The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1885-03-14
The War in Egypt.

A recent issue of the Indianapolis
Journal contains the following eX-
cellent summary of the cause Of the
present war in Egypt, which has led
to the sacrifice of Gen. Gordon and
Gen. Stewart of the British army:
The origin of the present Egyptian
campaign dates from the reign of Is
mail Pasha, a shrewd and unscrupu-
iOus intriguer, who succeeded Said
Pasha in 1868, aud accumulated a for
tune from the expectation of cotton
during our civil war. This money
he lavished on Turkish officials till
he soon found himself favOrite with
the Sultan and endowed with almost
regal power. He had been educated
in Paris, and his ambition was to Eu-
rOpeanize Egypt and make Cairo the
Paris Of the East. To accomplish
this he borrowed money by the mill
lion and at the most eXOrbitant rates
of interest. This money was not de-
voted to National purposes, but was
expended in Oriental display, in brib-
ing taYorite friends of the Sultan in
Constantinople, in covering Egypt
with palaces and stocking harems,
The fellaheem, or native population,
were robbed to pay the interest on
these debts, from which they deriv-
ed no benefit, and which they had no
share in contracting, and. when the
money could not be raised, the Khe-
dives tax gathererS used to sur
round the villages, catch the inhabi-
tants, and piled the bastinado till the
taxes were paid.
At last things came to such a pass
that Ismail could borrow no more
money, and the fellaheen could pay
no more taxes. In the interest of the
bondholders, mostly English and
French, Ismail was deposed, and his
son, the present ruler, made Khe-
dive. TO secure payment on their
bonds, joint or dual control was es-
tabllshed over Egyptian finances by
England and France. Sir Rivers Will
son, the English representative, dis
missed from public employment all
the native Egyptian officials, and
Hooded the country with a swarm of
hungry English officials, who knew
nothing about Egypt save that it OW-
ed them eXOrbitant salaries. A Spir-
1T OF diSatfectiOn soon manifested it.
self, and a national party was formed.
headed by Arab Pasha, an officer in
the army, a braWl occurred in the
streets of AleXan dria. which was
magnitied by the English press into
wholesale massacre, and measures
were taken by the English govern
ment to suppress the Egyptian ma
tiOnal party, now in inripient rebel
lion against the khedive, who was
only puppet in the hands of his
English and French masters. France
refused to cooperate with England in
suppressing the rebellion, and the lat
ter resolved to act alone. Admiral
Seymour bombarded Alexandria,
and WOlseIey, passing through the
Suez canal, met the Egyptian army
at Tel ell Keber, defeated it and cap
tured Arab Pasha, who was Danish
ed to Ceylon.
Meantime the Arabs of the Soudan
an immense tract of country, COM
prising KOrdofen, Nubia proper, Sc
naar and Toka on the east, and some
Nile districts further south-under
the leadership of FL Mahdi, the false
prophet, had risen in rebellion
against Egyptian rule and held the
Egyptian garrisOns prisoners. The
Soudan region had been gradually
annexed since 1921. but never was re-
duced to complete subsection. 1t was
the center of the great African slave
trade, which had always been mo-
nopoliZed by the Arabs, and which
was partially broken up by Sir Sam
uel Baker and Gen. Gordon, in the
service of the Khedive, some years
before. England having undertaken
to restore order in Egypt, now finds
herself compelled to liberato the
Egyptian garrisons and suppress the
Mahdi's rebellion. The Arabs, on
the other hand, are instigated to re-
sistance under the impulses of patri-
otism, religious fanaticism and the
profits of slave catching, and the
struggle promises to be long and
bloody one.
Rnmark hIa ESnono