Then the dexterous management
of a few individuals, base or dull, was the only means of success.
But we live in a different age: there are popular sympathies, however
imperfect, to appeal to; we must recur to the high primeval practice,
and address nations now as the heroes, and prophets, and legislators
of antiquity. If you wish to free your country, and make the Syrians
a nation, it is not to be done by sending secret envoys to Paris or
London, cities themselves which are perhaps both doomed to fall; you
must act like Moses and Mahomet.'
'But you forget the religions,' said Fakredeen. 'I have so many
religions to deal with. If my fellows were all Christians, or all
Moslemin, or all Jews, or all Pagans, I grant you, something might be
effected: the cross, the crescent, the ark, or an old stone, anything
would do: I would plant it on the highest range in the centre of the
country, and I would carry Damascus and Aleppo both in one campaign;
but I am debarred from this immense support; I could only preach
nationality, and, as they all hate each other worse almost than they do
the Turks, that would not be very inviting; nationality, without race as
a plea, is like the smoke of this nargileh, a fragrant puff. Well, then,
there remains only personal influence: ancient family, vast possessions,
and traditionary power: mere personal influence can only be maintained
by management, by what you stigmatise as intrigue; and the most
dexterous member of the Shehaab family will be, in the long run, Prince
of Lebanon.
Pages:
357
358
359
360
361
362
363
364
365
366
367
368
369
370
371
372
373
374
375
376
377
378
379
380
381