New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1884-02-24
PARIS TOPICS.
ABUSE OF GORDON-sIR SAMUEL BAKER
CLEMENCEAU.

PARfs, February 3.
Events in Egypt and the Soudan are followed
here with deep but not intelligent noble inter-
est. The party which egged ON Arab 10 revolt,
in their profound ignorsnce-tO quote again Nabar
Pacha-of the sleeping black giants Of no Upper
Nile district, now cry ont that all the mischief
arises from their advice not being taken. Their
organs try to dispel the halo which surrounds Cor
don. Last night and the night before they tried
10 write him down as a fanatical oppressOr Of tho
SoudaBese blacks, a harsh, naTrew-mindcd and
gloomy hypocrite and much more famous in
Central Africa for bis ruthless cruel
Nv than for his philanthropy. The Cairo let
tiers sent to the TEMPS are of two kinds One Get ~
written there under the inspiration OF TIE French
Resident; the other il cOpcocted here By members
of an Egyptian financial syndicate, one Of whom is
W. Gabriel Charmes, the Deputy aud contributor
to the Debats. The Egyptian letters of this category
are Intended to influence opinion, 10 get up currents
of feeling, to trump observations made % foreign
dipomatists by NJ. Jules Ferry, who once wrote for
the Tempe and IL in almost daily communication
with several of its editors. He must have been
cOgnizant that series OF onslan ghts
on Gordon were contemplated before they were
made and the probability is that he gave them an
anticipating sanction.
About ten years ago met Sir Samuel Baker aud
had some pleasant conversation with him. re was
Cairo politics At that time no inIDr. s-ed me as 2
pleasant, rather intelligent and manly Englishman,
but tremendous tuft-huuteT. Ii struck mo that
Re would be kind to every one. bat that he would
" bless every man possessed Of aUGht - giye.' He
was genial and could not help In fire-eile converse
ton telling the truth about IsmaB, Nubar,
Cheref, aud other great folks az Cairo.
But directly he had told it he impIored
me not o let the journals know that hs had been
so sincere. In the Upper Nile he had had good
time generally, owing TO the patronage of the En-
press Eugene (of whom his brother Valentine was
great favorite), to the profuson Of Issnail tho
"cuteness" of Nubar, aud the readiness lie showed
not TO get in the way of the slave trade interests
Sir Samuel, l remember, told me that Egyptian
civilization based upon slavery and that it
could not go on existing upon any otLer lines.
Bnt," he added, this is not truth for which the
English are prepared. Tho fanatics who persecuted
Eyre for the strong measures which he took in the
West Indies TO put down disorder would not bear
to be told this. What is more, the FiceTCy, who in
man of extraordinary intelligence, is determined
to keep the slave market open. He holl.t candle
TO Exeter Hall and pretends TO be with il. Bnt he
is just the contrary, and should. be sorry 10
denim his view Of the question. Revenues must
como in; the domain must be cultivated; there
must be strong muscles to get through scrvle work
in the relaxing Delta of the Lower Nile, and the
Khedive must keep ON his side the Turks and Arabs
who arc the puryeyors TO the slave market at Con-
stantinople. How can all these ends be compassed
unless through slavery! Edicts are issued against
slaye-hunts and slaye-saIes But they ere only -
much waste paper, and Paohas and Beya know they
will in disregarding them please tho khcdive.D
remember asking Sir Samuel whether no ddnot
fear all this would end in catastrophe such as had
overtaken Imperial France. He had no apprehen-
sion that il would, because the blacks
we're intensely ignorant and though they
made excellent soldiers had the seTvio instinct Of
Newfoundland dogs. They could not nap cat their
own lives and required the direction If master
Sir Samuel spoke IL the most eGlOGstio terms Of
Gordon. who was then on his way to Khartoum
But ne said that his sojOurn would he feared, be
at tended with great danger; he was imbued
with the idea that the blacks had rights, and Le
was so transparenty sincere that he would let them
know what be thought on the subject. Now, il
they objected to being, enslared, and the hhe-
dive was determined to enslaye them,
there would be- ultimate trouble, and
man calling himself liberator would probably
arise take adv anage OF their discomfort IN order
to become their ruler. There had been formerly an
nor wholly died ont. Sir Samuel opinei that o
Soudanese revolt, if successful, would 90 the tri-
umph of barbarism over ely1zatlon But 1t eouid be
only temporary victory. The khcdiye had money,
guns, wellstored aTsenas, troops, the good viii OF
Europe; what could be 3 lot OF half
savage blacks against hlmf
Valentine baser, the general, have never met
But hear that in point of intellect he is very infe
riOr to Sir Samuel. Challeme ELaeour knew him
when he was boy. and indeed was very Be3r be-
coming his stapfather. lie thought him needless,
hea,lstrong amiabte aud hands Jme lad who would
would require to be we'll looked after. certainty
lie does not appear 10 have ehown much head in tho
military operations that ho has been directing. An
Indian officer like Napier of Magdala) would ia all
likelihood have done better.
Clemenceau scored "a great chalk" on Saturday.
But his victory will be in its immediate conse-
auences fruitless one. A Commitfee of Inquiry
into the state of trade aud industry IN France has
been nominated by tho Chamber. IL consists OF
NM Ferry, TOuvier husband Of hne Claude
VlgnOn) and Roger, and ut the last r2:Hent i'm:
posed by them on their friends IN the Bureaus or
the Chamber. NJ. RonVier reported IN ia'or or
the Railways Convention bill, and NJ. Roger IS tho
attorney of the great railway eompauIes
which are PrePaTFGg 20 Sra SC rngs I%I no
mining and manufacturing companies; The great
est care was taken not let the lists 20 nlae pub
lie before they were, the day ON which the com
mttee was to be elected, communicated TO The
bureaus. Twenty-three members arc posluVeIy
hostile 70 al inquiry and ,b two a Re- tds ana
position. About twelve are neutral but With q GOV
ernmental bias There are only three members OF the
Extreme Loft elected. NJ. Clemenceal Is one, his
enemy ~ Lanessan IS another, and NJ. Briaulon,
who is working man Is third. Lanessan u
vain. enviOus, cranky aud jealous OF Clemeneean,
10 whose patronage he owes MS seat. briahion /"
is an honest fellow but unable to speak, very am
pie minded, and no: up 10 the tricks ~ poIiti.
clans. Ribot Is man OF talent
aud is not rogue. But he was procurator of the
Empire and has a bourgeois dread IF thu working
classes Fear being allied TO hate, small thing
would make bun their enemy. MADAME klbot stbs
daughter of the late Mr.. Bnrch, Of Chicago and
takes kindly 10 the aristocratc vantias Of The Old
World. Que of the best men on the committee il
Ialande;the awne- of the Chateaa- VI gaux vie-
yards. lie Is single minded and wishes we'll 10 tho
working classes
Prom this you will SEQ that ClemencoaU w,u
be well nigh alone The best thing he could do
would be to institute a private inquiry bureau 81
his own and ask hr. Robert Porter 10 direct IL:
Such course would DO bold innovation. hut
think il would not be an utter failure. NJ. Csmen-
cean had intended TO star; for London hex; sunday
for the purpose of studying there the action OF the