“ALL WHOM I COMMAND ARE MY CHILDREN.”
We may easily form an idea of the condition of the Egyptians, subject to the oppression of the Mamelukes on the one hand, and the rapacity of the Arabs on the other, when the French entered their territory under Napoleon, announcing themselves as avengers and liberators, as we find by the following occurrence, which has furnished the subject of M. Delorme’s composition.
One day when Buonaparte was surrounded by the grand Sheiks, some one told him that the Arabs of the tribe of Osnadis had entered with an armed band into a village, driven off the herds, and killed an unfortunate fellah, who endeavored to make some resistance. Full of indignation, he ordered 200 dromedaries and 300 horsemen to take the field in pursuit of the guilty party. The Sheiks, surprised at the animated tone in which this command was given, looked at each other, for to them the life of a poor fellah was of no consequence. One of them observed to him that he had better not embroil himself with the Arabs, a people always dangerous, who could retaliate more than the evil he could inflict on them. “Wherefore,” added the Sheik Elmodi, “all this stir? Because they have killed a fellah! Was he then thy cousin?” “More than that!” cried Napoleon with energy, “all whom I command are my children!” And his gesture, more weighty than his words, sufficiently indicated that he took under his protection the unfortunate who came to plead for vengeance. “Taib!” cried the astonished Sheik, “thou speakest like a prophet.”—1798.
“ALL WHOM I COMMAND ARE MY CHILDREN.”
BUONAPARTE PARDONING THE REBELS AT CAIRO.
Buonaparte had great difficulty in subduing the revolts at Cairo, and his work was only effected by an immense sacrifice of human life. He succeeded in forcing the rebels to take refuge in the mosque of Eleazar in the Isle of Ronda, whose approaches they secured with strong barricades. Here Napoleon summoned them to surrender; and by his order the divan, the principal sheiks and doctors of the law presented themselves at the barricades, to induce them if possible to comply with his summons. They were received by a fusilade, when, at a given signal, General Dommartin opened a battery upon the mosque. This battery was kept in constant and fearful play, and produced such consternation and terror among the rebels, that they cried loudly for permission to capitulate: “You refused mercy when I offered it,” replied the General, “the hour of vengeance has arrived; you commenced this tumult, it is for me to finish it.”