The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1885-06-26
GORDON'S INDICTMENT
EXTRACTS FROM THE DIARIES OF
THE WARRIOR OF GOD"
An Indictment Of the British Govern
ment from the Midst OF the Soudan
A Bad Opinion of Sepoys
and the Indian Empire.


gram to The Sun says: The sensation OF
the day is the publication OF the diaries
kept by Gen. Gordon during the long siege
of Khartoum. They make volume OF
nearly 900 pages, which Is sure to have an
extensive sale, although it Is not said to be
pleasant reading for any class Of people likely
to buy it To the late government it
must read like terrible indictment. and to
the statesmen now coming into power it Is a
revelation OF the difficulties and dangers in
their path in dealing with the Egyptian
problem. To the personal friends of the
late commander it comes like gruesome
voice from the grave, telling tale OF NOR
tai misery in language often weird. I'M
canny and uncouth. To those who wish
to still regard Gen. Gordon as an
ideal Christian hero i: will bring a shock Of
disappointment, for it lays bare all the
startling incongrnities OF his character,
which were apparently intensified by his
sufferings, perplexities and despair to the
verge of madness. The diaries reveal three
prominent ideas The first was that he
could smash the mahdi if Zebehr Pasha was
sent to his aid, the question of reliev-
ing the garrison of Khartoum having
been delayed until it was too late for action.
Secondly, he was convinced that the idea
that Egypt was governed by the Egg ptians
was a piece OF utter fiction; that it was gov
erned in every detail by Englishmen, and
that England was responsible for its fate.
Thirdly, Gen Gordon personally believed
that Mr.. Gladstone's government desired his
death to settle the difficulty and end the
clamor for relief expedition.
The diaries ara in six parts, four al
dressed to Col Stewart and the others to
the chief of staff of the expedition to the
Soudan They were handed TO Sir Charles
Wilson Jan. - at Metemneh by the officer
commanding Gordon's steamers. The fol-
lowing are extracts:
II it is right to send up an expedition
now, why was it not right to send it up be-
forel 1t is all very well to say one ought to
consider the difficulties of the government,
but it is not easy to get over feeling that
"a hope existed of no expedition being nee
eSsary, owing to our having fallen" As for
myself personally, | feel no particular
rancor ON the subject but own do not care
to show that like men, whoever they may
be, who act in such a calculating way, and
do not think one is bound TO act the hypo.
critics part and pretend to be friendly to-
ward them. l do not judge the question OF
abandoning the garrlsons or not; what
Judge was the indecision Of the government.
They did not dare to say, "Why don't he
GARRISON 50 they prevent me leaving for
the equator with the determination not to
relieve me and the hope-well, will not say
what their hope was March, April and
August. Why, he ought TO have surrendered.
He said six months There Is my point of
complaint
A heavy numbering column, however,
strong. is now here in this land. Parties of
forty OF sixty men moving swiftly about,
will do more than any column If you lose
| two or three, what of it, 1t is the chance Of
war. Native allies, above all things, at
whatever cost 1t Is the country of the
| irregular, not of the regular can say
owe the defeats in this country TO having
| artillery with me- which delayed me much,
and it was the artillery with Hicks, which,
| in my opinion did for him.
As for her ma jesty's government keeping
| the Soudan itself, it is out of the question,
| for you could not get men to serve here ex-
| cept under great salaries and supported
| with large forces, and as for giving it back
| to Egypt in a couple of years, we would
have another mahdi Therefore our choice
lies between Zubair and the Turks. There
fore, give the country to the Turks
| when you have come TO khartoum with
| 100000 or 2,OOO,000 pounds sterling,
| (which you will spend in three
L
lay, make arrangements at once with the
porte for Its Soudan cession; let G, 900 Turks
land at Suakim and march up to Berber,
and thence to Khartoun. You can thence
retire at once before the hot weather comes
| on.
AS for evacuation" it is one thing; as for
rafting out" it is another. / am quit of ad
| vice as to No. l, as we have not the decision
to keep the country, but will be no party
to No. 2-this rat business. First. because
il is dishonorable; second, because it is not
possible, which will have more weight
Therefore, il it is going to be No. 9,
the troops had better not come beyond Ber-
Der till the question of what will be dono is
settled. My idea is TO induce her ma jesty's
government to undertake the extrication Of
all the people Of the garrisons now hsmmsd
or captive, and If this is not their programme
then TO resign my commission and do what
l can to attain 1.-THE object. As long as q
man remains in her ma jesty's service he is
bound to obey the orders of his superiors,
but il he resigns he can not be held as in.
subordinate il he disebeys / say this be-
cause | should be sorry for Lord Wolse-
ley to advance from Dongola without
fully knowing my views. If her majesty's
government are going TO abandon the garri-
| sons, then do not ad vance, 1t is misera-
BILE country, but il is joined to Egypt, and
to my idea it would be difficult to divorce
the two. When one thinks of the enormous
| loss of life which has taken place i'm the
Soudan since 1880 and the general upset of
; all government, one can not help feeling
! vicious against Sir Auckland Calvin Sir Ell
ward Malet and Sir Charles Dixie, for it i.
on account OF these three men, whose advice
was taken by her majestys government
that all these sorrows are due. We are al
honest nation, but our diplomats are cronies
> and not officially honest
l Aof nv hasa al
useless / have the greatest contempt fol
[ the pure Indian SepoyS hate these snake
like creatures Any man accustomed Il
judge by faces sees that they hate u.s.
would back the Mussulmans of India against
the lot Of those snakes. India, to me, is not
! an advantage. Ii Is the center of all party
a intrigue, while If our energy were devoted
elsewhere it would produce tenfold Iudi,
sways all our policy to our detriment
think Col. Stewart is hard on our men as t.
their cowardice They are not heroes,
grant, but they are not, to my mind, entr,
towards
If in two days find the news correct tina
; the mahdi is still in Kordofan shall let on
all the political prisoners, which will shocl
the townspeople, but viii he a true joy ant
p delight to me, for it has been q work ut
terly repugnant to me. | like free will
4 we left God with our own free will W
I must return with our own free will hat
q forced subsection, and | fesl sure tina
! to let these people out with free will to go t.
| the Arabs or not will be good policy
! must say that ! feel it great com
/; pliment when my counselors say to me
|Do what you think right, irrespective O
our advice" when they know am ignoran
, of all that goes on; ignorant of the Ara
language, except my style; ignorant of tn
5 customs, etc, etc. "You will do bsttsr thai
= we do,n is what they say, and |, poor devil
do not know where to turn. Oh, GU
q government, what has it not to answer for
r Not to me, but to these poor people.
declare, if ] thought the town wished th
s mabdi ! would give it up, so much do
, | respect free will
Mr.. Gladstone has rival up here in shirt
4 collars. Mohammed Boy lbrabim appeare
r. to day with regular wings, rather ragged
, his collars up to his ears, regular orthodo
e patterns
In conclusion, Gsbl Gordon firmly b,
:. lieved that the Gladstone government full
desired his death, In order to relieve it frol
e embarrassment and as affordipg an excu:
d for abandoning the Soudan.
|
II THE DOLPHIN DISCUSSION.
= Ex-Secretary Chandler Adds a Line I
i Two in His Own Defense.