The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1910-02-27
.EGYPT'S MURDERED PREMIER
First Member of Depised Race Occupy the Office of Re-
gent of the Land of the Nile.

hatred even 10 those who knew him only
by name.
It Is probable that his successor as
prime minister will be Hussein Pasha
Fakhry, now minister OF finance. and
who has held cabinet Office or and of
for the greater part of the last twenty
five years. He is a man Of over sixty,
who has lived down certain episodes of
his younger days. notably public horse
whipping which he received on the shou-
brah Drive and who, favorably known to
several members of the reigning house
of England, has at least the advantage in
the eyes Of his countrymen Of being a
Moslem and of excellent Turkish family,
instead of Copt
The low opinion Of the Copts enter
tanned by the Moslems OF Egypt is shared
by most of the foreigners who have
taken the trouble TO study this peculiar
irace. Lane, in his classic work entitled
Modern Egyptians" describes them as
OF 'sulien temper. extremely avaricious,
and abominable dissembIers, cringlng
or domineering, according 10 circur-
stances and in another place as gen
lerally ignorant. deceitful, faithless, and
abandoned to the pursuit OF worldly gain
and to indulgence In sensual pleasures"
Sir John Bowring declares them to be
the Pariahs of the Egyptian people.
and adds that "intoxication Is a frequent
vice among the Copts." cOnsttu.'cg a
Idispleasing contrast TO the sobriety of the
followers Of the prophet Even Lord
Cromer, in his mastery book published
two years ago. entitled Modern Egyp.,"
refers in a sighting and conteapuous
manner 10 the moral character of the
Copt, asserting that far from the Copt,
with his 1,500 years of Christianity behind
him. indicating any superiority Of moral
Quality to the Mosem. he is inferior to
the latter, and he briefly mentions the
name OF Boutres Pasha, "a Copt Of
marked ability and "a capable man." as
a rare exception to the rest of his race.
For the Copts are not only a church,
but also people apart. Ethnologically
speaking. they may be described as the
aborigines OF Egypt. and are descended
| from the old race which inhabited the
/ Land OF the Nile in the time of the Ro-
man and Byzantine rule, prior to the
Moslem conquest. Their name indicates
the antiquity of their descent. For az the
commencement OF the Christian era Greek
was the language spoken in the country.
which was known by the Hellenic name
OF 'AiguptOs." and 10 this day "Ghubt"
that is TO say, a corruption Of the Greek
rendering OF the word "Egypt'-is used
IN Arabic to designate those among the
natives who have kept aloof through
these many centuries from their Moslem
conquerors and who preserve intact their
religion and their nationality.
The Coptie tongue, which for the last
200 years has been virtually dead as far
as popular use is concerned, is believed
to have been the original Egyptian IAN
guage. Written with Greek letters. Il IS
merely employed nowadays In divine
service, and while IT is quite incomure-
hensible to Coptic iaymen, who content
themselves with Arabic. it is doubtful
whether one in a hundred Of the Coptie
clergy understand what they are called
upon 70 read or recite in their liturgy.
Still further evidence Of the descent of
the copts from the aboriginal Egyptians
Is furnished by their peculiar facial char
acteristics. which are almost identical
with those found in the seulptured relies
Of the times Of the Pharaohs. They form
nowhere a compact population, but are
scattered all over the country. mostly in
small communities, and are usually found
occupying the positions OF clerk. trader.
banker, and especially money lender.
Indeed. they have a sort OF hereditary
taste for calculation. and are famed as a
race for their cleverness in everything
where figures are concerned. This has
always been to such an extent recognized
in Egypt that nowadays, as in olden
times. the Mohammedan governor and
provincial authorities have nearly always
had Copt In their employ as clerk. as
cashier, and as collector. With aH that
the Copt has never enjoyed the conf
dence of his employer
The Coptie Church may be said TO
have been founded by q Syrian monk
known as Jacob FL Baradal IN the fifth
century 1t is monophysitic-that is to
say, it holds that there is but one nature
in Christ. Monophysitism was condemned
as heresy by the Council of Chaleedon
in 451. and from that time forth attempts
were made by the Byzantine empire. TO