The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1892-01-09
THE DEAD KHEDIVE.

The death of the Khedive of Egypt at
the age of 40 and in the thirteenth year of
his reign, removes one Of the most anoma-
l0us figures of the day from contemporary
politics. Tewfk was the son of the great
KhediYe, Ismail, who was removed by the
Sultan at the iHstigatOn Of the English and
French bondhoders. Tew6k, at the time
If his fathers removal. was a young man
about D. with some smattering OF politica
knowledge and modest, uuObstruSive ways.
1t was reasonably certain that he would not
i. follow his fathers example in squanderinE
the revenues Of Egypt on ostentati0us enter
prises and expensive opera troupts.
AT the time Of his coronation Egypt was
uOmInallY province Of Turkey, whose
ruler or khedIye exercised some of the
functions OF sovereignty. But II was really
a dependency Of France and England. The
control If the public finances, which ult-
mately involved the control of the whole
Government, was held by ar EnElishman
and q FFeuchman. In order to meet the
coupons on Egyptian bonds held IN London
ana Paris, heavy taxes were levied on land,
and the peasants were compelled to pay by
the disuaint of their cattle and their farm
implements, and by frequent 1loggngs and
bastinadoiugs. The chief posts IN the civil
service and in the army we're held by for
eigneTs, chiefly EugIishmen; these. together
with the English and French merchants,
were exempted from taxation. At Tewfk's
accession it was rtchoupd that there We're
1872 Europeans holding Office in Egypt.
An undeTcuTent of revolt against this
foreign domination had long been notice
able. 1t came to a head when Tew6k was
inaugurated; it Was stated, probably with
truth. that be was in hearty sympathy with
it, The army became mutinous; the popu-
lace II Alexandria clamOred for a national
Government by Egyptians. The English ap-
pealeI to Iewik to suppress the outCrop Of
rebellion, the malcOntents appealed to him
to put himself at their head and expel the
foreigners. He listened to both parties,
shillyshalied, yielded a little to one side
and q little to another, but on the whole re-
NAMED neutral, The part which should
have been played by him deyolyed on
Arab, a distinguished officer Of the army.
Such pressure was brought to bear on the
khedve that be was compelled to name
Arab Minister of War; but at the same
time his language to the English was so
smooth that they did rot seek bis removal.
1t was evident however, to the English
officers in Egypt that the country was slip
ping out Of their grasp. They felt that
their interests in India could not comport
with the establishment of an independent
State on the Nile. After vain attempts to
induce France to cooperate, the British
Government sent a fleet of iron
cads to Alexandria, which was a scene
of cOmmOtion in consequence of the
outbreak of national feeling and the trucu-
lent insolence Of foreigners. Arab, acting
| undoubtedly with the approval of the
Khediye, ordered .he construction Of bat
teries on the city front; the English Admi-
raj, Seymour, demanded that the works be
stopped, as they were a menace to his peace
full ir0ncIadS; Arab refused to STOP and
the historic city, one Of the most splen-
did on the Mediterranean, was b0mharded
and almost destroyed. This was on July
II, 1882. Tewfik was in the city at the time,
protected by guard Of ATabi's men. Then
followed, in short order, the defeat of
Arabs army at Tel el Kebir on the 18th Of
September, the occupation Of Cairo, the cap
ture Of Arab and the complete humiliation
for the time being Of Egyptian hopes Of in
dependence.
All through the brief war Tewfk was in
open consultation with both sides. The
Egyptians believed that he was heart and
soul with them, as he probably was. The
English lad no fault to find with his acts or
words. and when the troops were disbanded
they did not dispute his retention Of the
office of Khedive, always under the control
Of q British Commissioner With that he
was satisfied
For an Egyptian he led a pure and quiet
life. He had but one wife, and his home
was very different from his fathers. He
had no small vices; no fault, in fact. except
that he was a reproduction in the nineteenth
century Of Charles Y Of France, who was
just as ready to take the enemy of his coun-
try by the hand as her friend, and in whose
calIOus soul the slaughter of his unfortunate
subjects did not arouse the least emotion.