Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1884-07-31
AFGHAN, DlEMAL-ED-DIN.
STORY or 4 MYSTERIOUS NAN.
Aidiss the Mahals CONSIDERABLY Dsscov-
sver-Ne Drssa. sss Where Does He Get


easy TO say much about situations on which
no one can possess much exact informa-
ton. Every Oriental Is more or less q
liar on principle, and as he always con.
ceals whatever is unfavorable TO h,s
cause IL results that, while the fansti.
eel populations Of the Nile Val.
ley win intercept all tidings Of victories
won by Gordon, they viii exaggerate the
importance OF every success likely 90 In.
crease the prestige OF him whom many are
beginning to look Upon as the great re-
generator foretold In the sacred writings
OF Islam. / say "beginning 10 look upon,''
because faith IN the divine character Of
Eshsmmcd Achaeps mission Is not nearly
20 general among Mussulmans as Occi-
dtntals have been led 10 suppose. The
5eiroh OF the sagcs OF III Azh1r on this
point Is remarkably ambiguous. About
enc bali OF this opinion pronounced by
the authorized doctors OF Moslem law III
clines 10 the acceptance Of the Dongolawi
der.ish as q Simon.Pure Mahdi, but the
other hall IS In doubt; II admits that he
may, after oil, be nothing but "base
fraud" who will finally expiate his I'M
posture i'm the flames Of an eternal &C.
htnua. stu, the JetUah does not conclude
that h. is sn impostor any mere than IL con-
clud,s that he Il genuine. 10 lelves the
settlement OF The question 10 be decided by
che issue of bis struggle with the Giaours,
when, II they get the best Of IL, he will be
enthusiastically disavowed, as was Arab
after Tel-cl-kebir and II be gets the best
Of IL, he viii be recognized, not perhaps
quite IS the expected one. but a one Of
those seven precursors who are 90 prepare
The advent OF the Messiah, who IS fist TO
appear 10 syria, not in Area.
We are not TO imagine, however, that
because correspondents are unable to COM
municate important news that the agitation
has ceased or that the agitation is idle. The
season Is in his favor, as no British soldier
could possibly stand q campaign in Upper
Egypt at this period OF the year, and Mo-
manned Achmet, fully aware that he has
several months Of breathing time before
him, improves The shining hour by getting
in supplies OI aims and ammunition, which,
imported INTO Liberia from England and the
United States are carried TO his headquarters
overland by carayan, aud By continuing an
active propagandism at home and abroad,
being ably seconded by the Afghan, Die
mal-ed-Din. But who Is this Dicmal-ed-
Din whom the Figaro calls the precursor Of
the Mahdii DjemaI says he is only
poor dervlsh"; but this do not believe.
any more than | believe him to he Mana
Sahib under another name. II was not
because Ma was Hindu and Djemal is
an Afghan that the identity OF the two
personsses rs impossible, for nothing save
what he says himself proves Dlemal 10
be an Afghan. But the "Bcauty OF Re
ligioI this is the meaning OF his name
is only about seven or eight aud
forty, and the man who mastered the
English in 1851 would be good deal
Older. and besides he would have been
caught and hanged long ago il be were one
and the same. lie now lodges on the
fourth floor Of the Hotel de Seze. No. 1G
Rue de Stze. Paris. l 20 to talk Turks
with him and listen 10 what il pIeases him
10 tell Of his intentions, which, must add.
is remarkably little. 4 living mystery is
Djmal.ed-Din, Of which the only thing GER
tain is that he is not what he seems 10 be,
although perhaps more is known on that
point at Berlin than In Paris. IL was
toward the close OF Kbcdiye Ismai's
reign that he first appeared upon the scene,
at least In his present form. He had been
expelled from Cabul for political reasons.
NJ the story went, and soon aiterward was
turned out Of British India for his Anglo
phobic uttcrsnces. He next appeared at
mason and joined the Young Turkey"
party. becoming so obnoxious very shortly
that, for the third time. he was asked
10 leave town, at the request of the Brit.
ish Ambassador, notwithstanding the pl-
tronage OF ths spltan's intimate coun.
sellers.
IT,
ION stsmboul Diemal crossed to Egypt,
where he founded a lodge, which soon
counted 400 members, and became the
leader Of political coterie known as
Is Young fsynt." which was represented
by Il newspaper printed in French and
Arabic and bearing its party nprellatlOn.
This gloup, however, was composed o'
such HETEROGENEOUS elements-tbe origin.
aims. and Interests q IL members were so
dseordant=tbat Il fell TO pieces in the
eouIse OF a few months. lis Leyantine
adherents renounced all hopes of partici-
patIng In any political movement, aud its
1iussuman adhercnts Joined the sO-calied
National" party. This dissolution did
not DISCOURAGE the Afghan. On the con-
trary, his object was a general agitation
OF Mussulmans, and he cared little by what
means agitation was produced. lie had
agitated the "directing classes" and his
next step was to agitate the masses. and
for this be possessed qualifications. Bold.
INSCRIPTIONS. yeTsed in every trick OF
Oriental intrigue, remarkable pOlyglOt,
possessed Of an amount OF erudition
superior to that found even among learned
Eastern pundits, lie astonished the doctors
Of FL Azhnr ly his oratory, and still more
by the purity OF his dieiion, which was as
.forrect as though be had been born at
Niece, lie preached wherever he could
find an audience, ru, whether he held forth
in mosque or on the Ezbekieh or at some
street corner tue tribune was always appa-
rent in the philosopher. At first eclectic,
q blending OF Platonism with legends Of
the extreme East, his sermons drifted iu-
sensibiy into political haran"ucs. They
began with dissertations on free thought,
but they inyariabiy ended va an eX-
$3.50. Va the theory of scli-goyclnmeai.
Ills aims were ayOwed,y tue abolition
Of the Khedive's personal power, the
establishment Of representative re.
0ime, and the sbrogation OF the Anglo
FIeuch COpdCmi0iUn. Secretly he excited
his hearers against the English, whom he
stigm, TIED as tue cause OF Egypts rum,
at mtotlng Of 4,00O persons in The Mosque
OF Hassan, where he made a direct appeal
20 revolution TO secure the independence
Of this "dovE-tr0ddcn land" Forty
eight hours after this performance Diemal,
at The TeqWsltion OF the British Consul
General. was prisoner on ship board,
oil his way TO Jiddah. whence, on landing,
he retired into the interior Of the He'd
jaz. and he IL supposed 10 have been in
Sirumental In the instruction % the Wa
habites against the Sultan. But before
his expulsion from Cairo the stranger had
made many proselytes, among them beng
Mahmoud sany and Achmet Arab, 10
witch latter he gave all his confidence,
orediting him with an amount Of courage
and honesty which this fellah did not pos
sess. "Behold !" he cried, on their first in
| teryiew; "behold him for whom so long
have waited. Islam's saviour! The great
chief Of the Arabs Go on, my soD, for thou
art marked with the sacred e.. have
learned 10 know thee Thou art the prom
Used Habdiw Allow me to explain here that
according 10 Noslem prophecies, Islam's
savior must not only be named Achmet
but, Ike the bull Apis. must have certain
physical signs by which be can be identi.
fed, and Of these the principal one is the
letter G. upon the forehead, a coincidence
imsginatiyey demonstrated 10 exist among
Arabi's frontal wrinkles. and, therefore,
for those fanatics, all sufficient to obtain
general popular adhesion TO the "'ib-
orator."
But OF Arab | only speak incidentally.
He was enc Of the instruments OF Diemal,
Of which, as he was weighed in the balance
end found wanting fhic AfphQu dCrviSh il