The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-04-22
IT WILL COME TRUE.
Slatin Pacha's Prophecy as to the
Future of the Khalifa.


been fierce lighting ut Omdurman, near
Khartoum, the headquarters Of the kha-
lifa.
The details OF the engagement and Its
cause are not known. but the reports say
that 500of the khslifa's bodyguard has been
killed and that his forces are disheartened.
This news Is considered to favor the ad-
vance OF the Anglo-Egyptian forces upon
Dongola, and TO indicate that the jeal-
ousies which have been frequently re-
ported rs existing among the khalifa's
lieutepar--are bearing fruit. The work
of sendin. troops TO the front. supplying
them with food and ammunition, build
ing the strategic railroad, and fortifying
Akasheh is going on with promptncss and
emoothDesS
II there has been fighting among the
khalifos troops, as reported, Slatin
Pachas prophecy Is fulfilled. But q fow
months after tho fall of Khartoum the
mahdi ted Following out the arrange
ment tho khalifa Abduleah reigned in
his stead Inc death OF the mahdi so
plainly falsified his prophecies as TO him
self that the element Of religious fanati-
cism in the Kahdists weakened steadily
from the day of the announcement that
uc itu ulttt. fiftN ttit fHfiiA0 oVOh btSaiho
an ordinary Oriental dcspot
The chief cause OF the successes OF the
Madhists was thus gone forever. While
all the forms and ceremonies instituted by
the mahdi are kept up, and while thou
sands OF pilgrims visit his tomb daily. fear,
in the opinion of Slatin Pscha, has more
TO do with it than piety. For the kba-
lifA realizes that this religious idea is his
principal excuse for existing. and strives
TO keep the people I'm subsection TO 1t.
The mahdi was ignorant, but he could
at least read and write his native Arabic.
But the khalifa can neither read nor write.
He looks upon all education with horror.
He believes only In the most brutal ignor-
ance. He has no idea OF improvement of
any kind. He does not wish his people to
communicate with the outside world in
any way. lie is enormously vain, believ-
ing implicitly that the whole earth does
nothing bat think OF him and tremble at
che thought.
In Hard Luck.
He has had nothing but reverses In his
wars with surrounding people. He has
seen large per cent of his people carried
away by pestilence and has seen the most
terrible diseases prey upon the rest, reduc-
ing his subjects to physical condition
that is almost incredibly wretched. But
these things please him, because he thinks
there Is less chance Of effective rebellion
against him.
He lives shut up In Omdurman, sur
rounded by guards, and spending good
part Of the time in his harem. Also he
goes to prayers five times day. and COM
pels everyone else TO do the same, en-
forcing this rule by u system of espionage
thai makes frien dship impossible in the
6oudan. because every man knows that
his neighbor is spy.
Prosperous dist ricts, with teeming
population, have been reduced to desert
wastes, Inhabited only by wild beasts
The great plnrs over which the western
Arab noinads once ronmed are deserted,
while the noinesteads Of the Nile dwellers
are now occupied by those nomad
tribes, who have driven out III rlghtful
owners of the soil or enslaved them. The
once comparatively civilized Soudan is
now occupied NJ barbaric power hostile
70 both European and Ottoman influence.
The khalifa's throne is defended by a
standing army OK about 100. 900 men. 40
600 Of whom are fairly well armed with
rifles There are e0yO cavalry and 60, 600
hAo ktSoS bAiA VI Nalt b4Iul-ilTIllcu with
swords and spears. When the mahdi was
alive and fsnatioism burned in the heart
of every soldier. the Mahdist army in
spired well.groanded fear In the Europeans
that fought against it. for every soldier
would 1Sht unsil he died and flight Hyas
unknown.
But now all this Is changed. and there is
good reason TO belisye that the Europeans
are exaggerating the courage OF the Nah.
dists of today. The Mahdist empire IS
doomed. For even while Satin Pasha
was prisoner there were almost daily
conspiracies, and the khalifa was always
engaged In suppressing some revolt, while
the tribes that once formed the outermost
limits OF the empire have shaken OF their
allegiance. As long as the Mahdist stands
guard the great ieriile garden OF Africa is
shut of from civilization and from every
otviiizing inhuenos.