The National tribune., 1885-02-12
KHARTOUM.
The Fortress in the Mahdrs Hands-Uncertainty
as to the Fate or the Gallant Gordon.

rs to the Fate OF the Gallant Gordon.
The feeling of joy in England on account of
the victory of Gen. Stewards gallant little
army over the forces of the Mahdi at Metem-
neh has been of but short duration, the last
dispatches from the seat of war bringing the
news of the downfall of khartoum and the
probable destruction of Gen. Gordon and his
army. The accounts so far are exceedingly
meager, and there are many conflicting rumors
as to the fate of Gordon, although the capture
of the city by FL Mahdi is beyond peradveture.
The first intelligence of the disaster reached
Gen. Wolseley by foot messenger, who escaped
from the city when the rebel troops entered.
but no particulars were received. 1t is be-
lieved that the Mahdi got into the city by the
treachery of one Faraz Pasha, who, left in
charge of the ramparts on Jan. % opened the
gates and let III the enemy. Another rumor
has il that Gordon, knowing of Stewards adj
vance, sent large part of his force out OF the
city to meet him, and this fact coming to the
knowledge of El Mahdi, he promptly attacked
the town, which, weakened as il was, fell an
easy prey to his large army: One dispatch
states that over 2, 600 men were butte hered by
the rebel troops after the surrender of the
city, 1t is the general belief that Gen. Gordon
has been killed, although all manner of stories
are ahoat in regard TO him. One messenger
stated that he was seen after the surrender
wearing the Mahdi's uniform; another, that
another claims that he is a prisoner. If the
latter report is true there can be little appre-
hension as to his personal safety, and his reilef
will only be matter of time and money.
Whatever may be the extent of the disaster,
there can be no doubt of the serious effect it
will have on the British operations IN the
Soudan. Already many tribes which protested
friendship to the British have thrown off their
disguise and openly declared for the Mahdi, to
whose standard they are iocking by the thou
sands The news has cast the deepest gloom
over the European Colony in Egypt, the troops
there being altogether inadequate to defend
the English in the event of a general revolt.
THE NEWS IN ENGLAND.
The rage and modification of the British,
when the news of the disaster became known,
is beyond description. In London business was
practically suspended, and the affair was noisly
discussed in the streets by excited crowds. The
people seem TO think the Gladstone ministry
primarily responsible for the mishap, in having
so long delayed to send out the expedition, but
Gen. Wolseley comes in for full share of abuse.
From the very first the Egyptian matter has
had more partisan than patriotic aspect, and
has been discussed almost solely on party lines.
The Tories; who are traditional jingoes, of
course insisted upon such measures as would
reduce the whole of the Soudan to as complete
British control as is now extended over India,
while the Liberal program has been TO tenn
poriZe and put matters in such trim that the
English could withdraw from khartoum and
all participation i'll SoudaneSe affairs as soon as
it could be done consistent with honor and the
fuilment of the obligations to Engishmen
and Others in the Soudan trade, whom it was
the duty of the British Government to protect
to certain extent To understand the position
of England it must be remembered that the
trade of the Soudan is estimated as high as
S2G,0O0,000 annually, and employs several thou
sand merchants and their dependents.
The sending of Gordon had for its object the
carrying out of this Liberal program. His
scheme was, as soon as it could possibly be done,
to hand the control of the country over to the
chiefs of the various tribes, who should resume
the Government of their predecessors which
had been distributed by the conquests Of Me-
hemet Ali. TIC this end Gordon entered into
negotiations with the Mahdi, and would, if sat-
isfactory arrangements could have been made,
have aided him in establishing certain amount
of authority over the country. The Mahdi,
however, refused to meet these advances in the
spirit in which they were intended, and his
conduct finally compelled Gordon to assume
the offensive against him with such troops,
Egyptian and Arab, as he could put in the field,
and had a fare share of success. When the day
began to 90 against Gordon it was the plain
duty Of the English to extricate him from
the position in which he had been placed by
the action of the Government, and these pro-
ceedings have been carried On by temporizing,
in the hopes that the Mahdi's authority over
the wild and unstable hordes of the desert
would wane to absolute obliteTation.
The instructions which Gen. Wolseley re-
ceiyed were TO go to Khartoum, but no further
beyond that place than was absolutely neces-
sary for the purpose of relieving Gordon and
Stewart, and retire from there as soon as con-
sistent with the exigencies of the military situa-
ton. The campaign has been severely criticised,
| and there seems TO be good ground for it. There
has been a most unaccountable delay in moving.
His enemies assert that this is due to inef1i-
cheney: and especial condemnation is laid upon
| his waiting to secure the services of corps OF
Canadian hoatmen, whom he had found sue
cessful in his Red River campaign. While he
| waited Col. Stewart was deployed ashore and
mastered, so that this part of his mission was
brought to an end, and it seems that the other
| in regard to Gordon has terminated similarly
| unfortunately. 1t will now require some ex-
| ceedingly brilliant achievements to Set Gen
Wolseley right before the eyes of the English
people.