EGYPT. 



237 



The arbitrary and ignoble treatment of the 

 Fellaheen by the officers of the law led him to 

 ponder on a reform in the administration of civil 

 justice by which human rights and the prin- 

 ciples of justice should be respected all over 

 Egypt. The idea of inciting the army to de- 

 mand popular reforms was conceived by Araby 

 Bey and his fellow-officers in the reign of Is- 

 mail, but they doubted their success against 

 his organized power and ruthless will. When 

 the step was once taken, Araby Bey was the 

 chosen director of this new and dangerous po- 

 litical force. He possessed the unmeasured 

 confidence of the army, and soon won the de- 

 votion of the people. In the spring he gained 

 the ear of the Khedive, and persuaded him of 

 the necessity for certain reforms in the army. 

 In September a military revolution was ef- 

 fected, and the attempt to establish a Pretorian 

 rule of the army over the affairs of the country 

 was for the time being a success. Riaz Pasha's 

 tenure of the premiership had some time be- 

 fore grown insecure. His possible successors 

 were Sherif Pasha and Nubar Pasha, both 

 Egyptian statesmen of pre-eminent standing and 

 distinguished services. Sherif Pasha has held 

 every one of the ministerial portfolios at one 

 time or another, and has been several times 

 prime minister. Though educated in Paris, he 

 is a stanch Mohammedan. He comes from a 

 distinguished family, and bears an unimpeached 

 character for probity. Nubar Pasha is the most 

 widely known of the native statesmen. He 

 was the originator of the international tribunals, 

 and his high talents and broad, statesmanlike 

 views have gained the respect of Europe. The 

 French consul-general, Baron de Ring, an able 

 but ambitious man, agitated for the downfall 

 of the Riaz ministry, and, coming into conflict 

 with the French comptroller, was called to an- 

 other post. Riaz Pasha was particularly objec- 

 tionable to the army and the national agita- 

 tors. He was held responsible for the custom 

 of promoting foreigners, to the exclusion of 

 native talent. He was a foreigner himself, a 

 Circassian, and his expressed preference for 

 Turkish and Circassian officers in the higher 

 commands, as possessing more military talent 

 and experience, rendered him obnoxious to the 

 army. The practice of passing the Arab offi- 

 cers in making promotions was discontinued 

 after the demonstration in February. There 

 were s;;me two thousand army officers in 

 Egypt, the majority of them without com- 

 mands. They were a unit in the present 

 movement, and their influence over the rank 

 and file was complete. 



The Khedive had himself come into conflict 

 with Riaz Pasha. He had insisted on certain 

 measures which Riaz had opposed and slighted. 

 The Khedive declared that ho would assume 

 the presidency of his council himself. He thus 

 came to be counted with the growing party 

 which was agitating for the fall of Riaz, and 

 was associated with, although he gave no sign 

 of encouragement to, the revolutionary army 



party who were seeking with threats of mili- 

 tary violence to have the numerous and high- 

 paid foreign officials replaced by native Egyp- 

 tians, and otherwise curtail the privileges ac- 

 corded to foreigners. One of the complaints 

 was that the foreigners who were amassing 

 wealth in Cairo and Alexandria were practically 

 exempt from taxation. The special grievances 

 of the army the threatened reduction of the 

 forces, the miserable pay, the appointment of 

 unpopular and supercilious Turkish officers, etc. 

 were more immediately felt. Among all tho 

 national aspirations no demand was uttered for 

 the abolition of the comptrollership. The 

 Khedive proposed to the recalcitrant colonels 

 that they make a declaration of their alle- 

 giance. Araby signed such a protest of loy- 

 alty, but his colleagues refused. The military 

 party had, since the affair of February, insisted 

 on the retirement of the Riaz Cabinet, and on 

 certain reforms in the military service. 



On the forenoon of the 9th of February the 

 Minister of War, Daoud Pasha, was handed a 

 document signed by Araby Bey, demanding the 

 dismissal of the ministry, a constitution, and 

 the increase of the army to 18,000, and stating 

 that the troops would appear before the Abdin 

 Palace in the afternoon, and remain there until 

 their demands were satisfied, unless sooner ap- 

 prised of the assent of the Khedive. The Vice- 

 roy, on the advice of Comptroller Colvin and 

 Riaz, proceeded to summon the loyal troops in 

 person to resist the insurgents. At the stated 

 hour 4,000 troops with 18 cannon marched to 

 the palace, and when the Khedive returned he 

 found them drawn up around it. Colvin ad- 

 vised him to advance and arrest the leader. 

 Tevfik commanded Araby to dismount, which 

 he did, sheathing his sword. But, instead of 

 ordering him into arrest, the Khedive asked 

 him his business. Araby Bey replied : " We 

 come for law and justice ; so long as you give 

 us both, you are our Effendina ; if not, wo 

 have your successor ready." Through several 

 foreign representatives, who performed the 

 part of intermediators, along parley took place. 

 The end of the Khedive's deliberations was, 

 that he agreed to a change of ministers, and 

 promised to submit the other points to the 

 Porte. The insurgents objected to the names 

 proposed by the Viceroy for chief of Cabinet, 

 and insisted on Sherif Pasha. Upon his agree- 

 ing to invite Sherif to form a Cabinet, and de- 

 livering to the insurgents a letter conferring 

 the appointment, which was read to the soldiers 

 by Colonel Araby Bey, the troops marched to 

 their quarters. 



Sherif Pasha was at first reluctant to accept 

 office under such circumstances. The nego- 

 tiations with the troops were continued the 

 following day, and then broken off'. An As-' 

 sembly of Notables gathered at Cairo, through 

 whose intervention it was arranged that Sherif 

 Pasha should form a ministry, with Mahmoud 

 Sami as Minister of War, that the reforms in 

 the military regulations demanded should be 



