The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1885-03-11
Entered at the Post-O Office at Richmond, Va, as
second-class matter.
CoRREsPoNDENC NOE.
The Soudan Question.
PHILADELPHIA, March 29d, '85.


nesSrS. EdnorS,-It is not strange
that the patience of England has been
almost exhausted by the hesitation and
weakness displayed by the Gladstone
government in graphing the Soudan
question, and that the very existence
of the Liberal majority has trembled in
the balance as a result. The moment
ENGLAND interfered so far as to bonn
bard Alexandria, disconnect herself
from the dual control, forbid Turkey
from landing her troops, and assumed
practical control in Egypt, that control
involved all that Egypt included
From that hour England was re-
sponsible for the Soudan, inasmuch as
Egyptian garrisons held that region
from the cataracts of the Nile clear to
the borders of King Mtesa's dominions.
1t was to be expected that English in
reference and the defeat Of Arab
Pasha would destroy Egyptian pres
tige among the Soudanese. The Arab
tribes were not slow in seizing the op-
portunity. With the occasion came
the man. FL Mahdi, whose origin is
involved in obscurity after secluding
himself a fitting time and having trans
formed himself into prophet by pre-
tended revelations, appeared like an
other Mahomet to head the movement
He won over the slave traders whose
business had been interfered with, and
q few disaffected sheiks with their
tribes. With these he reduced Others
to submission, and raised the st0ndard
of re volt From that time but four
years ago-events have been crowding
fast. General Hicks, with his army Of
10000 men was annihilated. TOka
and Sinkat were worsted by the victo-
rious Arabs. SuakIm was threatened,
and the whole
Red Sea Littoral Was in a Blaze.
Surely the time for English interfer
ence had fully come. But instead Of
fastening troops from India or an ade-
quate force from Cairo, she did two
things quite unworthy the gravity Of
the situation. First, the government
said that the Soudan was beyond the
scope of her intervention" but that
General Valentine Baker might organ
ize an army of Egyptians and make a
campaign against the Arabs. But
England had destroyed the Egyptian
army under Arab Pasha and soldiers
there were none worthy Of the name.
General Baker addressed the gendar
merle on parade. He told them their
brethren garrisoning the Soudan were
starving; that dogs were eaten at Sin
kat, and that they were sending urgent
messengers for relief He called for
volunteers. Not man responded.
care you men or towards" asked the
indignant commander. owe are all
towards !" shouted the abject fellahcen,
1--WE don't want to fghtw The streets
of Cairo and all towns in Egypt were
searched for men, and they were forced
into the railway trains by cavalry with
drawn sabres. General Baker found
himself at Suakin with 1000 of these
hopeless materials. He spared no
pains in drilling and instructing the
wretcbed mass But he was obliged
TO advance and risk the attempt of
rescuing the garrisons. His worthless
rubbish, however, melted away at the
very sight of the enemy, as might have
been expected, and the ruthless massa-
ere of 2,300 men, together with many
brave officers, English and foreign, was
the bloody result.
A second thing the English govern
ment did to put out this dreadful fire
of turbulence flaming in the Soudan.
When Noah's ark had been long on
the lonely sea of deluged world, he
sent forth a dove from him to see if