The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1885-02-02
Gordon In Iil,artouin.


inc interest everywhere taken in Gordon
aud his garrison there are doubtless other
readers who will be glad to have the story
briefly told once more. In all history
there a no more remarkable character
than this statesman-soldier who seeks to
sooth rather than to slaughter who places
implicit, child-likC trust in the leading oil
Almighty God, who when he must make
war firmly believes that he fights with
the sword Of the lord and OF Gordon"
Gordon had been in the Soud"n' III
1873 sent hither by the Khcdive oil
Egypt, with the consent OF the British
government, TO improve the means OF
communication with tho Equatorial
PROVINCES; and again he went in IS" as
Governor. General with full power ovef u
wild territory l,O40 miles long and IoO
miles wide, authorized to suppress the
slave trade at whatever cost and to es-
t,hlish order. With characteristic mean
nessand short,sigEtedness tho Egyptian
government had broken faith with the
Governor General, and in 1879 Gordon had
returned to the soudan, though not until
Il, haI smitten the monster sIavc'liuht-
ers. practically broken up Their slave
trode and shown what man oil his char
acter could do in so miserable country
Other important service in remote lanes
followed.
Early in January, 1854, Gordon WIS
again in London, now Major GeneFai IN
tie British army. The sOudan was again
in ierment. Oppressed by Turkish ms
,ule discontent was general. Slave trad
i6T had been revived. For two years and
a.lalf tic Mahdi had been leading his
hosts against the Khedive's power. Inc
army of Hicks Pasha had been blotted
from the earth. The Mahdi was march
inr OH Khartoum, point OF great stra-
tprie value at the junction OF the White
Milo and tho Blue. There was a dismal
outlook for the threatened garrison IN
Khartoum. Egypt knew not what to do
England wanted to give up the soudan'
but there was no way 10 get the Egyptian
troops out.
"Chinese" Gordon, in newspaper in
t,ryicw, denounced the English policy
and displayed his mastcriul knowledge OF
the situation. His previous good work
was remembered, and the newspapers, re-
ilecting public sentiment, broke out IN
earnest cries for Gordon. Eleven daysatter
his arrival in London he set out for Cairo
with power to do what he pleased. Ar
irving Mt Cairo he telegraphed to khar-
toum: "You are men, not women. he
not afraid. am coming" The khedive
gave him "full discretionary powers over
the Egyptian troops" He would take no
force with him. He had said, "lf l am
sent will go alonc," and 10 tho surprise
OF the world he undertook the hazardous
mission through dangerous country
without an army at his back.
There was much discussion OF this
characteristic and inAexible resolve. No
body but Gordon thought his course sale,
some declared it to be fanatical, and others
denounced what they called the cowardly
behavior OF the British Government in
nermittisr one OF the first men OF his
time to hang his life on soslendera thread.
His idea was to conciliate, to paclty, not
to slaughter unless slaughter were forced
upon him, and that he would look 10
when he reached Khartoum.
February lS-nearly year ago-Gor-
don reached Khartoum and was received
rs dclivcrer. The people knew him and
loved him, called him Sultan, Father,
Saviour OF Kordofan. Before the palace
he made memorable bonfire OF the
books on which was written untold misery
in the form Of arrears OF taxes, which the
people had been unable to pay. That
monument OF misrule laid in ashes, he
gave TO the flames the scourgcs with
which the people had been logged to
break them into submission to mis-
rule. He destroyed the prison and
SGT at liberty men and women who had
never been tried, or, having been tried
and acquitted, had been forced to langnish
in chains for years. That night the town
was Illuminated in honor OF the singular
soldier who had thrown himself into an
cnemy's country without fighting force.
General Gordon has been severely criti-
cised, by persons at safe distance, for the
course he now pursued with regard to
slavery. Knowing it to be impossible TO
abolish slavery, and believing the estab.
llshment OF rule Of justice and mercy to
be OF more importance, he attempted the
thing which seemed possible. ucwas de-
ternincd to stop slave hunting, but slave
holding was another matter. He was first
for pacfcaion.
In this he took the view Of President
Lincoln in the early days Of our own Civil
War. Lincoln said that what he did with
regard to slavery he did because he want
cd to save the Union; aud what he for
bore to do, that was because he wanted 10
save the Union. In his case it was the
Union first; with Gordon, paciacation first.
By March Gordon was satisfied that II no
could hold his own in Khartoum
that was all he could hope
for. He could not deal with
the armed rebels who were pressing in
upon him. The British government was
notiaed-thero is good reason to believe
thatit was repeatedly urged to send relief.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS to reign
in the British Foreign Office. When Cor
don set out for KhartOum he expected
that communication would be kept open