New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-01-17
TEWFlK.
A SKETCH IN BLACK AND WHITE.
IN NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. MAN-soNE CuRIosI
TIES OF DOUBLE.DEALING.

| Having known the late Khcdive intimately for
! a number of years, both prior and subsequent TO
! his accession to the throne, and having enjoyed
| altogether exceptional, and, | may add, unique
advantages of acquaintance with the socalled
| Egyptian question. | may reasonably say some
thing upon the subject Let me begin by cor
rccting three popular and altogether erroneous
| impressions which have figured extensively in
print during the last week ten days. In the
first place Tewiill was not at heart loyal to the
English whom he feared and cordially dctested;
| secondly, tho French authorities do not really
desire the withdrawal of the English from Egypt;
| and thirdly. the British occupation of the latter
is attributable, not to military political mo-
| tives but purely to financial considerations
| The first occasion on which met Tcwiik was
at dinner given by his father. the Khedivc
| Ismal had arrived rather early, and
standing in the reccptiOn-hall at the top of the
stairs at the Abdccn Palace, talking with lsmall,
| when the grand master Of the ceremonies General
| Abdclkadr Pacha, suddenly announced i'll French,
| I" le Prince Heriticr.' Immediately altcrward an
| MISUNDERSTANDING young man with kind OF
| hunted look about his eyes, shutiled up to the
Khedive and humbly kissed the hem of his
fathers coat. Then with his hands crossed on
his breast he retired backward TO distant corner
Of the room. followed by the contcmptuous glance
of his parent. who. without returning single
word of greeting TO his son, went on talking to
me. Nobody at that time dreamed of the posi-
bility of Ismails deposition, and consequently very
few considered it worth their while to show any
courtesy or consideration TO the young Prince. 1t
was a matter Of public notoriety that he was an
object Of aversion to his father, both on account
of his birth and also Of his weak and tiinorous
character: and under the circumstances 1t was
believed that he would perish disappear In
that same mysterious and peculiarly Oriental
fashion ms Mustapha Pacha Sadyk. and all those
Others who had been unfortunate enough 10 incur
the anmosity Of the INSCRIPTIONS and wicked old
Khcdive Ismail. Had the latter been left free
10 follow his own devices in the matter he would
have nominated as his successor his third son.
IIassan. instead of Tcwik. For whereas the
former is the OF favorite wife OF princely
birth, the latter was the offspring of u mere
Fcah slave occupying mental position in the
Khedivial household, who had momentarily capt.
waited and subsequently disguised khedive lsmall.
Nor is it possible TO blame Ismail unduly for
the contempt which he openly professcd for his
eldest SON More than once has the old man
remarked TO me that Tewik had neither heart
nor head and ! must confess that in my OPINION
he was not altogether wrong Previous To ms
accession TO the throne | used to be considerably
amused TO observe how at balls and receptions
he would wander through the rooms talking with
the Europeans in the most contemptuous way
about the natives, and with the latter IN an
equally disagrccable manner about the former,
utterly oblivious of the fact that natives and
Europeans subsequently compared notes upon the
subject Moreover. subsequent 10 his becoming
Khedive. and after the British had inaugurated
their occupation Of Egypt. he continued the same
", xrit IuNi n N official
agent in England when the Liberals were in
power. he was continually sending over secret
emissarirs 10 intrigue with the Conservatives;
and Of course as soon MS Lord Salisbury assumed
the rcins Of government at Downing Street he
Attended the same little game with the Liberals.
Needless TO add that Sir Evelyn Barring, the
British Minister PIenpotcntiary in Egypt. was
aware of all this. and nothing was more amusing
than 10 watch Tcwiik eagerly and unblushingly
swearing by the beard and other portions OF Inc
PROPHETS sacred person that he had never sent
anvbodv to London and then TO watch the
ouccr sccpticaI smile Of Sir Evelyn. who had
written proof to the contrary in his pocket lew
fix thcrcupon with the object Of changing ms
disagrccabc topic Of conversation. and OF turning
IT, into channels which he thought would be more
agreeable 70 the English diplomat, would launrh
an, into the most bitter abuse OF the French and
If their Official representative Ill Ky p' ian
an hour later would find Tcwfk complaining to
the French PlcnipOtentiary OF Sir Evelyn BAT
inc's inprrious discourtcsy and hrusqu' RE. and
~ ,bc intolerable conduct Of the British in Egypt.
During the course Of the same day he would seek
70 incratiatc himself with the German Minister
bv attacking the French colony. and with the
Russian representative by abusing the latters
German colleague. leaving them all subsequently
IN comparc notes Then in the evening when
the audiences were at an end he would gather
around him his native croncs and begin To curse
all round i'm an indiscriminate manner those I'M
clean dogs of Christians whose mothers graves
may the pigs deile.
The query will naturally arise why, if thus con-
WINGED of his disafecton, did England insist upon
maintaining him upon the throne? The reason
il not far To seek. Tcwill's iniriSnes were SO
childish 20 shallow and so transparent, coulu pe
So easily fathomcd and conntcractcd. that he was
simply invaluable in the role of the dummy native
ruler whom the British required for their pir-
noses Had either his father been restored. or
one of his younger brothers appointed IN his place.
the English would have had 10 count WIN far
clevercr and hence more dangerous men, whose
intrgues would have been of graver import NO
Oriental can exist without intrigue, b"t all VII
en,ols are not as simple rs was Tcwtik. who had
the habit of stnflng all kinds OF confidential
letters and secret papers into his codt PochetS'
where they were, in due course. iouhd oN His
English valet. an apparently illtcrtc cN-prlvaie
of one of the regiments of the British army of Oc
cupation The valet. who had n patriotic weak
ness for whslley, generally spent his evenings
with a Scotch dentist, who is renowned as
glorious old tpplcr-and-well, il was astonishing
to sec the amount of attention which the teeth
of the British Envoy, Sir Evelyn Barring, appeared
10 require
As a further Illustration of lewiik's altogether
untristworthy character. may mention an mel
dent which occurred during my stay IN 'airo, III
December 1883. General Gordon had Just been
most b;t,crv ossoilinq Tcwik in the London press.