Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1885-02-12
THE FALL OF KHARTOUM.

While England is menaced with domes-
tic enemies who are ready to apply the
destructive dynamite to her government
and other public buildings, she is no less
unfortunate in reverses to her arms abroad.
The latest intelligence from Gen. Gordon,
at the head of the English forces in the Sou
dan, is to the effect that his command has
been annihilated, and that he is either kill
ed or has been taken prisoner by the rebel
lious Arabs. TO render clear the situation
in this far off seat of war in which the Eng
lish government is involved, we compile
from different sources the following infor-
nation on the subject:
The Soudan is vast region in the South
of Egypt. 1t is mostly desert and in area
exceeding that of India. Its population
is said to be not greater than ten million.
Along the Nile are strips of Verdure and in
the Southern part the soil is very rich.
Khartoum, situated at the junction of the
two Niles, is an important commercial CEN
tre, but its population is not more than 1O-
600 people. 1t is the commanding frontier
point Of Egypt, and it is at that place that
the Mahdi'S flag is now flying, and where
the palace of the English commander, Cen
eral Gordon, has probably been reduced to
ashes.
The Egyptian Government in Soudan has
been identified by Mr.. w. L. Stead in the
Century, to have been a mere matter of
periodical pillage. The sovereignty under
the Khedive was Turkish in fashion, and
the Sutan's policy of civil bashi bazouks al
ternated in petty wars, marked by the tOr-
ture of men and the ravishing of women.
The present internecine strife in the Soudan
is essentiallya rebellion of the Arabs under
Mahdi against the dominion of Egypt. He
has been struggling for three years against
the supremacy of Egypt and as the Arabs
of the Soudan are a better people than the
Egytians themselves, the sympathy of civ
iization must in the end be with them.
England's part in this purely local con-
troversy has been dramatic and delicate,
and is now full of the direst danger. The
Soudan and the freedom Of the Nile COM
mand the entrance to the heart of Africa,
whence England must hope to push her line
ofeXplOration and conquest. With the Sou
dan in perpetual turmoil the British engin-
GERS and tradesman cannot hope to travel un-
disturbed. England therefore, has attempt
ed to dictate to Egypt the entire evacuation
of the province and to hand the country
over to its original owners. The plan was Il
difficult one. TO provide for the safe re-
moval of Egyptian employees and troops,
as we'll as native Christians, women and
children who could not well remain; to
guarantee the safety of $4,000 soldiers in
the Egyptian garrisons against the Arabian
hords, eager to massacre them, was plausi-
BILE and humane, but its accomplishment
will cost England millions of pounds ster-
ling, two or three armies, and present prob
lens which may dissolve Gladstone's gov
ernment and complicate many ministries
to come.
1t is the absorbing British question, next
to the Irish problem at home, and is en-
crossing the attention of the civilized world.
1t is taxing the nerves of Wolseley, aggra-
waiting the pride of the people of the rea I'm,
and adding gray hairs to the great premier,
who may find his fate in the siege of khar-
toum as completely as Gordon has met his
final, if not his fatal reverse.