The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1884-02-23 00:00:00

[CENTRAL NEW TELEGRAM]

PARIS, Thursday.
It has transpired that the Alandi some time since
captured five French priests; and on their absolute
refusal to embrace the Mohammedan faith, he set
them at liberty without ill-treating them, became
they were inoffensive.

The London correspondent of the Manchester
Guardian writes :—" It is said that in some of his
communications General Gordon intimates the pro-
bability that when a feeling of security has been
thoroughly established at Khartoum he may leave
Colonel Stewart in charge there, and may himself
go on to Kordofan, where he will see the Mandi,
and ascertain the real circumstances of that com-
mander's position of the attack upon Hicks Pasha's
forces. The business of General Gordon's mission
will take a considerable time, and it is supposed
that one of his chief objects is to obtain ample time
in which the garrisons and those who go with them
may retire without disorde."

GENERAL GORDON'S PROCLAMATIONS.
The Times' correspondent at Cairo has received
copies of four proclamations in Arabic issued by.
General Gordon. The following is, the corres-
pondent says, a literal translation of the General's
proclamation on the subject of slavery, which has
been telegraphed to Cairo in Arabic—making allow-
ances for possible errors of the telegraph clerks :
Proclamation.—To all the inhabitants. Your
tranquility is the object of our hope. And ai I
know you are sorrowful on account of the slavery
which existed among you, and the stringent orders
on the part of the Government for the abolition of
it, and the punishment of those who deal in them
(the slaves), and the assurances given by the
Government for its abolition, seizing upon and
punishing those concerned in the trade, the punish-
ment of those who trade in slaves, according to
imperial decrees and the firnaans forward to you—
all this is known to you. But henceforth nobody
will interfere with you in the matter, but every one
for himself may take a man into his service hence-
forth. No one will interfere with him, and he can
do as he pleases in the matter, without interference
on the part of anybody ; and we have accordingly
given this order. My compassion for you.
GORDON PASHA.
The following are extracts from the other pro-
clansations referred to

As I have been appointed Governor of all the
Soudan' with the approval and by the decree of the
Exalted Khedive, and Britannia the All-Powerful,
the Soudan and its Government have become in-
dependent, and will look after their own affairs
without interference by the Egyptian Government
in anything 'whatever,
I also proclaim an amnesty; and grant you the
privileges given during the reign of Said Pasha ;
and inform you that his Majesty the S ultan, the
Exalted, had made up his mind to send Turkish
soldiers, the well-known valiant and courageous
conquerors. But when his Majesty heard of your
wretched condition and of my compassion for you,
he sent me, at great risk, putting my faith in the
God of all mankind, to prevent the declaration by
his Majesty the Sultan of war between Moslems.
The correspondent adds :—As these telegrams
were copied direct from the proclamation and as
the general accuracy of the translation, made by a
distinguished Arab;c scholar, Lionel Moore, is
certain, there can be no doubt that they represent
the text of the proclamation as understood. But
General Gordon must have trusted to an interpreter
and the eulogies on the Sultan are possibly more
glowing than his original English. With respect
to slavery, however, there can be no question that
his general intention has been correctly inter-
preted.