ENGLISH INCENDIARISM IN EGYPT.
TO THE EDITOR or THE SPECTATOR,
Hitt November.
Sett—I have observed, in a Government print, certain half-prophecies of an intended rising of the Egyptian population against their ruler ; which, coupled with the efforts making in the same quarter to damage the character of ME- IIESIET ALI-, induced Inc to ask, whether it be possible that British agency can be secretly and indirectly at work to produce the event predicted ? It is pretty well known that our Ambassador at Constantinople has long been actuated by strong feelings of hatred towards the Pasha,—witness his over-hasty zeal in the matter of his deposition by the Sultan ; and should he or our cotnmanders on the Egyptian coast secretly instigate the subjects of MEDENIET Arr to re- volt, what will be the consequences? That his authority and life might be easily sacrificed, I have no doubt : nor is this, with inc, an idea of to-day, formed without opportunities of judging. Three years ago, whiist travelling in Egypt, I stated, in a letter to a British Cabinet Minister, my belief that a couple of thousand French or English troops, landed in Egypt, would sufhea to overturn the government of the Pasha, whose system of centralization and personal aggrandizement had rendered hint extremely Aulnerable to the attacks of a discontented people. A successful blow struck at Cairo or Alexandria would leave no other authority to contend against in Egypt. • But one of two things would be the consequence of the destruction of Miiiinnor ALI : either the country must be occupied by an European power, or another MEnunE'r ALI nntst arise to gather up the reins of sovereignty, and rule as he is doing. No other elements of govoMment exist in Egypt. The first effects of a successful revolt of the Fellith population would probably be a fearful glutting of the revengeful passions of a timid but cruel race. Towns and villages would be sacked, and every functionary and tool of MEDEMET ALI given up to torture and death: all the horrors of anarchy would ensue; to crown wldch, the fierce tribes of the surrounding deserts, now kept in awe by the terror of the Pasha's name, would pour in upon the defenceless inhabitants of the valley of the Nile, to satiate their lust of plunder and blood, Are they who speculate upon the prospect of such a state of things pre pored to find a government for a people destitute of even those materials for holding society together which the feudal system in its most barbarous (him, or the existence of even the rudest municipal institutions, affords ? If England attempted, even in a spirit of disinterestddness, (for which no other nation would, however, give her credit,) to interfere, under such circumstances, in !selloff of the popu- lation, the jealousy of France would be excited, and we should infallibly pro- voke at general war. Nay, Sir, if we should even be detected intriguing, or fbmenting revolt in Egypt, as we have done in Syria, in India, and now are doing in China, will not such a course endanger the peace of Europe ? Our aristocratic rulers are sowing the seeds of war : the people—the overtaxed and bread-taxed people—will, I fear, sooner or later reap the iron harvest. Appeals have been perseveringly made by the Minming Chronicle to our sym- pathies in behalf of the subjects of MEnsmsr Ass ; whose condition has been described, and justly described, to lie abject in the extreme. Upon this sub- ject I recollect, whilst in Egypt, having written home at some length, institut- ing a comparison between the physical sufferings of the Egyptians and those of the Irish peasantry, amongst whom I had spent some part of the previous winter. The conclusion at which I was forced to arrive, very much against; my will, was, that there were a million and a half of the Irish population en- during physical sufferings, from a rigorous climate, had thud, disease, and pre- mature death, of greater severity than the same number of pen*, limning the peasant class, were undergoing in Egypt. Take as proofs—that all Mtaissisr A it's subjects have sufficient !tread to cat at all times, of a quality (the dourha cakes) which English travellers are willing to partake of whilst, in respect tia. the economy of their houses, the goats and buffaloes are lodged in yards or separate sheds, instead of living with the families after the thshion of the pigs in Ireland. Should we not then do better to bestow our sympathies upon those who, whilst standing more in need of them, have a prior claim upon its for good government, rather than carry them to distant countries, towards which no such responsibility exists?
For your satisfaction I send you my name, and subscribe myself
A NON-INTERYENTIONIST IN THE AFFAIRS Or OTHER COUNTRIES.
[The name of the writer is one of high pa l& and personal authority.--En.]
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