New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-05-21
LETTERS OF GORDON.
A CHARACTERISTIC MINGLING OF POLITICS
AND PROPHECY.


AND PROPHECY.
Some Of the most Interesting relies OF Gordon OF
Khartoum that have the Hight since his las,
diary was published about to be- sold under tho
aictIoneers hammer IN London. They are letters
n series of letters written by Gordon to an init
mate friend during the three years preceding his
departure for the scene OF his betrayal ana mar
tyrdom. Their dates range from March, ISL, 10
January 1894. They deal With vast variety OF
TOPICS all OF which discussed with Gordon's we'll
known frankness aud originality. Now he writes
shrewdly and practically VI political affairs; now
Of military. Again his tone is that OF phiI"
sophie statesman; and again OF prophet or seer
Affairs In almost all parts OF the world occupy MS
attention. The first two are devoted to ,hna, n
theme on which he could speak with assured au-
thoriy. His theory was that England, having once
shown herself the master Of That couhtr9, shoun
now become It's friend and ally:
| wish our Government would endeavor TO give
some attention 10 that power Nhina a. our nall s
raj ally In the East rs lrancr !, III the VII ,dcct
but long as We are unjust To the 'h''ae "oN
eminent the Inter Will miStrI't us
Again. discussing the progress OF CHINA IN va
rious directions. he wrote:
The stride China has made In commerce IS I'm.
mensr aud ! have great contempt LOT mIuluN
proves II Is cphcmcra admire administrators.
hot generals \ military rcd button mandarin La,
to bow low TO blue button civil hAhdari' anu
rightly TO my mind
polltlcal importance looking 70 an understanding
between England and France for the disposition OF
the northern countries OF that continent. In May
1881, he said:
You remember the quarrel b"tween Baron de Ring
and Blign-res II was hushed mp and ltlng was
removed. RING had worked for the general welfare
Of The people Bsnrrei i@ Wo,e, ,ne and ss friend
iolwin The French Government wanted to support
Ring. hut our Government persuaded NE ir"n i
| Government 10 give up Ring ana I" "lihdra" Nun
| | hav, strong suspicion that Wh'n VIM
over 10 Paris he agreed with Gambcta TO keep hins
| way there giving the French. tho carte blanche
Ta1 with the PTG% hh Tom ah' rp and let
England reign supreme there. on France leaving
T6 perhaps :: the 9"5 Ting b. x :" 9aIpe
| And again, a few weeks later:
7 have given VI. Pierre Arnoux your address.
HIS object as also mine has always BEEN Is to open
proper 10 Europe. These counties are now stifed
By that Ereto Of Egyptian pachas and they have
from Ignorance more than nyihlng else and the
| two governments though nominally responsible ior
done 10 Abys.lnia This state OF things cannot last
| long and It would be- well for France and England
10 recognize that tbesc countries, Abyssnia and >hra
should have an outlet.
A little later. in the same year. he lapsed into n
| philosoph mood. half pessInisc, and wrote from
| Port Louis follows:
The longer one lives II reflects at all, We have
all worries. and It is often The case tIat our
| worries being 80 near lis. make us forget those OF
Others and think that they are free Of any when Is
friends. Take myself. for instance IL was MOI over
cheerful to go ont TO TINS rIc" NOR rs to nma
think living In II perfect fools paradise about
Dn pw ~non We to I or M pr%:y but pS~ IS
by selfishness and dleness ana are trading on the
reputation Of our forcfathers.
In the fall of that year. Egypt and the Soudan
claimed attention. and Gordon. then at MiurltluS.
thus expressed himself regarding the leading figure
| In Egyptian politics:
As for Nubar, he was with the old Khedve during
prosperity he never raised his voice 10 dcprecatc
The mad onnS. he aided In negotiating them. and
made his fortune by 'hen For that 40 , mot me- me-
Egyptian crisis is too far gone for Nubar. ana !
think that constituent chamber would alone quiet
reforms believe Joseph was originally nj the
bottom Of these rows and that they eventually went
The next letter In the series was lpcnned at Port
Louis In February. 1892 and 1t Is most interesting
one discussing random politics. phology, finance.
ethics. and Biblical lore. lie wrote;
There will be n about that letter In The Times.
II they send thl Bac, Regiment To >oudan to
quell the revolt they will inociaic all the troops up
there and the soudan will revolt against Cairo. whom
they all hate. kanonn means military cannon or law,
the English canon comes from Arabic kanonn; sugar
comes from Arabic inkar. NV, We DO no, gave ne ,c
Black treaty 10 Russia 50 opium trad" Is 10
China. think they would Willingly give up their
revenue from opium Indeed. am SURE of II. II they
could get rid OF the forced importation by treaty nt
their action In doing would be simply one 81 sails
| flying their amour propre The opium importation Is
| constant reminder OF their defeats. and feel sure
China will never be good friends WIN Us iill 1t Is
| | think the only two alliances worth having are
France and china chna Is the Hnly nation In tue tue
want England is the only nation which forces an
other nation do this. IN order to benefit India by
foreign nation can raise the bile of Chinese by saying
Look at the English. they forced You to take their
opium. -. Put nation In The same position OF
having been defeated and forced to accept some nrc
which theory used to consider lnd for tn" health Tx,
tea used to BE-. would rcbcl as soon ~ we couid
against II. though people drank tea The opium
trade IL standing, ever present m"n,,nl1 o, n@''a,
and heavy payments. and III" Chinese cirvriiy take 40
vantage Of the fact that II l. d""trripi' drug Inc
opium wars were not about olinm-"pnm was Qnly =
choval dc batailei was against IL" Introduction o
foreigners. political question and - the question o
opium import Is now As for the loss to lndln ny
giving 1t up. It is quite another affair: on one hand
Won have gain an emblttered feeling and an Injustice
on the other You have loss friendly naion ana uSne
Gu, down pay Of all officers In India 10 Colonial allow
ances above rank OF captains civ, them Indian
allowances and YOU will cover nearly the loss eN
poet Why should officers In India have more thar
officer, in Hong Kong -. p. 81 think The ste OF
Eden Is seychelles, where Is the Tree OF LIE ana Oh
knowledge
Another extraordinary epistlc such as only this
mystic could have written. came In June, 1885, WIN
the proposed Palestine Canal for text. lie wrote
o. We are IN Egypt. supporting an unpopular
sovereign %no or e mo- hop" I" the people Of any
soace by this support by hr o SpPDr' exScr u,
ar eS Sopness We r neither govern pons
bIty yet We support these vampires, go we are are
% oi W A viii iii %"I pa% SnS"
are mixed up with the sonan where we proy S;ay
900 canno' I'd ourselves "a We nrc In constant and
increasing lot water with the French we gain M ~
hcnc0, from f. for the Canal sill remains Nlcirs
~n o,har hand n we get frman from sultan ioi
Psn canal IT, We Utf as 'n SnS r ie
| I..tcno vot Encedi t2) We swamp nOtoriOtsn
me- there Country ns ~ Of fassne he
a sM, o" Ne are free Of all four objections u
Egypt 9x ws gain s no fs %es from
Of Moab Ammon SS ,,, ''P r7 We rst vstsr.way