Page:On the Desert - Recent Events in Egypt.djvu/27

Rh poor fellaheen furnished the rank and file, but all the officers were Turks or Circassians. Thus the Egyptians were ground between the upper and the nether millstone. There was no place for them in the army except as common soldiers, nor in any department of the Government. They could only be hewers of wood or drawers of water to their foreign masters. Out of this double or triple grievance — this Anglo-French-Turkish oppression — grew up the National Party of Egypt: a party which was inspired chiefly by jealousy of foreigners, against whom it raised the rallying cry of "Egypt for the Egyptians."

The first demonstration that brought Arabi Bey to the front as the leader of the National or military party, was not against the English or the French, but against the Turks. In making some promotions in the army, the Minister of War, who was himself a Turk, had given every position of importance to a Turk or a Circassian, utterly ignoring the Arabs, who naturally resented this public degradation, and against which Arabi, who was then but a Bey (a Colonel), and two others of the same rank, united in making a respectful but decided protest. For this remonstrance they were summoned to the Ministry of War. They obeyed, but suspecting foul play, left word with their regiments, if they did not return in two hours, to come and release them by force. At the War Office they were immediately placed under arrest, and as they did not return, their regiments, true to the command, appeared in arms and broke open the doors, and drove out the Minister of War, releasing their Colonels, and carrying them off in triumph. The Khedive, instead of punishing them, condoned their offence, and showed that he rather sympathized with thew sense of wrong, by dismissing the obnoxious Minister.

Of course a man who had thus bearded the lion in his den, became immensely popular with the army. He was