The Hocking sentinel. [volume] (Logan, Ohio) 1871-1906, 1884-06-26
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Tlssi sS,DUfbAN.
A Preacher Who Has Travelled in
That County

The Rev. H. III. Field. editor of the
New York EeaagetSt. in speaking of
General Gordon'S mission TO the Sou
dan to representative of the New Or
leans Iia3tcs-DeAaycrat, said:
1 have travelled in Egypt and been
up the Nile to ASsuan, the first cata-
rac:, and afterwards Went TO SucZ and
Gown the Red Sea to India, and SO /
arr familiar with that coast. Two years
AGO l was in Egypt and went across
tn, desert to Sinai. From being so
much in Egypt / have become familiar
with the Eastern question, and know
ir- General Stone, Nubar Pasha, and
o:-icr leaders well, it has been some
thing of study to me.
The Soudan is term hard to define
geographically. 1t is a vast territory
upon the Nile, and the provinces claim
ed by Egypt extend almost to the equa-
tor. They have annexed all that part
of Asia. Egypt has appeared before
the world as extending; civilization has
pushed it up to khartoum and to Con
dokore, and 1 think quite to the Victo-
ria Nyanza, if not quite to the equator.
The annexation of Egypt included
not only THE Soudan in its proper sense
but Karfodan and Darfour. / know
very well a Colonel in New York, a
Colonel Pront who was an American
officer in our war. who went out and
took service with the Khedive, and was
sent up the Nile and was under Cor
DON He said he was himself put in
command, by Gordon, of the equato-
rial provinces, which shows how far
they have extended their claims
Egypt's claim of breaking up the slave
trade and extending civilization is not
founded in truth. What she did do was
to put over the country annexed a set
of Egyptian governors who were the
curse of the country.
These governors were mostly bad
characters; but there was one interval
of good government and that was
when they sent Chinese Gordon up the
Nile to take charge and break up the
slave trade. Our knowledge of this
great soldier was derived from this
Colonel Prout who was up there for
three years.
Gordon soon saw the terrible state
of the country, and how the people
were oppressed. and he Immediately
set to work to use his power to relieve
the burdens of the people, release them
from oppression and to govern them
wisely and kindly. The Egyptian gov
ernment gave him salary of $4,000
per year, but he gave it all away, do
ing everything for the poor. In one
sense he ruled with q rod of iron, and
enforced obedience, but he ruled with
such justice that he acquired an almost
reputation. He is man
utterly ignorant of fear, and exposes
himself constantly, and the natives
have an idea that bullets can't hit him.
He has great executive ability and pow
ers of administration with his courage.
With all this he is an extremely relig-
i0us man, and man of prayer, and all
his acts are as if he was a man Of Sod.
He is perfectly capable of praying all
night and then mounting his camel
snd going alone into the desert
His mission is to restore order and
make peace, and this he expedites by
the Egyptian governors who
are inimical to the people. As I under
stand the matter he intends to re-
store the old Soudan governors instead
Of the Egyptian governors, but he don't
propose to give up Khartoum, but to-
hold on to that.
Thaxe theory that to reach that
permanently is from the Red
Sea, and 1 think ultimately that there
will be railroad constructed from Su-
skim to Berber Think the distance
across to the Nile is about 30 or $50
miles. Then at the crotch Of the Blue
and Write Nile is Senna, a fertile coun-
try. If they had a railroad TO Suakim.
there is no reason why England should |
not get her grain supply from the Red
Sea, as now from the Black. In ten.
twenty or thirty years Think there will
be railroad across. and that Will set
tie this Eastern question.
For the moment the whole future of |
Lhe Soudan depends upon the courage,
irmness and judgment Of one man
General Gordon. I look on Gordon as
he hero of our century.
The Doctor has seen not few |
,hanges in foreign government, and
was in Paris when the revolution of |
LS4S overthrow Louis Philippe, SO he |
b q careful observer of national move |