The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1896-06-09
WAR on THE pKRvIsHrs.

II may be too early 20 assume tnat the
Dsrvfshes viii be beztsn. bat the FIRST en-
gagemsat with the British TROOPS has re-
suited tn Northern Africa just as - seems
20 have done In Southern Africa. Brays
q the men seem 20 be and reckless Of
Their lives. a. ali Muss1imass are "a re-
iig:oss var. victory follows IL the wake Of
shrzpneI and the seaGly hatI from Maxirls.
The Iozs OF Emir Hamnuda. WHO was
ons OF the favorstes OF the Khaiisa. will Be
. sewers blow TO the Dervfshes and Cts
their thousand men- He rad been put at
~. head % tire FIRST force 70 be engaged
because Of bis supposed military ability,
but even more as ore who had been en-
eossd By RhsIffa Abdullah with spiritual
authority.
the Khalsfa was dead. but even II he were
great paias would be taken 20 conceal the
fact until the war was over. The Mahdi
had been lead long before the fact became
known. Whether he is dead or alive. u Is
becoming known that there is great dissat-
.sfaction with the government he has In
stftuted
Reports Of Abduilsh'z great prowess.
wisdom and wealth had been industriously
spread by his agents. who were located at
every point Of Northeastern Africa. An
the Egyptian forces. participating In the
campaign under English direction. made
their way into the interior they found
that With all his power the EhaIifa was
fetestec. One version is that he rules the
sousan with a roo Of iron. is cruel anf
treaeheroas. ane that While pretending 10
be patron Of al the virtues. his private
life is one OF unspeakabie vfieress.
siatin Pasha. who was the captive and
practically the slave OF Abdullah for
nearly fourteen years. had irnbibed that
idea even with his limited range OF OBJ
servation. and IL IL confirmed by later
revelations Satin Pasha declares that
the government OF the Rhsnfa Is detested
by thousands who would han with re-
,oicing the overthrow Of his rule. At the
same tine he asserts. what Is indeed self
evident. that the overthrow of Mahdisn
must come from without. The inhabst-
ants are disarned and disorgauized. and
the punishment Of unsuccessful rebellion
IL too frightfui TO be rfsked. They must
be convinced that the Khallfs's power Is
doomed. and that those wholhave come
out 10 eave than viii not again draw
back and expose them TO the savage cru
city OF a merciiess and Infatuated mas
ter. Once satisfied OF this, they will
heartily throw in their lot he affirms.
with the advancing forces. and lend
their aid In breaking down the power OF
the now waning Mahdiss empire"
II seems probable that. even before the
Mahdfs death. the religious character OF
the movement, had degsnerated TO some
extent lie had left sons and relatives.
and had named two other Khalifas in
succession to Abdullsh. who himself as
pires TO form a dynasty. In these cir
cums,ances. Abdullah prudently resolved
| TO strengthen the force OF his spiritual
arms By invoking the assistance OF his
own tribe. He invited them 20 come and
posssss the land They came and he
cleared a quarter OF the city for their
reception. Fayors OF all kinds were heap
! ed upon them, and they we're suffered 20
| Cypress and maitreat the inhabitants OF
| the Nile valley. This treatment aroused
| Jealousy. "a was inevitabie. among other
| OF the Taaisha at omdnrmAn. a serious
conspiracy took place amongst the Ash
raf In which two of the Mahdrs sons
we're implicated. The Khalifa gets rid Of
hts enemies by the familiar arts OF ty-
| rants Suspected tribes are dispatched on
| distant and dangerous expeditions 20 be
| Sseimafsd by disease and war. Suspect
| ed individuals are made away with by
means OF false witnesses and corrupt trt-
| bunAis. or. II all else fails. by death sen
tsnes pronounced hy the Khallfa himself
as the direct result OF divine Inspiration.
| Tribes openly hostile are exterminated
! wholesale. the men are put 20 the sword
| the women are divided between the tyrant
| and his Emirs AS consequence Of this
kind OF rule the power OF the Khaiifa
! now depends almost entirely on the sup
/ port OF the TaagshA and the other western
tribes OF the cid Emirs OF the Mahdi.
| osman psgua s. almost the only survivor.
and he has been In authority because the
| western Arabs cannot speak the language
| os the tribes he governs.
This Is very different picture to that
| which the Rhalifs's ernisssries painted 50
| graphically. az tnk whole people being
united In pious fersor with a determine
| ton 20 annihliate the dogs OF Christians"
| II wEi make great differences. too. In
| the outcome OF Tire war.
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