Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1885-02-07

An Interesting Re,rosn.ct.
WHY HE WENT THERE AND HOW HE DEPENDED
HIMSELF.

the 18th Of January, 1884. On the 5th of Janu-
airy. 1884, The Times was able to announce that
General Gordon had accepted q commission from
the King oft Belgians to proceed as his repre-
sentative to the Congo. At that time General
Gordon was In Brussels, and he did not arrive in
England until some days later. On Tuesday, the
18th, he arrived in town from SOUTHAMPTON, and
had his memorable interview with Lord Wolse-
ley at the War Office, when he expressed himself
In sanguine terms as to the ease with which the
difficulties In the Soudan might be overcome.
The official dispatches inform us that immedi-
ately after this interview Lord Granville tele-
graphed to Sir Evelyn Barring that he had heard
indirectly that Gordon is ready to go straight
to Suakim." On the morning Of the following
day General Gordon lett London for Brussels
1t Is unnecessary to recall how General Gordon
returned post haste from Brussels, how he re-
ceived his instructions, how he spent much of
that day in finding Colonel Stewart, and how i'm
the evening of the same day that he arrived
from Belgium he left with his late brave COM
panion for the Soudan. One week later he
reached Cairo. and on the 18th of February. ex-
actly one month after his departure from Lon
don, Re entered Khartoum, where he was re-
ceived with wonderful demonstration of well
come on the part of the population"
While at sea, between Brindsi and Port Said
General Gordon drew up a memorandum in
which he stated that Her Majesty Government
have decided to send me to the Soudan to ar
range for the evacuation of these countries and
the safe removal OF the Egyptian employees and
troops" as they have come to the rrevocabe
decision not to incur the very onerous duty of
securing to the peoples of the Soudan lust fn-
ture government" The only other passage
which need be quoted from this memorandumis
the following: II can therefore only say that
having In view this decision, and seeing the diff
fcuIty of asking Her Majesty's Government to
give decision or direction as to what should
be done In certain cases, l will carry out the
evacuation as far as possible according to their
wish to the best of my ability. and with avoid
ance. as far as possible. OF all lighting. l would
however hope that Her Malesty'S Government
will give me their support and consideration
should be unable to fulfil all their expecta-
tons" On the very day of his arrival at Khar-
toum General Gordon sent telegraphic dis
patch recommending that Zebehr should be
given commission of government, and stating
that "tO Withdraw without being able to
place successor In my seat would be the signal
for general anarchy throughout the country
which, though all Egyptian element were with
drawn, would be misfortune and inhuman."
The popular enthusiasm with which General
Gordon's arrival was greeted increased when his
first acts became known. The day after his ar
rival be was employed in liberating prisoners, in
burning the records of debt and in removing
the white garrison to Berber. As our cores
pondent Mr.. Power tersely expressed it, "Gor-
don Is giving the people more than they ex-
pected from the Mahdi;" and it is impossible to
doubt that but for the confidence and feeling of
gratitude thus created in the minds of the pOpu-
latiOn the long and successful defense of khar-
t0um would never have been possible.
On the 9th of February General Gordon Is
sued proclamation to the Inhabitants of the
Soudan stating that he would be compelled to
use severe measures against those who did not
deSst from rebellion. and also that British
troops are now on their way. and in few DAYS
will reach kahrtoum." But still more important
and significant were his official dispatches to Sir
Evelyn Barring Of the same date, following up
one Of the Goth of February, in which he said
IF Egypt is to be quiet Mahdi must be smashed
up. Irepeat that evacuation is posi-
BILE, but you will feel effect in Egypt, and will
be forced to enter into a lar more serious affair
In order to guard Egypt. At present it would
be comparatively easy to destroy Mahdi." But
above all he insisted on the necessity of sending
Zebehr without delay to cooperate with him.
and Colonel Stewart. who was a man Of great
independence, heartily agreed with him as to
the advisability of this measure.
General Gordon, on the 9th and 2Sth Of Feb
ruary. wrote still more emphaticaIly on the pol
Icy that, in his opinion. could alone be pursued
and. to quote Mr.. Gladstones words. he spoke
as 1.-The man who knew the SOudan better than
any one else:"
Evacuation of the Soudan is impossible until
the government asserts it authority, and mean
by evacuation the removal of all Egyptian
employees who form the machinery Of govern
ment. and not the departure Of sick, &C, who
may be considered to have gone from here
While General Gordon was sending almost
daily expressions of his views as to the only way
OF carrying out the policy Of eventual evacua-
ton. 1t was also becoming clear to him that he
would very soon be cut off from the rest of
Egypt. His first remark on this subject was to
express 1.-THE conviction that shall be caught
in Khartoum, and on the Sd OF March he wrote:
Even If was mean enough to escape have
no power to do So" The accuracy Of this fore
cast was speedily demonstrated Within few
days communications with Khartonm were in
terrupted, aDd although subsequently restored
for tine. tho rising Of the riparian tribes rem
dered the receipt and dispatch Of messages
exceedingly uncertain. On the 9Th of April,
however, General Gordon succeeded in getting
a message through to Sir Evelyn Barring.
Eight days later, on the 10Th of April, he wrote
the last dispatch received from Khartoum for a
period Of many months.
The complete Investment or siege Of Khartoum
may be considered as having commenced on this
date, but before General Gordon was cut of
from the outer world he had been able to ex-
press In the plainest terms three things. Only
ono was personal. aud that was that the govern
ment had rejected all his proposals and prac-
tically abandoned him. Immediately on his
arrival at Khartoum be had perceived that the
evacuation Of the Soudan with security to the
garrison and officials and with honor to England
and Egypt. must necessarily be work of some
time, and In the next place he declared it to be
only feasible II the government took certain
measures in support Of him, which, II they ap-
peared too extreme at the time to Mr.. Gladstone.
were absolutely Insignificant In comparison with
the vast and costly expedition which the Prime
Minister has been ultimately compelled to sane
tlon. When General Gordon first began to per-
ceve that he would get no material help from
his government, he made several propositions
which would, If adopted, relieve them from fur
ther responsibility and at the same time enable
him to take take steps to restore some sense of
order and authority in the Soudan One was to
make an appeal to international philanthropy,
and by employing Turkish troops smash the
Mahdi. Another was that he should steam up
the Nile, and, taking Bahr Gazelle and the
Equatorial Province In the name OF the King of
the Belgians, ioin hands with Mr. Stanley. or
whoever else might represent the King, on the
Congo. But In all these schemes he alone was
to run the risk. Colonel Stewart, Mr. Power.
and the other Europeans were to be first put In
q place of safety, and General Gordon would
carry out the adventure single-handed and alone.
In October dispatches. were received from
General Gordon In these General Gordon gave
details Of the Siege and also stated what his
intentions were with regard to the future. The
most important part Of these letters were the
latest messages IN point Of date. On the 18th
Of September he stated that he had already sent
Stewart Pasha, Mr.. Power, and the French con-
sui with regular troops and Bashi- Bazouks to
retake Berber, and that he hoped at any moment
TO hear that they had succeeded.
The first half of the siege Of Khartoum closed
with the departure Of Colonel Stewart and Mr..
Power. For Eve months General Gordon de-
rived the comfort and assistance of their pres
ence, but for tho last four months he has been