New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-02-23
yHr EGYPTIAN QUESTION.

,,, T. ,ud.rpoine another Of its periodical
,,,;,..I o.,sos mr. ottcmpts Mt crises. AS usual
II takes the form of futile spasm against p'''
Ill, ,r,horitv and as usual will doubtless come
=, no,hipc 80 far rs Egypt itself Is concerned
On several occasions the young Nhe"'c '"'
tried to rule the country over when lie re'-
ALWAYS with the same result. Sturu! oiu 'o'
Cromcr lets him frisk and gamDol 10 'nc III"
Of his tcthcr and then pulls him In again. s'l'c
times sharply sometimes with fathcrly TENDER
ness but always with sure strong anu 'r''
sistiblc hand Abbas does not like 1t. 81 cVu1s''
He really does not know what Is best ior Hin
and for Egypt; and he seems incapable ike
most other ORIGINALS. OF learning by experience.
He ought To have realized long ago that III l.ord
t'romcr's hands he is helpless as the sof'cst
Of clay i'm the hands Of Il potter. But nc mas
not realized IT, and probably never will real'Ze
IT, but will 60 OH to the end Of his reign vaini!
imagining that it is possible for him. by some
cunning stroke Of policy. TO throw off fri'ish
domination altogether and cxpel the hated rcd
coats from the Egyptian shores.
His hopes and his plottings will come 10
nauchi. however and it is well that they should
come 10 naught Whatever may be thought ol
Englands original seizure Of Egypt. thirteen
wears ago. and however much Mr. Gladsfone's
action therein may he condemned. one great fact
sc,ms ipdisputablc That is that British rule
In Ecypt has been intellectually bcneiicen; and
that Is true not merely with regard Ia ne LOT
cion bondhodcrs. for whose interests Mr. Glad
stone was 80 solicitous. but even more Nlth re-
gard 10 the Egyptian people. The whole gov
eminent administration has been r"iorihcu III
the interest Of justice and economy; The debt
al
importan public works have been executed. and
the annual budget shows Il handsome surplus
These results may not be altogether welcome
to the horde Of Arab and Turkish politicians
who had long plundered and oppressed the peo-
ul, a, WILL bur the people themselves appreciate
Them gratefully and regard their British pro-
icctors with confidence and affection.
The really serious and dcplorablc feature of
such 4 strained situation as the present Is lis
indication perhaps, also. its provocation-o Il
certain unfricndlinoss between two great Eli
rnpcan Powers. France has never forgiven
ENGLAND for taking possession Of Egypt In lsN2'
chiefly no doubt. because she knows 1t was
throuch her own laundering that England was
cn,bled to do IT, There is in Egypt French
Marty. If contractors. politicians and irreSpoi'
siblc journalists. who have 10 some extent me
c,r ~ the Khcdlyc. and are never weary OF
melting him 10 inirlgucs and rebellion against
British rule And whenever they succeed III
thus prrcipiiating even the scmbancc Of a crisis
France itself j. aroused 10 sympathy with them
and to some renewed manifestation Of III VIII
tnyard .'pcridiouS Albion" such Ill viii is I'M
reasonable. and II T. not likely ever 10 take
more serious form than verbal expression
II il none the less dcplorablc, as is everything
that tends against international confidence ana
friendship II Is y pity France cannot or viii
not see how tilc ground indeed. how much
less than none she really has for grievance
against England. True. She allowed herself 10
he oycrrcachcd in Egypt But where else has
shr NOT herself oVcrrcachcd England in these
later years The histories of Siam. of the Soul
dan ~ the Congo. Of the Senegal. Of the Niger.
~ Madagascar are nothing but histories OF Eng
lish losses and French gains Surely these more
than countcrbalancc Egypt For sentimental
reasons. perhaps. France might covct Egypt
above them AL But sentiment should scarcely
count in the great game Of grab. In that game
in this generation. France has been the WIN
mcr. and she should he satisfied