Roseburg review. [volume] (Roseburg, Or.) 1885-1920, 1885-05-01
GENERAL GORDON.
The Unique Characteristics Of the Hero q
Khartonm.


The Unique Characteristics Of the Hero Of
Khartonm.
The life of General Gordon is without
parallel in history. He had viii as
imperious as Napoleon's; he had a
nature as infexible as Cromwelrs; be
had Gives genius for war and fertility
OF resource; he had Jan LaWrence's
capacity for governing semi-civilized
races; he had Francis Xavier's over
mastering love of humanity. But with
these traits were combined chivalrous
devotion to the races for whom he
labored. with contempt for the states
manship Of Europe, an unquestioning
reliance upon the law Of his own con-
science. and an intense religious nature
that reflected at once the mysticism Of
the middle ages, the austere virtues Of
Puritanism and the fatalism of the East
A man of commanding genius in achiev-
ing great results by means of insig-
nifcant instrumentalities. and in con-
ciliating the prejudices and overcoming
the resistance of barbaric hordes, he
was at once hero among men, and o
solitary figure removed from them by
unique characteristics.
There is, perhaps, no other country
in the world where such a character as
General Gordon's would be so easily
misunderstood as England. His SOM
bre genius, his medi@val piety and his
devotion TO the interest of semi-civilized
races. had little in common with the in
tensely practical instincts of the Nation.
His contempt for the tedious processes
of diplomacy, and his indifference TO
the fate of ministries and the policy of
governments, marked him out as mYs-
terious idealist, whose Judgment was
not to be accepted without hesitation
and reserve. He returned from China
to face storm of obloquy and reproach
from the humanitarians who mistook
him for cold-blooded butcher of the
Chinese population. His work in the
equatorial provinces and his battles
with the slave-hunters were neither un-
derstood nor appreciated by English
men, while he incurred the hostility of
the ring of pachas at Cairo through his
administrative reforms. At Mauritius,
In Basuto-Land and in India he found
it impossible to endure official restraint
His mission to South Africa was COM
plete failure, and it was not until as an
arbitrator he had personally decided
that China should not declare
war against Russia that the
English people began to comprehend
the genius of this grim Puritan warrior.
His rowing commission as miracle work
er in the Soudan was regarded at first
with enthusiasm. but the moment he ar
rived at Khartoum every proclamation
that he issued, every proposal that he
| made, was criticised and misconstrued.
| The Government which had dispatched
| him across the desert refused to follow
his advice. The humanitarians de-
| nounced him as the Shareholders ally.
Practical politicians condemned his
as the act of a fanatical madman.
But even Engiiskmen awoke at last
| to consciousness of General Gordon 1
heroic qualities For nearly a year that
! solitary European has held his ground
against horde of barbarians. He has
raised armies and paid them without
money. He has conducted a marvel
lous campaign by promising liberty te
several thousands of blacks and BY
mounting rusty artillery on a fleet oi
leaking hulks. He has stood on the
broken rampant, a solitary English SEN
try refusing to desert those who had
trusted in him, and awaiting an army
of rescuers which never came. And
there he viii remain in the memory oi
the nation sublime figure never te
be forgotten; his heroisnl, fortitude,
chivalrous loyalty and Christian faith
understood at iast.-N. z. Tribune.