Why Egyptians Lack Patriotism

During my visit to Egypt - some seven or eight years ago - there was certainly no national ieeling among the Egyptians. Neither they mr their ancestors, for nearly two thousand years, had known native rulers. During all these long centuries they had been the spoil of lloman, Arab, Turk, and Mameluke in turn; f rom none, since the Roman time, had they received protection of life and property, or any national benefits, and it was impossible that patriotism should exist among thern, for there is no patriotism save in a country woi th loving. The conduct of the Egyptian troops in the late Russian war is a proof of this. The few batalions I saw in Egypt were flne-looking troops - well armed, instructed, and eqnipped, with intelligent faces and exeellent physique;yet they proved utterly wortMess, as it seems to me, because they were destitute of that piïde which is inspired by patriotism; for tbem their flag had no meaning, its honor was no concern of theirs. Their conduct in Abyssinia and the Soudan were similar, and no doubt for the same cause. How can valor and patriotism be exnected f rom men whose only knowledge of their government is that derived from the tax-gatherer, the bastinado, and forced labor? The acbievements of that great soldier, lbrahim Pacha, are not in contradiction with this conclusión, because few of his troops were Fellaheen. His conquering armies were mainly composed of Arabs, Syrians, Nubians, Arnauts - in fact, of fighting men from all the neighboring parts of the East, who were reduced to discipline by his stern will, and guided to victory by his great military genius.