Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-02-12
Gordon and His Career.

The announcement Of the death OF Gen.
Gordon. and the accounts Of the terrible
outrages perpetrated in Khartoum by the
Mahdi's fanatical soldiers, are confirmed
by our dispatches this morning. The fact
that Gen. Gordon is dead, and the accom-
plishment of the original purpose Of Lord
Wolseley's expedition has been rendered
impossible, Will not cause England TO
withdraw at once from Egypt. She has
another object now. She must destroy
the powerof the False Prophet, and teach
the half civilized tribes of Soudan to Te-
spect her. She must do this to preserve
her power in India, if for no other reason.
The entire English people viii feel the
death Of Gordon as a personal bereaYe-
ment. They looked upon him as hero,
aud would gladly have made almost any
re asOnable sacrifice to rescue him.
Gen. Gordon had very eventful career.
At the time of his death he was
Just % years Of age. His first
campaign was that of the Crimea.
He was at that time a mere youth. his
courage even then was conspicuous. Soon
after the fall of SebastopOl he was ordered
to assist in defining the boundary line be-
tween Russia and Turkey in Europe.
Immediately after that task was accom-
plished he was engaged in fixing the
limits of the frontiers of Armenia. at
the outbreak Of the Chinese war be was
ordered to China and was present at the
taking Of Picking. He remained with tie
small British force that defended Shang-
hal against the Taipings. In 1863
he took command OF the Imperial
forces of China and led them
against the Taipings, who threatened
to overthrow the Imperial Government. In
two years he conquered theTaipings and
won fame that was world wide. He was
ever afterwards known as "Chinese"
Gordon. From 1865 to 1871 he superin-
tended the erection of Notifications on the
Thames. The next two years was spent
in representing the English government
on the commission which has
charge Of the mouth OF
the river Danube. In 1878 he was made
Ruler of the head waters OF the Nile and
Governor General of the Equa-
tor by the Khediye of Egypt.
In 1877 he was appointed Governor
General of Soudan. He remained in that
position three years. His power was alb
solute over a region Of country larger
than India. In 1880 he was chosen to fill
the post of Milit airy Secretary to Lord
Ripon, VINO b ad been appointed Governor
General of India. He resigned the place
before service began because he realized
that he had made a mistake in accepting
it. Being out of active employment be
found satisfaction in travelling. He
spent some time in the Seychelles, where
he thought ne had discovered the tree Of
forbidden fruit. He finally took up his
abode at Jer usalem, and was there when
the King Of the Belgiahs summoned him
to take charge OF the interests Of Belgium
in the Congo country. He was on his
way to obey this summons when the Eng
Iish Government ordered him to 90 to
Khartoum and sUperintend the evacua-
ton of Soudan. He left London for Khar
tOum Jan. Is, 1884. Such is brief sketch
Of the career of man with whose name
and fame the whole civilized world is
familiar. A writer in recent article in
the Century gave the following descrip-
tiCn Of Gen. Gordon:
In person he is slight and short. Ills
appearance is more suggestive OF activity
than stateIiness, and nothing can be more
unassuming than his manner. There IS
a beautiful child-like simplicity about
his smile. which recalls, by a certain Gu
rious association of ideas, the impression
produced by the first sight of Mr.. Carlyle.
But there is something about his lower
face suggestive of latent hardness" OF a
will that can be as OF iron, and ola decision
that shrinks not at heWing Agag in pieces
before the Lord, should the necessity
unfortunately arise, In him a SYM
pathy as impulsive and as tender as that
Of a woman is united with the ferceness
and daring of an ancient Viking. The
man is positively unique in this cOmbina-
ton of puritan and crusader, humanl-
tartan and soldier, revOlutionist and man
of order. idealist and man Of affairs, that
our times have seen. The diversified in
fuences flowing from this heterogeneous
condemnation Of antithetical qualities
act and react upon his mind with most
bewildering result. Never was there any
man so difficult to follow, or so easy to
understand.