Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1885-07-18
DAILY POST IFTELLIGEHcER


rive RklsE PEoiraETs.
----
And now IL appsnss that Risi. too.
claimed 70 Be psos'hss, pI.ssendine that
kss scti0us we're disineI5 inspirsd and
thus pssyiiae upon TIE irEssination OF
his followers TIE Successes 81 the
Mahdi Of the sead&n we're prob&bis In
bic mind uhsn be assumed this ohafze-
ter. and hs hoped 10 arouse religious
frenzy smonQ his foile~sss shieb vsold
Supply shs phase Of ihs real oesrase ID
which be htnss them 30 BE- lacking. kisl
nade enc mistake 10 bis calculations,
however. He forget tat the Saskstce-
evan was aoe the Nile and that his half
breed foIlOsefs we're not Arabs. II vas
ustsFiy impossible 10 arosiss 10 tbs sag
aisn breasts Of shs half siviIizsd NORTH
erners The splendid entlsusissm which
enabled tbs Arsbs 20 sasep thsif fet@
before them liks the SintL Riel vas an
fmitssoE. and like most iinitAtors Of The
kind. be failed.
He probably saw tkat his peopss we're
rips for revolt, and that the var which
they might sses would receive oonsid-
srabls sympathy ffou the outside world.
He knew from expsrisness howeyer, that
they we're cowsrdly add could not be
irustsd for sftectivs service in . cam
,laign. As be was considering the prob
lsm which he had sst 0iis 10 sslse, the
nsws sf the vieseriss Of n Mahdi in
famed his imagination. With al lily
balanced mind and strong element OF
the romantic 10 bis nature. be began 70
eonpare himself With. the vietori0as
Arab. Thers wers some points Of sitn-
ilaFity In their situations. Each vas
looked upon aa the natural leader OF
hls people each t'slonssd to race IN
habising region alaaost inaecessasls 70
civilized armies each considered lie
people wroneed By Great Britain No
doubt, RieI considered all Theses poinia-
He noted the reckless finaticism which
~ MAhdi's pretsnsions 70 inspiration
called forth, and one day be sac 81 10
announce shat he, so,s. was Of the
prophets.
Ths plan failed. Riel as . prophet
excited no enthusiasm. His followers
showed on several occasions . vary
essditabls degree Of bravery, but II was
the logged resist ,nes 'sf the man Who
bslisses that be 10 defending his home.
notths despsrass eeuraiss Of the fanatic.
The Saskatchewan rebellion became, In
splits Of all thai lie leader could do, .
purely political movement. while the
risins 10 the sondan loIs, 20 great sx-
tent. its political character sad became
. religious movement. The ono will be
known In history ~ the Northwest Re-
bsllien, bat sho othef will always be
known ~ the Mahdi Movement.
Why. II may be asked. did thsss two
sprisinRs differ 20 entirely in the a.
peoss which they fisaIly assumed 2
Why was Riei. the prophet. forgotten
In Hisl the political leader, while the
Arabian political leader vas forgotten
In the prophet Leaving out Of con-
alteration the vast discrepancy in the
abilities Of the two men. a sufficient ex.
PLANTATION may be found in tho chaxae.
teristies Of the two peoples upon whose
cFsdnlity the false prophets sought 10
work. Tho Arabs are Hereby religious.
They have In their nature all the ele-
sasnts thai made the immediate follow
era Of Mohanamed serribss. Their ira
dsiions all spsAk Of Prophets xhoss
swords we're more convincing than their
tongues They are precisely ,he mate
rial that false prophet finds ussful.
In their stern natures all other feelings
wsrs merged in ahai Of religious enihu-
slasm, and the political aspeet Of their
warfare against the Eaglish vas re-
eardtd ~ 30 secondary matter shat Il
was finally los. siQht oil altogether.
Rial, on the ether hand, had 10 deal
sith = Northern saoe--and II mast NOT
DO forgotten that prophets thrive only
In The South. PeoF Joan Of Aro IL
about the only historical parsonage Of
tnpoFtance since tho time Of ohFist 10
whom q Northern pao,lle. II the French
may b called such. have With any
degrees Of unanlmisy attributed in
aspiration, and even ale had The honor
taFust upon her. The Northern imaai.
nation docs nos more In religious chan.
nsls. 0astayuH Adolphus. had FATE
made him IN ArAk shief. would have
bean : Variable Mohlmmed bat he
never dresmsd Of calling himself
pFophst befonI hia nnimaVina.lye
ssetss. and 90 HISTORY knows him only |
" . kina who was Isood and great. |
John KNOX. as . 6arscen. would have |
esen an IDEAL prephst. hus be vas |
seetehman-sni Who would think q |
Seotch prophstg Certainly sha Scotch |
themselves voaAd Be the last 10 do 10.
Thsre b . scod deal Of The same |
ssetsh bead In The hAlf-bseed rxss with |
which Risl had 70 deal. aad se,,ch |
hicod always inauces Iscrsauiisy Of Che |
supernatural Mingled in this race Also
u French and Indias blood. ihs former
imaginative enough. boa liehs and airy. |
with little capacity ior deep rsllasoos |
fsoiinai The latter ssslid, indiifssens ana |!
Foreign 10 enthusiasm, No wonder ,k.s
hiel failed vheie " lMahdi sacceedsd.
z''nasnmsd himseif could nos have
BEN . prophea Il he had been oorn
among shs hsif.brss,is Of ne Nursh.
wesa. and poar Rsel's prssensicu 4, IN.
SEPARATION calls forsh only The lanph,sr
and net the enthusiasm, Of The worls.
Tbs alarm shown ks she Rrssish nae.
ple - he cosidition Of their navy i
stinnRsiy In cosasrass wifh the inaitier.