New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1885-07-03
GoRDON'S LAST WORDS.
ruprr MONTHS IN KHARToUM.

THREE MONTHS IN KHARTOUM.
THE JOURNALS OF MAJORGENERSA,ILo S ~ ~ and
DON, c. B. At Khartonm Min nr %Ss' Bos-
Nores by A. EGMoNT HAKE. oct"'o ~" "
ton: Houghton, Miffn co.
The essential portions of this volume, CONTAINING
4 recital of the principal events IN INC 'ieto ~
Khartoum from September 10 to December 49,
1874 have already been reprinted in these columns
from advance sheets Consequently reflections
upon the diaries as Q narrative OF one OF inc Nus.
remarkable sieges in history are not called 1or az
this times nor does the literary style OF .ne'0
hastily written pages require critical e'a"'n"'on
The chief interest which these records possess ov
sjsts in the glimpses which they afford Oh 'ho
character of man of exceptional power anu
original, if erratic. genius -,
Careless readers turning these pages WITHOUT ,o-
Election and without adequate knowledge VI NV
previous career of General Gordon VIII pe ap' W
pronounce him an nsubordnate Omcer' coi,
temptuous in his criticisms OF his supcriors ana
not only visionary and impractical IN MS lucas,
but unsettled in his reasoning powers anu aiihos'
if not unite insane. This Judgment whI.e quite
natural Is neither just nor reasonable. Inc ooiuon
who wrote these passionate comments upon Dr'''Sn
d;,lo,nocv was the same Gordon who commanded
the Eyor Victorious Army and dictated peace De-
tween China and Russia. There is not the slightes1
trace of insanity either in his actions OF jill III.
writings. lie displayed the same QUANTITIES anu
characteristics Which had rendered his career III
China memorable So far as this volume reveals
the nature and genius Of the man, 1t Is IN ehtre
accord with everything that has been tod OF MN
by his bi0graphers. When he starteu Oh h's
famous iouruoy to Khartoum nobody in England
could have predicted what would befall him, but
apvbody who had studied his life AMI character
could easily have portrayed in advance the peculiar
traits of mind and qualities of genius and eccen-
tricitylof which these diaries bear record IL was
10 nlain then rs il is now that he would be not
only fearless dsinterested self reliant, original in
resources AMI of commanding force lii his personal
ascendancy over semcivllized races. but also con-
temptuous of the ictions of European diplomacy
Exacting i'm his requirements OF men am Natiops'
.nd sternv practical in his adaptation of means to
ends The diaries contain revelation OF charac-
for that ia inconsistent with what is known OF
Chinese Gordon who despised English humane
tarians and diplomatists. who sought to XIII MS
natron and superior officer Lii Hung Chang with
his own hand for breaking faith with him, and
who shot mutineers, hanged peculators ana OPP
pressors and replaced anarchy with authority IN re-
Spouse to an impulse which he believed came from
above General Gordon at Khartoum was simply
himself with a passionate contempt for Govern
mont that would not make up its mind 10 90 any
thing and an immovable reliance upon his own
practical Instincts and the will of The Almighty.
General Gordon has been criticised for accepting
n mission from the British Government and then
refusing to carry out any policy except his own
His own version of the case as given in the diaries
is more Ineligible. He never sought to emphasize
his real policy. His own idea was that ~ would
be nobler to keep than to give up the sondan.
which, when he had left it in 1873 was quiet and
covering its own expenses. He felt that 1t was
mistake to give up countries which were 10 some
degree civilized and to allow the slave trade to
flourish in tenfod intensity but in discussing the
ouestion he put his own views out OF sight.
Neither the Government nor English taxpayers
would nav the cost of restoration of adequate
authority in the Soudan, and consequently he dis
missed his own ideas as impractlcable Since the
British Government did not have sufficient courage
and decision of character to retain possession OF
Khartoum, he was willing to carry out its policy
of evacuation But he had been sent to Khartorm.
not as an army officer, diplomatic agent,
Int as Governor General of the Soudan. lie was
compelled to exercise Viceroys authority in order
to set in motion the policy of evacuation, which he
soon found impracticable owing 10 the rapid spread
of rebellion and the great distances TO DC
trayersed He then asked for the appointment OF
Zebehr as his successor the ground that evacua-
ton could not be safely conducted unless stable
native Government were established at khartouIn.
The British Ministry withheld their consent because
they feared lest Zebehr might found a slave
hunters Government. Tbs objection excited
General GordOn's angel, since it was certain that
whatever Zcbehr might do, the Mahdi would be
certain TO be in the hands of slave-hunting Pachas
When Zebehr was refused he proposed that Turks
should be semi to govern Khartoum. and this sug-
gcstion was rejected. In like manner his applica-
tioDs for 100 British troops, for Indian Moslem
troops. for 8, 900 Turkish troops were dedicd, and
his proposals that he should visit the Mahdi or else
retreat by way of the Equator were overrulcd lie
ono thing after another. until by process
of exhaustion rating" from Khartoum was the
only expedient left and this his sense OF honor and
duty forbade. The British Government. which had
sent him to the Soudan with single companion
left him to his own resources and refused to
acauesce in any of his recommendations Its
policy was as he grimy said, the policy of the log
floating ont to sea-
1t is not strange that General GOIdon's contempt
for a Government that could not decide what it
would do grew steadily as his term of imprlson-
ment heightened. After Colonel Stewart and Mr..
Power left him he had not European to talk to,
and his resentment and disdaInful criticisms
naturally found expression in these diaries
Harassed with the increasing dangers and difficult
ties of the situation and surrounded with cowardly
troops and officers, who babitually lied to him, he
was constantly under tremendous strain of anxiety
and uncertainty. There not department OF
the Administration which he did not have to
superintend as closely if he were the direct
head His orders had to be repeated two or three
times Treachery he suspected every moment. lie
could neither sleep eat nor read hslBible with
out an overmasterng of insecurity and alarm.
II was hopeless work. and he could truly say. Day
and night, night and day, 1t Is one continual
worry." His mind, preoccupicd and tortured with
anxiety found relief in unburdenng itself in these
diaries in whitening s1rcasms aimed at Sir Evelyn
Barring, in humorous sketches of debates in Parlia-
in, stir Gfr IL