The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-08-29

any provision for the future government Of the
country. which would then be sure to fall under
the power Of the Mahdi."
It is we'll known that Gordon held out in Khar-
toum until Jan. 90. 1885. and that tho eIpodi.
tion intended for his rescue arrived too lnto at q
point upon the Nile communicable with tho be-
leagu-ed town. That Barring was in no sense
responsible for tho failure to deliver Gordon
tho author OF this book undertakes to provo,
and we do not hesitate to say that we think he
has succeeded. lie places the blame for failure
where we think that IL belongs, on the shoulders
Of the Gladstone Government To appreciate
the grounds for this Judgment one or two Incl.
dents and dates must be recalled. 1t was on
April 10. 1884, that communication with Khar-
toum was cut of, and II was on the same day. q
month later, that the fall Of Berbor extinguished
the last possibility of adopting the most hope
full scheme Of rolief, that is to say, OF de-
spatchinR an expedition from Suakim. For
Ave or six weeks previously the Gladstone
Government had been piled almost nightly In
the House OF Commons with questions as to
the position OF Gordon and as to tho nature Of
the advices which they had received. On April
81. 1884, two days after communication with
Khartoum had been finally cut of, Mr.. Glad
btVic, ahoNcihhBo quOoliou, Z Oho VI nuo
distinctions, for the subtlety OF which he was
famous. After describing tho condition OF
Shendy and Berber, rs reported to him in the
latest dispatches from Cairo. Mr.. Gladstone
said that with regard to Khartoum itself the
general effect of the kilograms was that Gen.
Gordon was "hemmed in-that Is to say, that
there are bodies Of hostile troops in tho neigh
borhood forming moro or less a complete chain
around him. draw a distinction between that
and the town being surrounded. which would
bear. technically. a very different meaning"
Mr.. Trail points out that the practical differ
ence in the meaning would depend upon
whether tho more or less complete chain" Of
hostile forces around Khartoum was. as q mat.
ter OF fact. a more or less complete one. We
now know that it was complete enough to
prevent any effective communication with
Gordon for the next nine months, and, in.
deed. until the eve Of his death at his
post. AS late as May %. 1884, five weeks after
Gordon was shut in. Mr.. Gladstone parricd with
generalities a question put to him as to whether
any actual preparations had been made up to
that day to organize an expedition for the relief
OF Gen. Gordon. On July IL, the Ministers were
again questioned without any satisfactory re-
suit. and a week later they were vainly pressed
to say whether they "still considered it inex-
pedicnt to take active steps for the relief OF Gen.
Gordon" Up to the very last day of the session
OF 1884. their replies were in the same strain.
They contented themselves Win taxing n vote
NJ credit on Auy II for ,bo nprnose NJ .nrttinc
themselves in a position n nece,sarv IN adont
measures for the relief NJ Can Go-don" " Not
until after Parliament had r;.cn d,d :, hooor.
matter Of nnhlic knovledue that n re,iet exnod,.
tiop was IN he sent o,t and the SECOND rr.at :,
August had exn,red before tho nreciso nature ~
tho active measures contaminated wa an
nopnced In the worI6.
II was In truth an. t,;ns =, so,,,. nuuu
academic ouestion wbether Cordon .os".rr
rounded " mr. merely "b.mmed In ~ or.n =,
reoch The ,rr,bor co,.,r.,,, N, =, .,.s.
military ernedition would h. re,riraa,o.rtI
Ont. him ard o,;t. aro,h.r th;rr - aat..n,.s.
what strenpth and comnositIon RI. ernoai,ioU.
arv fore, sbopls he and what rou,. :, .ho,,ts
trte TIL. last on.stion vas N. mo.t oan,aa.
! tions NJ Ali and month. woro snon, ~ doea,tn.
a. II v.a nv r,;v.v fr,n, Srat;n, 60 n~.n"e
s,;d IN. 40, ~ adv;..r, tn, Eh.,,aum -
relieved "Imnossihle," crisd ono,ha. ~.
sea ieVei, ana Tor distances OF eighty miles there
| lR not n dFOn of water along the nrnnnlnA 1ina