New-York tribune., 1899-06-11
NETWORK TRIBUNE ILLUSTRATED SUPPLEMENT.

among the convicts detained there being some
thing terrible. Moreover the discipline. the su-
pervison and the management Of the convcu
as execrable in French Guiana as in
New-Caledonia. and far be seen the
only object which the French Government at
tains by deporting its habtual criminals across
the sea is that they die off about ten times al
fast in the colonies as would be the case If they
had remained interned in pententiaries at home.
The horrors of the Spanish penal settlements
and convict prisons at Ceuta and at Fernando
Po. on the coast Of Africa, have been too fire.
quently described OF late in connection with tho
suTerings undergone by Cuban patriots to need
more than passing reference here. They are
without exception the most horrible infernos Of
the kind that remain in existence, and are
disgrace to any civilized and Christian country.
In fact. they are infinitely more terrible than
anything in connection with Russia's Siberian
exile system. either present or past, and have no
counterpart save in the fostering dungeons OF
the barbarous Sultan Of Morocco.
HOW MIDHAT PACHA WAS MURDERED.
Geographically speaking. Turkey belongs to
Europe although neither its ruler nor yet IL
governing classes lay claim to any share IN
European civilization and enlightenment They
are Orientals indeed in every sense Of the word
and it is probably on that account that they de-
port political and criminal offenders to the re-
mote regions Of Tripoli and to the towns and
villages on the banks Of the Euphrates and of
the Tigris whore they are at liberty to work
their own sweet will upon the eXiles without any
inoOnvenent questions being asked or protests
offered by European and American consuls or
missionaries. Only those who like myself, have
had the opportunity Of hearing from the mouth
Of an eyewitness the story Of how Mdhat
Pacha. that enlightened Turkish statesman who
was Prime Minister of Turkey and an honored
and welcomed guest at every court in Europe.
had his brains beaten out with the butt end ot
the rifles Of his guards Bagdad. will be
able to appreciate the fact why whenever an
Ottoman dignitary or a Christian banker Of Con-
stantinople or Smyrna is reported as eXiled his
relatives at orce mourn him as dead.
Let me add that until 1852 the Egyptian Gov
eminent was in the habit Of deporting its con-
vcts and political offenders to Fashoda, that
fever-stricken town on the Nile which became
so famous last autumn in connection with Major
Marchand's forced withdrawal. AS the journey.
however. from Alexandria and Cairo to Fashoda
in those days occupied several months. and was
extremely costly, it was customary 10 strange
or cut the throats Of the exilcs a few days after
leaving Assouan in order TO save both time and
exrensa That was why exile TO Fashoda was
REGARDED as equivalent to death warrant the
last notable case that can recall being that OF
Sadyk Paoha the all-powerful Minister OF
Financa Of old Khedive Ismail He bore the
title Of the Mouffetish
sADYK PACIIA's END.
When the Khedive learned through the
trcachery Of his Minister'S Austrian private sec
retary, that His EXcelency had resolved to
make a clean breast to the international COM
mission Of inquiry then Investigating the dark
mysteries Of Egyptian finance, he invited him TO
supper on board the Khedivial steam yacht lying
OF Cairo on the Nile. Poor Salyk Pacha was