The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-02-07
PRESS AND OTHER COMMENT.
The Ministry Denounced-General Wolseley
Asks Instructions.


LONDON, Feb. 6.-The Times's editorial dis
cussing last nights Egyptian news says mo
words OF ours are adequate to express the
mingled feelings of dismay CONSERVATION and
| indignant disgust which have been universally
evoked by this news. The present situation is
the lamentable result of the long course of dis
regard Of the elementary maxims of statesman
ship. S4Ahc country is obliged to confess that
everything has been done that could be done to
| add to the risks of the defeat Advice
has been spurned, time wasted, op-
portunity lost, and the splendid valor
of our soldiers, which offered last chance of
retrieving the mistakes of this policy, handicap
ped by the choice of line of march which was
at the same time long and difficult without
means Of communication, and without a base of
supplies. By the loss of Khartoum, which was
his objective point, Lord Wolseley s whole expe-
dition is in the air. Concentration of his forces
is the first necessity which confronts Wolseley,
but where shall he concentrated The only eff
fective base is Suakim, and to make this availa-
BILE Osman Digma must be vanquished, and the
road to Berber opened. General Gordon must be
saved or avenged The honor of the country
must be vindicated Mt whatever cost " In an
other place the Times says: THE fall of that
solitary figure (Gordon) holding aloft the flag of
England i'll the face of hordes of the sons of
Islam, will reverberate through every bazaar of
Cairo and Calcutta. The result will be a long
and deliberate abandonment of respect for the
British government and its officials by the fol-
lowers of Islam but England will save General
Gordon if alive, and if slain. will avenge his
death. Woe to his murderers if he has been
killed"
Astonishment has been caused by the report
that the Cabinet, ut its session to-day, consd-
cred dispatch received from Wolseley asking
instructions In this dispatch Woseley in
forms the government that he will be unable to
reach Khartoum in less time than FIVE weeks
when the hot season will have commenced. He
assures the Ministry that he feels still confident
of his ability to successfully attack Khartoum
and defeat the False Prophet, but he says the
operations necessary to achieve these results
will now be difficult and hazardous
French newspapers, in their comments upon
the misfortune at Khartoum. almost without ex-
ception agree in the opinion that England will
prove herself fully equal to the situation, bad as
it is. The Oebats expresses belief that Eng
land will not permit her authority in the Soudan
to be diminished because of the disaster at
Khartoum. although she may come to terms
with El Mahdi. The Debats thinks however
that the best thing England can do is to evacuate
the Soudan and prepare for defense of Egypt
proper, where the spirit of revolution is already
rife.
A Rome dispatch says the fall of Khartoum
has produced profound impression in that
capital. The newspapers unite in expressions
of sympathy with Gordon and give utterance to
the belief that the Mahdi's victory will draw
England and Italy into yet closer relations with
a view to joint action in Egypt.