Arabi Pasha died in Cairo on Thursday. He was the
leader of the National revolt in 1881-2. He professed loyalty to the Khedive, but rose against him in order to secure the summoning of an Assembly which he believed, sincerely enough, would rid the country of the expensive incubus of Turkish officers and produce a less corrupt and more democratic rule. The Assembly was summoned and rapidly evolved a hopeless state of disorder and bankruptcy. It fell to Arabi to rescue his country if he could, and he took the disastrous course for himself (and, as it turned out, the extremely happy course ultimately for Egypt) of defying Great Britain to assert her just claims. The result was the bombardment of Alexandria, the crushing of the revolt at Tel-el-Kebir by Lord Wolseley, and the beginning of the British administration. Arabi was exiled to Ceylon, and returned to Egypt ten years ago.
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