The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1885-02-14 00:00:00

A BITTER HUMILIATION.

THE terrible news, unwillingly anticipated
and generally dreaded, has come at last, and
we are now face to face with the horrible
fact that Mr. Gladstone's weakness of will

and hesitancy of policy are directly respon-
sible for the slaughter of the bravest General
that has ever gilded the page of England's
story, and of the hosts of defenceless human
beings that, in the early days of this month,
have watered the streets of Khartoum with
their blood. Everyone who has carefully
followed the events of this sad and humiliat-
ing chapter in our history remembers that
General Gordon was sent off to Khartoum
like a scapegoat to get the Government, by
some lucky fortuitous circumstance, out of
the dilemma in which the egregious egotism,
the obstinancy, the procrastination, and the
almost culpable infirmity of purpose
of Mr. Gladstone had landed them. He was
invested with liberal powers in the forma-
tion and consummation of a policy—any
latitude was, in fact, given him to pack him
off, and so soothe the intense and growing
indignation of the people at the vacillation
of the Ministry. But the policy of firmness
which it was thought had at last become an
element in our Government was as ephemeral
,as its vaunted integrity. General Gordon's
plans were vetoed' from home, and he was
left absolutely alone and in the lurch, sur-
rounded by circumstances which rendered
his life daily and hourly in the extremest
jeopardy. The Government knew that the
men about him could only be regarded as
questionable in their loyalty, and that so
full of distrust was the gallant General
himself that be spent his nights in inspection
of those whose loyalty was professed, but
whose treachery was painfully probable.
Yet, in spite of these forebodings, the Gov-
ernment contented themselves with a happy-
go-lucky feeling, and acted as though the
lionhearted and indomitable hero was posi-
tively the luxurious ruler and idol of the
Soudan. Gordon's bravery and high-sonled
single-heartedness prevented him dwelling
upon his own dangers; therefore, forsooth,
Alr. Gladstone and his Cabinet replied with
a jaunty air and in flippant style to the
questioning in the Honses of Parliament of
more far-seeing and graver statesmen. In
the awful crisis of to-day it is difficult to
speculate as to the manner in which the
guilty Ministry will endeavour to exculpate
themselves. They may attempt to excuse
themselves by the plea that Gordon's self-
consciousness of power led them into ignor-
ance of the dangers which environeehim.
The hero of Khartoum was so sanguine
that, even in one of his very last diminutive
messages, he declared he could hold out for
years; but surely the wisdom of our states-
men should have shown them that this feel-
ing of safety was begotten only of a con-
sciousness of his own vigilance, endurance,
and courage; surely they must have known
that Gordon's jeopardy did not arise from
any lack of these characteristics; it existed
in the fear of treachery within the be-
leagured city. A traitor in the camp may
at any time spring the mine of vengeance
upon a leader, and with this knowledge and
the suspicion that Gordon might in a
moment be betrayed, it was incumbent upon
the Government to consider the question of
time in every movement towards the relief
of the captive. Instead of doing so Mr.
Gladstone and his craven and contemptible
subordinates delayed taking the most ele-
mentary steps to secure the safety of their
scapegoat. His own appeals, his scathing
despatches recording the indelible disgrace
and the incredible meanness of the Govern-
ment vere ignored, until the wave of public
feeling compelled the substitatiou of resolu-
tion for irresolution, and a movement was
made in the direction of the desert. But
the resolution was feigned with character-
istic vacillation and pervisty, the expedition
wa;_ almost pre-destined to failure. For
some inscrutable reason, one authority on
the subject declares the longest, slowes,
most laborious, and most costly route was
selected, and the expedition was delayed an:
til any argument that might have been urged
for giving preference to the march by the
Nile valley had been rendered valueless by
the fall of the river. In this way the Gov-
ernment have pursued a policy which could
have but one result. It is all very well for
Radical organs, and Radical orators to say
that the disaster is not one out of which
Conservatives ought to make political capi-
tal. The feeling among all constitutional-
ists is that the calamity is national ; but it
is a calamity which a firm, vigorous, and
statesmanlike foreign policy would have
.spared us, and it can only be in the light of
the positive infirmity, verging even upon
imbecility, of our political advisers, that
the story can be honestly written. The
latest development of Mr. Ciladstone's policy
was 'summed up by him in the words
"Rescue and Retire." We have failed to
rescue—failed only by a few hours—and the
Government had procrastinated for months!
It only remains for the Premier to complete
his catalogue of failures by the grand tableau
of British troops scuttling out of the desert,
demoralised and dishonoured by official in-
capacity at home. On the authority of Mr.
John Morley, at Glasgow, on Tuesday night,
if Gordon is dead we must scuttle. We
doubt, however, whether the temper of the
nation will express itself in this way.
Britain mourns to day over the unreturninff
brave, of whom Mr. Gladstone and his coln-
leagues will have to render an account when
Parliament meets next week. Instead of
advocating the avengement of the death of
Gordon in the manner which rises impul-
sively to the mind, we hope and expect that
retribution will overtake those who are re-
sponsible for it, and that the speedy downfall
of the Gladstone Government will emphasise
the indigiiou of the English people.

THE IRON TRADE.
BIRMINGHAM, THIIRSD A Y

The tone of the iron market this afterncon was
less despondent than last week, though there was
still a considerable lack of confidence la( tween
buyers and sellers. Transactions were limited in
extent, but inqui:ics were more numerous, and
they will probably result in the distribution of
orders if the political outlook becomes brighter.
, there is no doubt that the wars in the Soudan and
between France and China, with the complications
which they involve, are seriously affecting the
commercial situation, and the absence of specula-
tion is largely attributable to the prevailing political
instability. The minimum prices of last week
were conceded more freely to-day, and it is appar-
ent tl.at the downward tendency of quotations has
been checked, though not at present followed by an
upward movement. Inquiries on export account
were of a more satisfactory character, relatin4
principally to sheets, plain and galvanised, mer-
chant strip, and best iron for dockyard and black-
smith's purposes. Chain and cable iron was in
languid request, and boiler plates were only dis-
posed of in retail lots. In bars and sheets the
balance between production and demand has been
restored by the close of the Chillington Ironworks
and one or two other works, and in some cases
manufacturers of good second-class iron have more
orders on their books than for three months pant.
In the majority of cases the complaints are not so
much as to the smallness of the demand as the in-
sufficiency of prices, but there are firms here and
there who fail to obtain a share of the business
given out, and who are consequently ready to ac-
cept specifications on buyers' terms. The coal
trade is a little steadier, and the pits are working
more regularly than for some time pa.st. Best
furnace coal is selling firmly at lOs a ton in the
boats but inferior desoriptiozut can be tiought at is