A telegram was received in London on Monday from Cairo,
which is apparently believed there, announcing the end of the Malidi movement. A General responsible to El Senoussi, the head of the network of military monasteries, now spreadfrom Tripoli to the Congo, has taken Khartoum, and the Mahdi's rule is an at end. That rule, continued under two successive Pretenders, has been one of the strangest episodes in modern history, and the only one which has completely beaten English journalism. Although Mahdism waged two small wars with England, and threatened at one time to change all politics in Asia, the English newspapers never learned anything about it, never got any correspondent into any Mandist city, and usually heard of incidents in its progress three months after their occurrence. The policy of the new victors is not, of coarse, yet known ; but one main feature in it will affect London and Rome materially. The organisation need not attack Egypt unless it likes, though we think it will on two sides at once ; but it absolutely must force a way to the coast, and open free communication with Mecca. El Senoussi may strike at Suakin, or at Massowah, but strike at a port he must, whatever happens. The Mahdi probably knew well enough that he was ruining himself by expeditions to Suakin, but he had no option, and neither will his successor have. We are not out of the Nile Valley yet.
