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Khedive
‘Isma`iyl
collected the money of the Mudiyriyat (provinces) six months
before his deposition! Latiyf afterwards avowed his part
in the affair. Latiyf was put in prison but released on application
of the freemasons to Nuwbar, Tawfiyq Pasha, when he
succeeded Isma`iyl by his first act made public promise of
a Constitution. You ask me whether he was sincere in this. He never was
sincere, but he was a man incredibly weak, who never could say "no,"
and he was under the influence of his Minister, Shariyf Pasha,
who was a sincere lover of free forms of government. Tawfiyq in
his father's reign, had amassed money, which was what he cared for most,
by receiving presents from persons who had petitions to make, and who thought
he could forward their ends. He had no wish for a Constitution, but he
could not say "no" when Shariyf pressed him. So he promised.
Two months later he
fell under the stronger influence of the Consuls, who forbade him to decree
it. On this Shariyf called the Ministers together, and they
all gave him their words of honor that they would resign with him if he
resigned. And so it happened. But some of them, notwithstanding their promise,
joined Riyad Pasha when he became Prime Minister
in
Shariyf's
place. In order to persuade them Riyadengaged that each Minister
should be supreme in his own department, and that they would not allow
Tawfiyq
to interfere in any way with the administration.
Mahmuwd
Samiy al-Baruwdiy joined him as Minister of the 'Awqaf,`Aliy
Mubarak as Minister of Public Works, and `Uthman Pasha
Rifqiy a Turk of the old school, who hated the fallahiyn
(Egyptian peasants), was made Minister of War.
The
new government was a tyrannical one. Hasan Muwsa al-`Aqqad,
for signing a petition against the breaking of the Muqabalah
arrangement,
was exiled to the White Nile, and Ahmad Fahmiy for another
petition, and many other people were got rid of who incurred the displeasure
of the Ministers. Of all the Ministers the worst was `Uthman
Rifqiy
We
colonels were now once more with our regiments, and as native Egyptians
subject to much oppression. On any pretext a fallah officer would
be arrested, and his place filled by a Circassian. It was the plan to weed
the whole army of its native officers. I was especially in ill favor because
I had refused to allow my men to be taken from their military duty and
put to dig the Tawfiqiyah Canal, which it was the practice to make
them do without extra pay. Plans were made to involve me in some street
quarrel with the view to my assassination, but through the love of my soldiers
I always escaped. All officers who were not Circassians were in danger,
and all were alarmed. It was thus that `Aliy Fahmiy, who was a fallaaH
born, though through his wife connected with the Court, came to join us,
for he feared he, too, would be superseded. He was Colonel of the 1st
Regiment of Guards, and stationed at `Abdiyn , I was at al-`Abbasiyah
with the 3rd Regiment, and `Abd al-`Al Hilmiy was
at Turrah.
(To be continued)
Excerpt
from "The Wind and the Whirlwind"
Poem
by Wilfrid Scawen Blunt.
"Oh
men, who are my brethern, my soul's kindered!
That which our fathers
dreamed of as a dream,
The sun of peace
and justice has arisen
And Allah shall
work in you His perfect scheme.."
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