Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1894-09-23

| pponue tnidier whose memory the WnOl
| world loves 10 honor and royero-Chafle
George c'Chine5e.o Gordon. 10 1874 Gen
oral Gordon, already distinguished through
| his services In China, where be had effect
| ually crushed out the Tao Ping rebellion
and restored the lettering Emperor to hi
throne. was appointed by the Enedlve Gov.
ornor-Gcnerai Of tho Soudan.
Almost from the start he won tho affec
ton and confidence OF tho people whom
no had been appointed TO govern. with un.
orring instinct, he discerned tho true cause
Of the troubles. and. cooperating with
tho natives. droys the rascaily Turks from
out HIS territory. Hts measures Of taxa
tion wera calculated TO produce the largest
.revenues with the least hardship. and he
succocded In restoring peace and order
.tiroughout the Eastern Soudan In mar
Velourly short period
But all his Ideas did not meet with tho
approval OF the Khediye. and In 1876 not
receiving the support from Cairo which
no had becn promised, he resigned Dis
order and turbulence began Immediately
after no had left. and early IN 1877 he
was almost ontreated by the ruler OF Egypt
70 take charge Of affairs again. This he
did after obtaining a promise which. In
Justice, be It said. was faithfully kept, that
insured the ful1llment OF his plans.
Then for period OF almost three years
the Eastern soudan enjoyed a prosperity
that II had not conceived before nor has
realized since. Values were established on
a stable basis. crime was punished. merit
was rewarded. No foreign traders, unlesH
known to DO honest, were permitted to do
bnsiness. The slave trade was gradually
but surely being oradicated by a series o.
DEGREES that were calculated 10 least dis
turb the welfare aud peace OF tho COM
munity.
Little wonder that the blacks came to
look upon Gordon US their Divine Doliv-
ortr," as they put II. Even tho naughty
Arab ahoikH We're compelled 20 render him
their respect and obedience. Quarrela woro
adjusted between rival tribes and tran
guilty felgred over almuAt the entire ro-
Rion.
But the slave trade was a stencil in Eng
lands n0strlls She might by force OF arma
compel tho Chinese to smoke opium; sho
might by the same process squeeze the life
from the people Of india; she might assume
control Of tho peaceful, happy islands Of
tho Pacific and teach the natives 10 grovel
at the sound Of her guns but aho couldn't en-
ddre slave trade that was fast dying out
through gradual rcltricfions, A so-cailed
Hlave convention was called through hor
fundamentally. II ennctod fnoamurea so
harsh and drastic that General Gordon. know
ms the lmpoasbility Of their enforcement
resigned In the latter part of 1871. He re-
turned TO England. and shortly afterward
went out TO India.
As might have been expected tho mcasurea
OF tho Slave Convention. which was COM
posed Of representatives OF every Power
which had finger in the Egyptian soudan-
csc pie, provoked discomfort. The clouds OF
rebellion gathered long time before thny
broke, for undor GordonH rule the people
learned torospoct and appreciate law. nut
rebellion came finally. and camo 10 hor-
rhln form.
Trading parties would leave Kharinlm or
soma WALL fuFfiuaA 10 tH.. i.t.
ana would never return. onoials on the
frontier would DO murdered Women who
had tho misfortune to fan into the banda OF
the Havagos would be put to horrible tor
t'fc or compelled 10 enter tho harema Of
$40 native poteniatca' TheHo guerilla out
RACES continued for a long three years, and
then there camc an even worse change
Mohammed Achmet. Of whose early history
little II known, by one Of those singular
circumstances that sometimes nut men IN
greater prominence than their fellows rose
at a bound to be the leader OF tho robels In
the Eastern suudan. lie called himself lei
hahdi." which, by translation, Is tho Re-
former" and preached icliycranco from tho
yoke Of oppression 10 his followers. He APP
pealed 10 their religious prejudces, de-
clnrod that he had been sent BY heaven 10
their aid, and In a short time had rallied
around him an army whose numbers alone
would have made II formidable
But he had not numbers alone to rely
upon. His mon were armed with rifles OF
latest make. which English cupidlty had
supplied them. There were expert hhots
among thom-Arabs who could kin Aging
antelope. Moreover thcy wero quick To train
their quick eyes over tho slghta OF tho guns
which they captured In their frat nssaults
upon tho fortified camps. Lastly they were
fred with religious hate by tho derylshes.
who formed no uncomfortable portion OF
their numbers, and who rushed on death
with the frenzy aud tcarlcssneaH which have
always been characteristic OF tho Moham-
mcdan warriors,
Town after town iell Into tho banda OF
Mohatnmcd Achmot. lie seemed TO bear a
charmed lie himself, and imhued his sol
dlcra with the Idea that be was possessed OF
supernatural pnwera, Tribe aftor tribe gave
In It's allegiance TO him. and HIS control was
almost supreme. Egyptian troops. which
were 4ent against him, were hutchercd; gar
risona were put to the sword, An tho atrocl-
tioa ~ savage warfare were ptaotlccd by the
followers OF this new prophet, who seemed
invlncibc
Even the Engllah soldiers were powerlcss
In his path, On Sept ., 1854. Hicks pnRhn
a veteran Of India and AbyuHnla. led a
force OF 10000 mixed troops against tho
Mahdi lilo left khartoum resolving to
strike across tho desert to III obeld For
weeks nothing was heard Of him. Then
Que day g solitary messenger staggered
Into khartoum, lie brought tho intolll-
genco that Hicks Paaha, with his entire
army. had been surrounded and destroyed
Other expeditions met the same fate In
all the campaigns in Englands proud hs-
tory, In all the wars that Hho has ever
conducted. she mover suffered as many de.
ieats "a she did at the hand OF Mohammcd
Aohmet the reformer. son OF AbdullAh +"
The English squared were broken on those
levels along the Nile tho English aoldlcrn
were sent dying BY the hordes Of dark.
Skinned sons OF tho Prophet. Courage.
daring. her0lsm awaited not.
II Ii truc that the Mahdi suffered some
minor reyersrs. Several tlmen he waa
driven back with severe loss In fact, In
nearly all his hattlos. many of his soldera
persisted. But he had an lnexhauSiible sup