dis
aster to British supremacy was inevi-
table. No lessons appear to have
been learned from either the warning
or the catastrophe, and it is believed
the commission given to Baker Pasha
could have been but an expedient to
gain time until the English cabinet
should decide whether to assume the
full responsibility of the situation in
the Soudan or to retire in favor of the
Porte. and, while celebrating, await
the chance of a favorable turn in af-
fairs ensuing from the extraordinary
mission undertaken by Gen. Gordon.
The massacre at Sinkat has added fuel
IL
breasts. Should Gordon meet with
the fate of those who have advanced
before him, England will have wholly
lost the confidence and respect of the
world in these Egyptian affairs, and
Ell Mahdl will find himself in a condi-
tion not only to reYolutionize
Northern Africa, but to threaten the
peace of Asia.