Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1885-06-28
GENERAL GoRDoN's DIARY
sARcAsxKEsNAsHIs swoRD


sARcASxKE SWORD.
M u..ire n Ne the Rescued Lamp-h's
idea Of The Nsusn's Hsssr-A L'vsr ~
Free VIII.
The following are extracts from zen
eral Gordon's diary: "lf 1t Is rignt 70
send I'd an expedition nov, why was !,
not right 10 send it up befores It's all
very we'll to say one ought to consider
the difficulties Of the Government, but
it il not easy to get over feeling shat
a hope existed Of no expedition being
necessary, owing to our having ALIEN
AS for myself personally, feel no
particular rancor on the subject; but
/ own | do not care to show that L
like men, whoever they may be, who
act in such . calculating way, and l
do not think one is bound to act the
bypocrite's part and pretend to be
friendly towards them. / do not judge
the question Of abandoning the garrl'
sons or not what judge is the indie
cision of the Government. They did
not dare to say abandon the garrison
so they prevented me leaving for the
equator, with the determination not to
relieve me and the hope-twell. | Will
not say what their hope was). March,
April, August-why. he ought to have
surrendered he said six months.
There is my point Of complaint
"A heavy, numbering column, how
ever strong, is nowhere in this land.
Parties of forty or sixty men, moving
swiftly about, will do more than any
column. If you lose two or three, what
of it? 1t is the chance Of var. Native
allies, above all things, at whatever
cost. 1t is the country of the irregu-
lar, not of the regular. | can say l
owe the defeats in this country to hav.
ing artillery with me, which DELAYED
me much, and it was the artillery with
Hicks which. in my opinion, did for
him.
THE EARLE EXPEDITION.
81 altogether decline the imputation
that the projected expedition has come
to relieve me. 1t has come to save our
national honor in extricating the garri-
sons, etc., from q position in which our
action in Egypt has placed these garri-
sons. l was Relief Expedition No. l..
They are Relief Expedition No. 2. As
for myself, l could make good my re-
treat at any moment, if | wished.
Now, realize what would happen
if this first relief expedition was
to bolt and the steamers fell into
the hands of the Mahdi. This second
relief expedition flor the honor of
England engaged in extricating gar
risons) would be somewhat ham
pered. We, the first and second ex-
petitions, are equally engaged for the
honor of England. This is fair logic.
came up to extricate the garrisons
and failed. Earle comes up to extri-
cate the garrisons and Il hope) sue
ceeds. Earle does not come 10 extri-
cate me. The extrication Of the garri-
sons was supposed to affect our ma
tional honor If Earle succeeds the
national honor thanks him, and |
hope rewards him but it is altogether
Independent of me, who, for failing, in
ours its blame. ! am not the rescued
lamb, and / will not be.
GAS for her Majesty's Government
keeping the Soudan itself, it is out of
the question, for you could not get men
to serve here except under great salaries
and supported with large forces. And
as for giving it back to Egypt, in a cou-
pie Of years we would have another
Mshdi. Therefore our choice lies be-
tween Zubaiar and the Turks. When
once you have come to Khartoum with
one or two millions sterling (which you
will spend in three months occupation
up here if ysu delay, make arrange
ments at once with the Porte for its
Soudan cession let 5000 Turks land
at Saukim and march up to Berber,
thence to Khartoum you can then re-
tire at once before the hot weather
comes on.
$50 far, evacuation it is one thing
as for rafting OUT it is another. AS
to No. /, we have not the decision to
keep the country. will be no party
to No. in this rat business. First,
because it is dishonorable; second,
because it is not possible, which will
have more weight. Therefore, if it is
going to be No. 2, the troops had better
not come beyond Berber till the ques
ton of what will be done is settled.
my idea is to induce her Majesty!
Government to undertake the extrlca
ton of all the people Of the garrison'
now hemmed in or captive, and if this il
not their programme, then to resign my
commission and do what | can to attain
1.-THE object. AS long as man re
mains in her Majesty's service he i
bolnd to eJey the orders Of his supe
riors; but if he resigns he cannot b.
held as insubordinate if he disobeys.
g say this because should be sorr!
for Lord Wolseley to advance from
Dongola without fully knowing m.
views. If her Majesty's Government
is going to abandon the garriSons, thel
do not advance.
at is a miserable country, but it i
joined to Egypt, and to my idea j
would be difficult to divorce the two
When one thinks Of the enormous los
of life which has taken place in tn
Soudsn since 1880, and the general up
set of all government, one cannot he'll
feeling vicious against Sir Aucklan
Calvin, Sir Edward Mallett, and 81
Charles Dixie, for it is on account o
these three men, whose advice wa
taken by her Majesty's Government
that all these sorrows are due.
1--WE are an honest nation, but on
diplomatists are cronies and not off
cially honest. declare solemnly tina
| if it were not for the honor's sake Q
our nation j would let these peopl
| slide. They are Of the very feebles
nature, and the Arabs are ten time