Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1885-10-24
lAllY POST-IMTElLIeENcER
rive cREAr ARAm.

mind nptil their characters and aehi<ve
ments are inpar;iallg and sispsssson
ateiy considered. A calm reviss OF th'
events which have occurred in EEyp
and In the ssudan within ;he past fv'
years, cannot 30, lead 70 the csneisssor
that the present generation hss seen tuS
men who must be- rsnksd among ihs
greatest that tie Arab race has pro
daood. Regarded simply With viss
to their shiIities, and silhous refsfcnc'
10 thsir private vsrtsss or vices, ths'r
characters, or the motives vhiek
prompted their actions, botA mus, b
accorded high places. Not sincs the
days when Charles Msrtel turned back
the food Of ssrscen invasion which
shreassned 20 segaif Earope. hiss there
been leader Of Arab origin vbo can be
ranksd above either Of these. Add sl-
Kades 10 the only one Who can be con
sidsred a. 10 any sense their equal. and
his fame rests upon his 6eroensss 10
battle, and bic dsserninsd, snyisldins
resistance 10 the Preach invasion Of his
country. rather than usoa any great
organizing or administrative ability
which be displayed. While his char
sotsr was far more 20 be admired than
that Of either of the late leaders In the
soudan var, he vas not the equal Of
either 81 tAsm In point Of ability, 90 In
the poser 20 govern men. He Vas an
Ostsptai Washington. Osman Disms
vss @ Oriental Hapelesn, and Il.
AGahdi Q lsssss Mahones.
AZ between Osnsn Disna and the
kahdi there can be no comparison.
They we're ESSENTIALLY different. Esob
vas the complement Of the other. One
planned. the other executed. Oae
aroused the enthusiasm OF his oountry-
men. the other directed u aeains. the
saspy. One Was the orator snd ruler.
ne oshss the organizer and command
Or. Osman Digma vas 10 FL Mahdi
What Tursnne vas 10 Louis XIV, what
Wellington vas 10 Pitt, What Grant
vas 10 Lincoln. Without the intense
religious and national feeling aroused
BY the carpenter Of Doneola, Osnan
Digms never could have successfully
matched Arab spears against shot and
shell. without the magnificent gener
alship and tremendous energy OF Os-
man Digma. the Mahdi movement
would have been crushed by the first
advance Of British troops from the Red
6sa. Neither could have achieved sue
ssss without the other.
The Mahdi. AZ THAI 10 the name by
which he will always be kposn, had
10 his character many Of the traits
which marked Mahomet. He had the
same povers Of convincing those with
whom he came In contact of his In.
spiration, which characterized the
foonder Of Moslsnism. He had the
splendid enthusiasm OF the great
prophet. He had the same all absorb
ing passion TO make himself the head
and center Of his people by beating
down opposition. He had the sam,
faith In the sword as potent teacher
OF religious doctrine. He was, however
essentially an imitation OF the prorhei
whose mission be professed 20 supple
nsnt- He had net the gigantic mind
which would have made Mahomet Rreal
under any circumstances. He evolved
no code Of morals, no far reaching
philosophy. He took the Koran as II
came to him, bat never thought of pro,
dncina new koras. Ia those things
which we're essential In making Ma.
homet ono Of the greatest figures OF all
time, be Vas lacking. He Was not even
. great rsformer. He was not the
Jerome Savanarola or the Martip Luther
OF Moslemism. He did not seek &c
change the institutions which be found
What was he thenf He had within
him something Of the character OF
IRnatins Loyola, something OF the
character Of Peter the Hermit. lie was
able to arouse men TO the pitch Of
frenzy and 10 send them forth TO as
and to die. Eloquence be mus, have
0sms9sd, and sss power II nakine
- Ne wiling tesla The sssas.
~ o. his Iisutcaants never aspired
10 b other than bis lieutenant.
The moot impsrious Of thoss Who came
In contact with him bowed before hiu.
He Vas leader OF men. ba, not their
teacher. He vas student. bat not an
original thinker. He followed In the
vAys Of the pass. bas b psistsd col No
NV - fer ~ fatsrs. H eosid en-
forth . passing frenzy. bus y eoala NOT
inspire q lasting eonvietioi to make IT,
calf felt throaeh all time. Oss can
imagine him. like Peter the Hermit,
allina the minds Of the warriors area nd
hin With nrs, calling their swords nm.
tsssAsd frsa " ssabbAsds. and psak.
In With their voices lbs God Wills ia
o. his cvn mind. A. Peter pointed 70
the East and bads the hosts Of Chris
esndco 20 ,fossh 70 The Psssas o. W
holy places. one can imagine 81 MAhdi
pointing % NE Month. asd ssnding fersh
The hosts which be bad evolved ous Of
Wild seaes. HE hosts went forth. They
came b eossAes With the barriers oil
sossa Which siviliEssion had srscsed d
bar their var. while sAss broke III,
barriers. they exhausted themselves "a
the effort and fell back helpless. Hse
ses barriers NOT been there, bad Oh.
warriors OF 81 Mahdi met the eivilixa
ton Of the sssestesash instead Of tia
= ~ niassseash esussry. tse raul
wlaha have bssn diasrsna Hoe "a
they nigh, have gone. 10 What an sx
tsnt they might have shskea the reli
eseus and social syssesas cf Toe world
no man can tell. The sAne frenr,
which carried the Crusaders 10 Jsrusa
len carried the Arabs enly 20 Doneoia