Salt Lake evening Democrat. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1885-1887, 1885-05-18
AN OLD-FAsHIONED ESTIMATE.


OF their time, it would have been enter
tanning to have heard their conversation
and the expression of their views upol
England's course in the Soudan and he
position on the Afghan frontier Itmigh
have been something like this, or i
might not
Nations like men are filled with pride
and ambition, and these lead them into
wild schemes. In the accomplishment o
their object they lay aside those rules
which govern men in the more peaceful
walks of a quiet, contemplative life, de-
voted to the worship of Him
who has ordered all things for the
best, and the betterment of
the condition of those who have to bear
the burdens of poverty and all the hard
ships and sorrows which are incident to
that condition. 1t would be far better foI
mankind in general if nations would give
up their vain ambitions and cease from
those wars where men are butchered like
animals, and vast treasure, which comes
from the labor of those who have no in
terest in affairs which in no way affect
them, is squandered, when it should be
applied to relieving those who have ere
ated it. These are among the thoughts
suggested by the reading of Mr.. Glad
stones adventures in the Soudan and on
the Indian frontier have long sought
for satisfactory answer to the question,
What are we doing in the Soudan? but
have received no reply. We make no
pretention to any right of sovereignty
over Egypt, and yet the Soudan owes
allegiance and has always been tributary
to that country, and that False Prophet
has arisen in the heart of Africa can in
no way affect our own parishes, where
the itany is read at stated times, as i'll
the wisdom of Parliament is deemed best.
In these parish churches, which are so
dear to the hearts of all true Englishmen,
we sing our songs of praise and chant to
Him who il Lord of all 1t cannot be,
then, that true religion is in danger. But
l am told by friend, who has access to
the Ministry, that it was necessary for us
to 60 to the Soudan to rescue Mr. Gordon,
who gained some notoriety few years
since in China. asked my friend if the !
Government had sent Mr. Gordon to |
Khartoum. To this he replied no, but
said that he had asked the permission of
the Government to go, and that it had
been granted, although he was not in the
service of the Government My friend
was unable to explain to me how it was
necessary for free born Briton to ask the
permission of any one to travel in foreign
and participate in rebellions
which were not against the authority of
ler Majesty. To this he replied in long
md very learned discourse, showing how
'ome OF our wealthier classes were hold :
RS of Egyptian securities and the need
If the holders being protected, although :
hey had invested without consulting ,
'arllament or any one else; but ,
low they had induced Parliament .
o declare the security of their in
Iestments a thing OF national importance.
Still was unable TO see any necessity for
Mr.. Gordon to ask permission to 90 to
hhartoum, and much less for the country
the lives of some ten or fifteen
thousand brave men to rescue one foolish /,
man, who seems to have had more GAL f.
antry than discretion. Mr.. Gorden was !;
lllled through his own want of wisdom,
md the Government has resolved to slav
'ome thousands of Arabs who have never
us. SO far We have only had i
ietinlte news of how many OF our own .
oldlers are killed; but from official :
ources We are assured that the enemy q
uttered much greater loss than We did. :
his assurance is based upon the follow
1g calculation: One British soldier il |,
onsidered by Englishmen to be equal TO :,
even soldiers of any other civilized n
alton, and is based upon the story of n
haw OF Waterloo, who slew seven h
renchmen before he was killed. Itis safe :,
say that even French soldier is equal
hive half civilized soldiers, and as one
rItish soldier is equal to seven French o,
'ldiers, he must be equal TO thirty-fiye is
rabs, who are only half civilized SOL to
ers. This being the case, and our own bt
Sses in the Soudan ha;po ma
knowledged- at ten thousand M
lied and wounded, the loss of the tt
emy could not have been less than ac
rec hundred and fifty thousand: and th
us we are more than compensated for fir
e loss OF our ten thousand soldiers, al tn,
ough that loss was needless, and the to
ahdi is still unconquered. After this mt
y friend and ! strolled past Whitehall Wi
d down to -the Parliament Houses. Gil
lere we learned that the Government "P
d just ordered the evacuation of the th,
udan by British troops. For this sud "P
change of policy in the Soudan no an,
PLANTATION was given, other than that sto
airs In Afghanistan required the pres sia
'e OF all available troops on the cor
frontier of India. On the
ulrlng the cause for this move. ing
were informed that there had been nre
rencOuntef between some Russian nle,
Dps and some Afghans near Pendieh. It L
that this endangered England's EN- han
, In India; and this enn;ra ,,,,,,.
defended on the Oxus and not on the is q,
us. But stiIl 1 could not see how tho Clo,
i,.u of D,,e.;o - Al. AZ