Sri Aurobindo
Karmayogin
Political Writings and Speeches — 1909-1910
Karmayogin: A Weekly Review
Saturday 26th February 1910 — No.34
Passing Thoughts
The Egyptian Murder
The assassination of Boutros Pasha in Egypt has the chance of being one of these momentous events.
In itself it is an incident which has happened in many countries without disturbing the march of ordinary events.
The lives of rulers are always open to this peril from the fanatic, the personal enemy with a grudge, the 
crank or the lunatic.
In England itself the lives of ruling men or princes have been taken or attempted.
But these are not ordinary times and Egypt is not in a normal condition.
Hitherto the Egyptian question has not been acute.
There is a strong Nationalist sentiment which grows with time, the Denshawi incident has left wounds behind, but, beyond the mere fact of the presence of the foreigner, there seems to be no specific grievance which could give intensity of feeling or a formidable shape to the vague discontent and the perfectly natural general aspiration.
If the virtual ruler of Egypt is well advised, the act of a solitary assassin need not provide anything but a few days' unhealthy excitement — it need not be the spark in the power magazine.
But if Sir Eldon Gorst allows himself to be swayed into providing the Egyptian with specific causes of discontent, he may succeed in adding an Egyptian difficulty to the permanent burdens of England.
The mind of rulers at such seasons are moved rather by impulses beyond their control than by that calm thought which would guide them in ordinary times.
We know what Lord Cromer would have done; it is to be seen what a higher Power impels Sir Eldon Gorst to do; for on the reception of an event and not on the event itself its consequences depend.