New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-03-22

| subjects were holders OF Egyntian bonds and
'eee"e on invitation to leave Egypt to herself
or make way for some other kind of foreign
occupation This. combined with the fact that
horo Croner's previous connection with Egypt
from 1877 to 1880 had been in the capacity OF
representative Of the bondholders has served
70 warp his judgment, to diminish the breadth OF
MS views. and to deprive him OF that political
| foresight which one would naturally expect to
ma In an administration otherwise 20 strong
RICH DEPENDENCY.
| Until 1882 the provinces Of the Soudan. ex-
tending as far southwark as the great lakes
far from constituting any drain upon the Egyp-
'ian exchequer. were on the contrary, a source
or considerable revenue. Khartoum the capital
and headquarters Of the Governor General had
developed into large and prosperous city, the
seat OF Roman Catholic Archbishopric. crowd
ed with white traders and frequently visited by
european tourists. 1t was connected with Cairo
py telegraph, there regular service of pos
tai steamers on the Nile and the eminent Eng
hsn engineer. Sir John Fowler, had in accord
ance with the instructions of Khedve Ismail.
surveyed and even begun the railroad that was
10 extend from Cairo TO Khartoum. The insur-
rection in 1882 however, had the effect of dis
organizing in great measure the Government
OF the Soudan 1t made necessary the with
drawal OF those Egyptian troops whose presence
was Indispensable for holding the Arab tribes of
the Soudan in proper subsection and interfered
with the dispatch Of supplies from Cairo. When
the fanatcal Soudanese were told that the fol-
lowers of the Prophet In Egypt had shaken of
the yoke of the khedive. had driven out the un-
believers. and had not only cancelled all debts.
but had also arranged to pay no more taxes II
was only natural that an effervescence should
/ have taken Mace among tho Arab trihes which
the advent Of the Dervish known the Mahdi
served to fan into small Instruction. This,
however. might easily have been quelled at the
outset, had the task been intrusted 10 Egyptian
or European generals accustomed 10 Soudanese
methods and warfare. such as for instance,
Abd-el-Kadr Pacha. who was wont to adorn the
trees and bushes by which the enemy had to
pass with strips Of cloth and paper inscribed
with verses of the Koran warning the nsur-
gents that disaster in store for them. The
SOudanese. who terribly superstitious. went
into the fight after this in a halfhearted man.
ner convinced In advance not only OF their de-
feat but also OF their loss OF paradise. and
many a battle won by the Egyptians In this
way. But no such capable and experienced com
mander being sent. the task Of suppressing
the revolt was intrusted to a retired English
! officer. Hicks Pacha who sneered at by
the British regulars al Cairo adventurer.
and who found willing TO his
staff but number OF foreign and English neer-
do-wells. who had not reached Khartoum before
i
its officers. The result a crushing defeat
Of the expedition by the insurgents, the officers
being massacred almost TO man.
THE SOUDAN ABANDONED
AS soon as the Of this defeat became
known at Cairo. II at apparent that
immediate steps must be taken to repair the
disaster by means of the dispatch OF another
Egyptian force large enough to arrest the rapid
spread of the revolt. Sir Evelyn Barring. how
| iafir ha fac haf
tail sufficiently heavy expense to the Egyptian
treasury TO imperil the payment OF the next
coupons. at once vetoed the projected military
operations and on being told that unless the
troops were sent the Soudan would be lost TO
Egypt, ordered the abandonment OF the Soudan.
Unfortunately. Mr.. Gladstone In power at
the time in England. and as with him consdera-
lions OF national finance have invariably out
weighed all Others. and he dreaded the pros
pect Of being compelled to accord financial
sistance TO Egypt. he naturally Endorsed Sir
everybody acqhan ed with Egyptian affairs
and with Egyptian history protested against the
abandonment of the Soudan Old Cherif Pacha.
who Prime Minister. and Riaz Pacha. who
was Minister of the Interior. both preferred to
resign rather than to sanction so disastrous
policy. and the Khedve Is reported To have
gone down on his knees 10 Sir Evelyn entreat-
Ing him 10 give way in the matter. II was all In
vain. and orders were at once given for the
evacuation OF provinces covering area OF
over million square miles and inhabited by a
population Of 1900 00O-p~ovnces so thriving
important province Kordofan. to lower Egypt
amounted 10 nearly $40 600 900 a year.
The task Of evacuation one OF great dim
Guilty and peril or course. from the moment IL
became known In the Soudan that the provinces
were about to be abandoned by the Egyptian
Government the entire population from motives
OF policy Joined the insurgents. endeavoring by
manifestations of hostility to the Egyptians and
Europeans at Khartoum 70 win the favor Of
those who were destined to become their mas
ters. There was only one man fitted to under
take the task the man who knew the country
better than any other white man living namely.
General Gordon: and. although he bitterly con-
demned Barings policy destroying the re-
suits. Of all his long years OF labo; TO develop
and civilize the Soudan. and although at first he
declined to be a party to the evacuation. yet.
when IL pointed out TO him that he alone
could the lives and rescue the white people.
and especially the women and children still at
Khartoum. he gave way and left Cairo for the
South in January. 1854
GORDON's WORK.
Gordon accomplished his task The major part
Of the women and children at Khartoum were
sent down the Nile In safety; but when he pre-
pared to start himself with the nuns. the priests
and the few white traders and officials who had
stayed behind with him 10 assist him in his
mission, he found the way blocked and the city
besieged by the insurgent forces He sent sew
eral messages to Cairo by means Of native car
riers appealing for rescue and relief, not much
for himself as for those whom he had persuaded
to remain with him to the last. and to whom he
felt that he owed duty. He added that II
troops could not be sent, at any rate the Sou
danese chief Zebehr, known the Lion OF the
Soudan." who detained in semi-captivity at
Cairo. in spite of a safe conduct that had been
accorded to him. might be dispatched TO nego-
tiate with the Madh for his relief Instead OF
this request being granted Zebehr was seized
one night without any apparent reason and
shipped off on board British man-of-war to
Gibraltar. where he was detained In captivity
for two years. without any form Of trial. before
being set at liberty; and the British Government
Off pod Cor
don's relief until compelled to do by public In
djgnation in England. Then II was too late.
1ord Charles Beresford reaching Khartoum on
board his steamer three days after the city had
fallan md Gordon had been Killed.