The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1884-08-03

action OF Congress In those cases to the pro.
posed assumption Of State debts contracted
exclusively for local purposes What bear
Ing has 1t upon the ridiculous suggestion
that tho citizen OF New York or Ohio or
Massachusetts, should be forced to pay bonds
issued for building railways In Tennessee
What England Ought to DO In Egypt.
Next to GORDON. who, II still alive. Is pent
up In Khartoum, Sir SAMUEL BAKER Is tho
highest authority on all questions relating to
that vast portion OF tho Nile valley which
lies between Assouan and Gondokoro. When.
therefore, he discusses the Soudan situation,
as he docs In the last number OF the Nine
te nth Century. his suggestions MORT tho
most respectful attention, and when they are
found to coincide with the deliberate opinions
Of Lord DUFFERIN. they can hardly fail to
influence even at this late date, the course
Of the British Government. Already, indeed,
the Ministry have pledged themselves to
send an expedition for tho rescue Of tho
beeaguercd garrlsons, and to that end prepa-
rations arc now making for the construction
Of q railway from Suakim to some point on
the Nile But. after the railway has been
built, and Khartoum has been relieved, does
England mean to abandon all the dominions
OF the Khedive south OF the First Cataract
It Is tho object OF Sir SAMUEL's paper to
prove that such an outcome Of the purposed
demonstration would on all grounds, polit-
ical economic. and Typographical, be an
egregious blunder.
Sir SAMUEL BAKER Is at pains to distin-
gulsh between Kordofan and Darfour on the
nhcu he ol,,{c
long ago. and the Soudan proper. whose
western limit south Of Khartoum Is the
White Nile. It Ia the last-named region,
most OF which was conquered by MEHEMET
ALI moro than sixty years ago, that stands
in relation to Egypt as intimate as that Of
Scotland to England. Almost all OF the
large towns were founded by Egyptian Gov
ernors, and whatever measure OF law and
order, whatever trace OF civilization exists
In the country, Is OF Egyptian origin.
1t was not, therefore, the mere with
drawal OF a few garrisons that was de-
creed by the ill-informed British Cabinet,
when 1t forced the policy OF evacuation upon
the Khedive's Ministers; 1t was rather the
exile Of the whole sedentary population.
Tho sacrifice OF the empire laboriously built
up along the upper waters Of the Milo would,
according to Sir SAMUEL, be fatal to the rem
nant Of prestige retained by the Khedive,
and would render him incapable Of maintain
ing his authority in the Delta itself upon the
retirement Of the British forces. Not only
would he be unable to repel a northward in
cursion on tho part of the MAHDI, but he
could not hope to resist n revolt In Cairo.
AS to this, the political aspect Of the ques-
hos I'll g.,
there are other considerations to which Sir
SAMUEL Is the first to assign their due i'm
portance. To withdraw from the Soudan
after completing the proposed railway from
Suakim, would DO to throw away chance Of
immensely adding to tho worlds stock of
food staples and the raw materials OF indus
try. It Is true that hitherto the Cairene Gov
eminent has drawn little or no revenue from
its possessions south OF Assouan, but this
was owing to the fact that the surplus in
come from fertile districts has boon
wasted on outlying and unproductive
tracts like Kordofan and Darfour. Hitherto
moreover, agriculture has been discouraged
by the cost OF transportation, since almost
all the fertile soil lies above tho Fifth Cata-
ract. All obstruction on this score would DO
surmounted by railway from Suakim,
which, however. Sir SAMUEL would carry.
not to Berber, but to point south of Shendy,
above the last cataract. In this way, no says,
the most powerful incentive would be given
to employ the Blue Nile and the Atbara for
purposes OF irrigation. and bring again into
cultivation those fruitful lands which once
were famous In the Isle of Mero9. We
are assured that the whole OF tho territory
from Galabat throughout the course OF the
Rahad, binder, and Blue Nile can be con-
verted Into vast field Of cotton, sugar,
wheat, flax. and other valuable products that,
In other words, the introduction of canal
system similar to that OF the Delta would
enable tho Soudan to supply grain and cot
ton In such quantities as would render Eng
land Independent OF all other purveyors. Sir
SAMUEL does not hesitate to aver with all
tho authority Of his experience that such an
astonishing development would be almost
instantly effected, should the means OF trans
port be effected by constructing q railway.
There is 1t seems, q serious danger that
the evacuation OF Khartoum might be fol-
lowed by Photographed changes, whose
ultimate result would be the conversion of
lower Egypt itself into a desert The more
loss OF the Nllometer, which at that place
registers and transmits to Cairo tho daily
level Of the Nile, thus giving twenty days
forewarning Of gathering inundation,
would be grave deprivation to the inhabi.
tants OF tho Delta. But this Is not by any
means the worst possible consequence Of
the occupation Of Khartoun by Abyssin-
ians, instructed and aided as they almost
certainly would be by French or italian en-.
gineers. Should they wish to avenge old
wrongs. or for any object to put pressure
upon the power dominant In lower Egypt,
they could probably so reduce the volume Of
the Nile that the river would vanish In the
sand long before reaching Cairo. On this
head the testimony Of Sir SAMUEL BAKER Is
very striking "Should civilized" he says,
"or even q ssml-civilized enemy be In pos
session OF that point, the waters Of the Rahad.
binder, Blue Nile. and Atbsra Rivers could
hn n .k,l H.z.~ Ill