The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1898-04-26
THE KHALIFA.
a Pen Picture of EngIand's Great
Enemy In the Egyptian soudaa.

as he does the astounding triumph OF
what all men. until few years ago. were
agreed to consider the most utterly lost
of all causes. We must regret the VIC
tories of Mahdism at the expense OF the
British arms, but IL is difficult 70 repTes5
satisfaction over the resurrection of 50
picturesque a phoenix. and impossible not
to admire its vigOr and glamour. All
glory, then, to Abdullahi. who. out Of the
cold embers, amid remote and barbarOus
race. has called into being vast empire.
with the venerable watchwOTds: God
and the King.' All hail 90 the divine in
strument who has choked. so far az least
as 100000 square miles is concerned, the
mOnstrOus growth Of an Over-hasty civili-
cation,
i exaggerate, Of course. But 7 seek to
point moral. and you shall therefore ex-
euse me. The Khalifa is a fanatic; he
has shed much blood in the holy name %
religion; he is a despOt: worst Of all. he
kills commerce. Thus. too. do many other
empire-makers, revered in unison by pos
terity. But may you forget the limita-
tions Of his environment. Without force
and fervOr. aye. and cunning sometimes
akin to treacheFy, he had succumDed long
ago IL is not every man who can ride
whirlwind and direct a storm. nor may
we deny him the use of the curb. Like
many another hero. he may only be read
as his enemies have translated him. but
even through the jaundiced vision % a
Slatin or an Ohrwalder we may still
descry much that is admirable.
We know the greatness Of tne Mdhdi
and Slatin tells how Abdullahi was the
Mahdfs chief adviser and mainstay. the
organizer Of his victrOies: the real con-
queror at KhartOum. We know the piety
of the Mahdi. and we md MS knalifa
surprising him in austerity. We nave
evidence OF the MahdTs deep insight into
the character Of men. ana we nave MS
prOcama ton: "Abdullahi Is Of me and 1
am OF him Behave with all reverence 20
him. and you do TO me: submit 10 him -
you submit 10 me. and believe in MIN -
you believe in me: rely on ali ne saws.
and never qestiOn any OF his proceedings.
All those VINO believe IN Bod.
and in me. must also believe IN him. ami
should any one notice anything apparent
ly wrong in him. they should attrtDute
it 70 a mystery which they cannOt under
stand. and that. therefore 10 must ~
right How refreshing Is TINS Iast SON
tence- which deserves 70 be inscribed m
letters OF gold upon the tombs OF al
great Kings! And II encourages a Deuet
IN human nature 70 Obserre how ratth-
fully the Rhalifa requited This uapna,,.
nous trust. The Nahdis gospel. ike
that OF the Christ. was gospel Of "a.
nunciauOn. and AbdulIah's whole career
oreathed spirit OF self-abnegatiou- ana
entire ievOtiOn To his masters inter-
ests. When the Mahdi lay a-dying Az
duilahi tended him with the tenderness
OF mother. never quitting his bedside
py night or day. ana the prophets Lass
words breathed affection and condolences
In the wOrthiness Of his successor.
The khalifa's character is a strange
medley Of sentiment and austertty Of i'm
pulse and calculation. of generosity and
severity. Surrounded By cOuspirators h
has owed il TO himself and his mission to
make short work Of them. But he IL
ever Teady-sOmetimes even too ready
10 pardon those who can convince him Of
their cOntritiOn- Slatin Pdcha. who. by
his own showing. cOnspired the whole
while he was reiterating promises Of IL
deity. was only shut up al the time OF
the siege Of khartOum. when his trpach-
cry was really dangerous. and after
ward he was loaded with as il seems.
undeserved favOFs Sldtin had severely
punished men for FAR less. and I can but
marvel at the Khalifa's clemency when
| reflect what had been his lot had the
positions been reversed. Though he was
astute enough to detect Slatins deceit
his heart melted when he saw the traitor
limp upon bruised feet. again and again
he was moved TO show him the confidence
Of brother. warning him against his
enemies. and helping him 10 justify him
self however speciOuSly. Though he
judges very quickly. often by mere iutuf-
ton, which rarely fails him he has ~
keen a sense of fair play as any Br.tou.
However black a case may be he rarely
condemns a man uDheard. OF then only
when words are supererogatory. He is
fond of exh0Tting his followers TO sin
Cerity and honesty. nor do his acts be-
tray his words. Once he actually allowed
one of his emirs 70 hale him before the
Cadi. and when the case fell through
miserdbly. pard0ned his adversary after
a days imprisonment. SOlaCinE him with
new raiment and a new wife. He had
the Puritan's hatred OF what he calls
earthly pleasures. such as dancing and
playing. he Furnishes bad language with
eighty lsshes for every naughty word.
and the use of tobacco or date --ine is
visited with kind of prasmunirr- Yet
/ he i always smiling he does not deSpise
| the pleasures of the table, his harem has
| four hundred inmates.
| He wears humble raiment as evidence
| of simple tastes. but he has a sense Of
| dramatic display which does nor belle
| the pose See his braves when they beat
| the loud drum. named 81 mOnsuTa. "tha
| victorious" or shake their spears and
| roar. Fl shan Allah wa Rasulahu"
/ tF9r God and His Prophet-l behold hfn
/ force his horse into the Nile, drawing
/ his sword and pointing to the east As
| he shouts -Alahu akbar, Alahu akbart"
| C"GOd is GreattD; and. despite their rag
| ged wooden raiment and patchwork
quilts they impose as does no arniI-
| ment of Europe however Elittertng and
| befrQgged. As was said OF the Duke OF
| Wellington when he appeared at c0drt
| function the only man without an order
| on his breast "Cest magui6que ca"
| He forbids with all severity mourning
| for the dead. who, if believers. are as
sUred of bliss. and. IL un0elievers. are
unworthy of regret. Yet. when his mas
| ter died and he first assembled the put
pit as his successor. he could not re-
strain his emotion; we are told that
| great tears rolled down his cheeks as
/ with a trembling voice. he began TO ad-
| dress the multitude" Though proud and
| sensitive Of praise or blame. he has never
| condescended 10 Jealousy. and there was
| never any surer passport to his favor
| than to express in his hearing admira-
/ ton for the MahdL
The Khalifa affords stupendOus object
| lesson Of the futiIity of education Though
he can scarcely read or write. there are
| few 20 compare with him "a a diplOmatist
and an administrator He may not vie
with merchants in political economy "a
when they accepted his debased currency
and then raised their prices. but his
strong hand has always proved a ready
match for every quibbler. Better than
the very Kaiser, he has revived theories
of patriarchal government. The following
excerpt from one of his sermons might
be marked as a model at POtsdam: Obey
nv orders. and the joys of Paradise will
be yours. Those who are disObedient and
do not take heed To my words, are lost;
for them. as for the disbeliever. eter-
nal damnation and hell fire are prepared