New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-04-05
ENGLISH MEN OF ACTION.
cHARLEs oEoRaE GORDON.

sTl6s forms tho nfSt volume OF now solioe " ,.
Biographies projected by the publishers, 70 % onseu
English Men OF Actions 1t VIII BE connnea =
subjects Of the British Crown Who have IN As
Capacity a. homo or abroad, by land or sea, pcen
conxpaeuous FOR their actions in its services. ths
ser3es IS ftly opened with the lie OF 0enerai
and the publishers announce IS 10 prepsrA 1s,..
highly interesting LIST. embracing Henry ~" rsn,ss
by ths Rev. A. J. Church smnls.
Hughes: Lord Laurence by SIR hicnaSu 1s,P'e'
q yelin sfou.s by George Hooper; Sir sonn ns LAVE
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r,c,,,,s, Ctr Charles wilson; Warren Hastings, oy
=. ~A,.rea IyaIl: assr John Moore py Colohe,
.s,,,s ana IIayelocks by Archibald Forpes. eeNea
- tbese volumes are already In press :.
s,, yfliam Butler approaches the oimeui' oA'A y
.ryiting the life of General GORDON WIN sn .uo
,,nassastons OF deep sympathy and strong pelso,lA
ssssnssh,n IL is much dificult undertaking
.hsn a.. most biographies. Gordon was man
.,siru,ar IN so many respects that Comparatively 10"
,>opie may be said to have suceeeoeo IN Ano"As 49,
IL was emphatcally sclt-containea man IN @
Arss pace. Then his originality OF tnousns ana .r,.h
xs.ns.nt suirit often put HIN at crosspurposes WIN
- = ..,,c. ~ which he was ornament ana WIN
sha sssovernment which directed that service Nv
10. rvas lass fitted for the state OF complete sun
ordination entailed by military discipline. anu Nv
ever chafed more under It. The spirit OF 1oiuon -
pos only complex. however, not ony anen 60 90 -
scts 10 mat Of his time and social ana onoiai ~
..s -. I. nyesented strange and strong anaingies
- tern uh,oh has ceased to exist save IN lsoiatea
~ 81 N sneak belafed instances. hc was muoo0
s,tarallv m one born out OF due time. some centuries
.,,er rbarles George Gordon vonld have ioiino nun
.,ff in complste harmony with his enVirohhions 80
r.turai role would have been that OF one Oh 'ns
.ho&Hxa oOxaR
discovered did doughty deeds, faced ieartul ouus -
chs call Of duty and left examples OF ganahuy, 20
,.s,.,.nea energy and conscientious performance "
duty which have apparently now eeaS'u '"
,mrCh influence upon postefiv. ,,,...- "A.
mt General Gordon was more than military tu-
,rent,,rer. He had In him something Oh ule 80
- spirit also, though man could have Deen
lss ,,hsra, On his religious convictions. he was IN
scot naturally religious, and after FASHION "ni0n p
sim an different plane from that occupied Oy mus
,,,s,ss,.ors az creeds. To him religion was snnPS
ard IfteraIly rule for the condnct OK NE. l. was
mot !, merely intellectual acceptance OF paru0ulS
sohems Of theology, 10 be kept apart honi "S
.rd oniy 10 be honored by weekly ooniesson anu
ksxc,ssI sstar dscorous rtualstlc methods II was
- Aim the Divine order Of the day. 70 be applied -
.v.ry sos of everyday ife 70 be the guide anu ING
souch-stons Of conduct under all circunS.~n0 ~
conditions Like many remarkable mon VI s'u .s
hs was greatly given to solitary mushs. Ing , a.,
hot
origin In his abiding sense Of the seriousness % o'
: t..,,ng which made him impatient OF AL the CON
v.rt,onsi shams disrrises and frvoitos wnereWiu
~ ,raoent and morally feeble society seeks 70 cover
up IFS INSTALLATIONS to fncs the Deeper pr0O''"S
sxis,snco and 70 recognize the calb OF outy.
Ha cana Of an ancient fighting race, OF whOn 'n.
nss, n.me Gordon signifies spear. Win BIS prooe
xI,ybland blood he inherited chivary IS renneu anu
{. upustl,ous a. that Of Bayard upon the poinS VI
honor whsn the Impenellst Chinese leaders ue@cn-
erously slew the TAPPING Wang az foo'Oho"' 49, 49,
less Of his psdge of safety, upon the sWensh VI
tbey had surrendered, he At once threw UP hi9 oo,
mspdnsy IN the first transport OF indignation :. aI
.ns.mv bs sought LIE Hung, the Chinese AmPen~
commandsr with the purpose to kEi NM mon. 49,.
yoyth ba refused 10 receive any money gt itom .ne
fh,n,se r,oyernmsut and subsequently he sno"eu Die
.s,.aafu for even honorary rewards coming Hou 49,
: source By dsvotfng the gold medal DeSto"ou ~
him nv the Emperor for his services as ehici u @
Ever Victorious Army to the funds OF an Ensl l
snssr4ption for bslping this poor. Gordon was nov"
- - ls.sla understood or appreciated at the Horse
frr.rds frat for years he suffered to fret m
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES the fact that the Government n"u
,,ra,nt need for men Of Just his QualncaHons' 80
,ea.or why be was left on the she'll no oouDS "~ -
-fusaI 10 practice the s1bservient ana oDseqn1o0s
h.hay,or which hastens preferment oy ns.'t NE
ofdcsai vanity. In MS corresPoru "a ,.r.,vht.
supsr,ors. moreover he always used plan sna
sr,,ga isnsuare and did not hesitate to poio' ou'
,xauAa
s,.t.haa or to suggest reforms and Improvement,
THESE traits could not recommend him 70 eon -
asnsy tmental and army chiefs. ION the Coh'rS. ~.
ohta,p,d for him the reputation OF an eo0oNN -. :,
,vh,oh rendered him an unsafe man IN 'n'
the Cirpmlocution ofhee Gov
49, certainly could not BIO relied upon to carry out any
st,uo4ions e he discovered sinister or less 'nAh
-.horv honorable purpose in them. witness tne no
..tiattons with the Basutos which no unoef1coA ae
rn,onfal and home authorities had alike iseo nc uo
ssrnfued to 20 personally 70 an innuenuai p-suO'
phlsf and no pledged the honor OF inc O@Po "os,
1000 hat no military movement should be under'aAeh
,r.t the natives While the conference was penang
ma xe NOT remember the Governmental course Una.
~,n..cncntlv converted Khartoun into q place OF
,a,rtyrdom we should be inclined 70 say that hon'ns
,,ta fatuous and baEe than the conduct OF tno CsP
.utsor4Hes on that occasion could be imagined ihey
,tes ntfl Gordon was actually in the Basuto suons-
od and his LIE at the mercy Of the savases ana te.
= Asa,terats breach Of their agreement they SOL III
sat military expedition against the chief In whose
xs,,da the negotiation lay. When similar Deus ap-
neay I'm Roman or Grocian history the historian as
surnes that there purpose to procure the uo@ "
cha COMMANDER thus exposed TO the resentment VI
5..S,v offended enemy. In the nineteenth century We
sscbew such damaging suspicious. but in order to 90 50
secsively ID becomes necessary to scceDduae tie ioi
.n want Of principle Of tho perpetrators Gordon' OF
c,,, instantly broke up and withdrew from the ne
ronation he had found English eoionisn no more 70
Is depended upon than the Chinese generals 10 hung
and Ckin. at Foochow.
The opportunity las he ard many others ln'ushs =
a ,s,el offered him by the Bhedive Of Egypt to tran
oyIilfzs the soudan and TO exHngush that perennial
curss Of Africa tho slave trade, was naturally eraspe
Nth eaeerness, and for many years this indoma0lo
souI toned and struggled with superhuman energy al
the sisypheap labor. Sir William Butler has drawn
some vivid pictures OF Gordon's tremendous energy IN
fhs sondan. Hero is ono OF them
- ~, M.y 10 f,o7sion left Khartoum on June 2. he
sessed tie frontier OF Dasfour, 400 miles Distant ne
IA wondsrfal camel that hies along lester ns1 srs
- behind the secretaries and stan t0l iar IN me
fsax Dressed IN the richly embroidered pnliofm OF
fsrsssh rarphai the Governor-G General comes nyIne
Into station ard before the guards can Lain ous am