Does the History of Turkey and Egypt Since 1798 Fulfill the Prophecy of Dan. 11:
By A. G. Daniells
Does the History of Turkey and Egypt Since 1798 Fulfill the Prophecy of Dan. 11: 40-44?—No. 23
WE have now come to a most important event in the line of history we have been tracing—Turkey's loss of national independence in the year 1840. This has never since been regained. Eventually this will lead to the removal of the capital from Constantinople to Jerusalem, where, according to the prophecy, "he shall come to his end, and none shall help him." Dan. 11: 45. Every step in Turkey's history from the point we have now reached, onward to the end, must be of deep interest to the student of the prophecies relating to Turkey. The destruction of the Turkish army, the desertion of the navy, and the half-submissive and conciliatory appeal of Turkey to her rebel vassal, Mehemet Ali, for a settlement of their differences, made it clear to the powers of Europe that Turkey must have help from some source or fall into the hands of Mehemet Ali. They knew that the sultan would rather place himself on the mercy of any European power than to treat with his merciless conqueror. But they all feared to allow any one power to become Turkey's guardian. The delicate and complicated situation then existing is fully explained by the historians. Alison Phillips says:— "The attitude of Russia was for the moment doubtful. She was not averse to an independent agreement between the pasha and the Porte, which would relieve her from her obligations under the treaty of Unkiar-Skelessi, and at the same time would not deprive her of her preponderant position at Constantinople, untrammeled by any concert with the other powers. But this was precisely what the other powers wished to avoid. While commending the conciliatory attitude of the Porte, Marshal Soult therefore wrote to depreciate any negotiations on its part with Mehemet Ali save through the good offices of its allies; and Palmerston wrote strongly to the same effect. As to any possible attempt on the part of Russia to interfere under the treaty of Unkiar-Skelessi, in the event of the Russian fleet entering the Bosporus, the British ambassador was to demand that the British fleet should be allowed to do the same."—"Cambridge Modern History," Vol. IX, pages 562, 563. In order to prevent Egypt, or Russia, or any power from gaining advantages not acceptable to the other powers, and to secure time and opportunity to give the question adequate study, the powers united in sending a note to the sultan requesting the suspension of all negotiations for peace, or the settlement of his difficulties, with any power. Concerning this note, Frazer says:— "On the twenty-seventh July, the ambassadors of the five great powers of Europe—England, France, Prussia, Russia, and Austria—made the following communication to the sultan: 'The undersigned received instructions this morning from their respective governments, in pursuance of which they have the honor of informing the Sublime Porte that the five powers have agreed to discuss and settle together the Eastern Question. They accordingly invite the divan to suspend a definite arrangement without their concurrence, and to confide in the benevolent dispositions of the mediating powers.'"—"Turkey; Ancient and Modern," by R. W. Frazer, page 447. This collective note arrested all negotiations between Turkey and Egypt, and, in fact, between Turkey and all other powers. It also prevented the Egyptian army from making an advance move on Constantinople. The powers were nearly a year discussing the different phases of this question, but, at last, with the exception of France, they reached an agreement, which they signed in London, July 27, 1840. By this treaty Turkey voluntarily surrendered her national independence to the European powers. As this is an event of great interest, and concerning which much has been said and written, we shall here reproduce the most important articles of this treaty, and then trace the history of its execution. "In the Name of the Most Merciful God
"His Highness, the sultan, having addressed himself to Their Majesties, the queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the emperor of Austria, king of Hungary and Bohemia, the king of Prussia, and the emperor of all the Russias, to ask their support and assistance in the difficulties in which he finds himself placed by reason of the hostile proceedings of Mehemet Ali, pasha of Egypt,—difficulties which threaten with danger the integrity of the Ottoman Empire, and the independence of the sultan's throne,—their said Majesties moved by the sincere friendship which subsists between them and the sultan; animated by the desire of maintaining the integrity and independence of the Ottoman Empire, as a security of the peace of Europe; faithful to the engagement which their contract by the collective note presented to the Porte by their representatives at Constantinople, on the twenty-seventh of July, 1839; and desirous, moreover, to prevent the effusion of blood which would be occasioned by a continuance of the hostilities which have recently broken out in Syria between authorities of the pasha of Egypt and the subjects of the sultan. Their said Majesties, and His Highness, the sultan, have resolved for the aforesaid purposes, to conclude together a convention, and they have therefore named as their plenipotentiaries, that is to say, Their Majesties, the queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Right Honorable Henry John Temple, Viscount Palmerston, . . . His Majesty, the emperor of Austria, king of Hungary and Bohemia, the Sieur Phillip, Baron de Neumann, . . . His Majesty, the king of Prussia, the Sieur Henry William, Baron de Bulow, . . . His Majesty, the emperor of all the Russias, the Sieur Philipp, Baron de Brunnow, . . . and His Majesty, the most noble, most powerful, and most magnificent Sultan Abdul-Medjid, emperor of the Ottomans, Chekib Effendi, . . . who having reciprocally communicated to each other their full powers, bound to be in good and due form, have agreed upon and signed the following articles:— "Article 1. His Highness, the sultan, having come to an agreement with Their Majesties . . . as to the conditions of the agreement which it is the intention of His Highness to grant to Mehemet Ali, conditions which are specified in the separate act hereunto annex; Their Majesties engage to act in perfect accord, and to unite their efforts in order to determine Mehemet Ali to conform to that agreement, each of the high contracting parties reserving to itself to cooperate for that purpose according to the means of action which each may have at his disposal. . . . "Art. 2. If the pasha of Egypt should refuse to accept the above-mentioned agreement, which will be communicated to him by the sultan with the concurrence of their aforesaid Majesties, Their Majesties engage to take at the request of the sultan, measures concerted and settled between them, in order to carry that agreement into effect. In the meanwhile, the sultan having requested his said allies to unite with him in order to assist him to cut off the communication by sea between Egypt and Syria and to prevent the transport of troops, horses, arms, and warlike stores of all kinds, from the one province to the other, Their Majesties, the queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, and the emperor of Austria, king of Hungary and Bohemia, engage to give immediately, to that effect, the necessary orders to their naval commanders in the Mediterranean. Their said Majesties further engage that the naval commanders of their squadron shall, according to the means at their command, afford in the name of the alliance all the support and assistance in their power to those subjects of the sultan who may manifest their fidelity and allegiance to their sovereign. . . .6 "Separate act to the convention of the fifteenth of July, 1840. His Highness, the sultan, intends to grant and to cause to be notified to Mehemet Ali, the conditions of the agreement hereinafter detailed. "Section 1. His Highness promises to grant to Mehemet Ali, for himself and his descendants in the direct line, the administration of the pashalic of Egypt; and His Highness promises, moreover, to grant to Mehemet Ali, for his life, with the title of Pasha of Acre, and with the command of the fortress of St. John of Acre, the administration of the southern part of Syria. . . . "The sultan, however, in making these offers, attaches thereto the condition that Mehemet Ali shall accept them within the space of ten days after communication thereby shall have been made to him at Alexandria by an agent of His Highness; and that Mehemet Ali shall, at the same time, place in the hands of that agent the necessary instruction to the commanders of his sea and land forces, to withdraw immediately from Arabia, and from all the holy cities which are therein situated, from the island of Candia, from the district of Adana, and from all other parts of the Ottoman Empire, which are now comprised within the limits of Egypt, and within those of the pashalic of Acre, as above defined. "Sec. 2. If within the space of ten days, fixed as above, Mehemet Ali should not accept the above-mentioned agreement, the sultan will then withdraw the offer of the administration of the pashalic of Acre; but His Highness will still consent to grant to Mehemet Ali, for himself and for his descendants in the direct line, the administration of the pashalic of Egypt, provided such offer be accepted within the space of ten days next following, that is to say, within a period of twenty days, to be reckoned from the date on which the communication shall have been made to him, and provided that in this case also, he places in the hands of the agent of the sultan, the necessary instructions to his military and naval commanders to withdraw immediately within the limits and to the ports of the pashalic of Egypt. . . . "Sec. 7. If, at the expiration of the period of twenty days after the communication shall have been made to him (according to the stipulation of Section 2), Mehemet Ali shall not accede to the proposed agreement, and shall not accept the hereditary pashalic of Egypt, the sultan will consider himself at liberty to withdraw that offer, and to follow, in consequence, such ulterior course as his own interests and the counsels of his allies may suggest to him. . . . "In witness whereof the representatives plenipotentiaries have signed the same and affixed thereto the seals of their arms. "Done at London, the fifteenth day of July, in the year of our Lord, 1840. "(L. S.) PALMERSTON,
"(L. S.) NEUMANN,
"(L. S.) BULOW,
"(L. S.) BRUNNOW,
"(L. S.) CHEKIB." "The Map of Europe by Treaty," by Sir Edward Hertslett, Vol. II, p. 1008.