Slavery as Religion in Egypt.
A recent traveler in Egypt sends us the following illustration of the endless difficulties the Khedive has to overcome in the slow progress of interior reform. Indignant that slavery should still flourish in his realm, Tewfik Pasha wished to decree its abolition in advance of the stipulations of our treaty with Egypt, which gives them from 1884-1889 respectively, but before taking such an important step, he sent and consulted the Sheik-ni-Islam. Though fully sharing the views of the temporal ruler, that slavery was an abomination, the ecclesiastic objected to its wholesale abolition on the ground that the emancipation of individual slaves was one of the most meritorious of acts, and that the Prophet had conceded this right to his followers as a means of atoning for their sins. In other words, that slavery must be maintained, as slaves are required as humane conscience-money to whitewash Mussulman backsliders, and the Khedive has not the power to deprive the faithful of divine privilege. This happened as recently as July last. Tewfik Pasha had to submit, and to renounce for the present his project of immediate emancipation.—Pall Mall Gazette.