New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-03-13
THE HAHDFS REMAINS.

There have been few more stlklnS 'N'"P'''
of partisan strabismus in British politics IMAM
that exhibited in the pohcr about the Manu-
bones II will lee remembered That whch Loru
Kitchener captured Omdurman last year tue
Mahdi'S tomb which had been damaged 10y
On-balls in the battle, was torn down. ana
the remains of the Mahdi were thrown mo the
Nile. with the exception of the SKULL Which
was sent 10 the College Of Surgeons III LONDON
TO he placed in its museum by the side OF Skulls
Of other noted criminals and unnatural mon
sters Beyond doubt that was an unpleasant
incident But taken al It's worst, as IL APP
pears on its face it is no proper subject Tor
such demonstration as there has just bceh III
the British Parliament
For memory goes back n dozen years and
more. 10 the time when the great Christian
hero Charles Gordon. was betrayed ana slain
and his body foully mutilated AT khartonm.
Some Of the gentlemen who are now so Vigor-
ouslv denouncing the "hdeous outrage upon
the Mahdj's bones were among those who aban-
dcned Gordon 10 his fate. And when they
heard what had befallen him they shrugged
their shoulders and began TO talk about the
weather. If they did not greatly care that
Gordon be butchcre1 because Of their desertloh
Of him and his body be hacked and trampled
bv an obscene mob of slave-drlvers why should
they be sGueamish over the diSnterment of the
chief slavc-drvers bones? SO much for the
English Radicals As for the Irish members
who have taken a leading part in denonnclng
the Sirlars "infamy." they used TO shout "liur-
roh for the Mahdi," and drink to his health
and success. so naturally they feel bad about
it. Yet they ought TO remember that turn
about is fair play" They rcjOiced when their
hero. the Mahdi. trumphcd over Gordon; they
should bear with cquanimity the swinging OF
the pendulum which gives countryman OF
Gordon the victory over what was left of Nah
dism.
But Lord Cromcr is quite right in his ap-
proval of Lord Kitchcners stern act. In the
first place the tomb had been so shattered by
bombardment that it had to be taken down Tor
safctv's sake Next. the belief was widespread
not only among the Dervishes. but among the
Soudancse. aud even among the Egyptians. that
the Mahdi was divine being and was trans
lated bodily to Paradise. The opening OF his
grave and exhibition of his bones destroyed
that superstition nothing else could nave
done and was thus worth more 20 civilization
than dozen victories on the field OF bat'Ie.
And finally the Oblitcration Of the Mahdis tomb
and the sending Of his bones TO an unknown
restinc-placc prevented the making OF Omdur-
man second Mecca. and prevented the per
netuation of the abominable cult OF MahdiSm.
The deed was a disagrccable one, but it Is not
cosv IN see how il could have been avoided
without cntaling still more disagreed bic results.
Tho NahdTs tomb had TO be destroyed in order
that the Gordon College might be built Nah
dism had 10 be dScreditcd. even lii the desecra-
tion Of its authors dust. in order that clviliza-
ton might prevail.
There are still those who affect 10 regard
with horror and rcprobaiCn the killing OF some
particularly atrocious criminals in the Indian
Mutiny by blowing them TO pieces at the mlH-
yles Of cannon. But the world knows that by
the shocl; II gave 10 a certain native supcrSti-
tion-which was the sole reason Of It's adop-
ton-that measure was more effective Tor
the onelling Of the revolt than any other
conld have be,n Besides which 1t was
actually more mprciful to the objects Of it than
hanging or shooting with muskets would nave
been II was CHASTITY thing. but II served
good purposo. and in that end was juSu-
fed The same is 10 he said Of the spolia-
tion If thc Mahdis tomb and the dispersal OF
his remains. The deed was ghaStly one from
tho sentimental point Of view. But ii destroyed
n great error and saved the reed Of further
battles and much loss of life 1t was truth
against fctch and the fetch was destroyed;
which is exactly as it should ever be.