Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-03-22


inspired but little confidence among those
Englishmen with whom he was brought
in contact. They mistrusted him perhaps
more than he deserved to be mlstrusleo
He could never understand the ieeins
which his behavior excited In the mihos
of Englishmen. He went to MS grave
with a hardy and unimpaired belief IN the
political virtues of finesse bordering On
duplicity." and Lord Cromer recounts al
length how Nubar undertook to play MIN
a trick, but was we'll paid for his pains
Lord Cromer proceeds to give a history
of the Egyptian army, which ne TRACKS
from Mehemet All down. He carelully
refrains from all mention ef the amer en,
can military mission in Egypt uSS9-ls.9)'
although the British army of occupation
profited largely in Egypt and the SUDAN
from the work of those American oHcers.
Only once is there indirect reference
in speaking of the AbysSinian campaign
in 1875: Mr. Dye says there was no unity
of command and there was no cohesloH
among the parts Of the army. Tnls was
due to the want Of individual Interest
among the men in the campaign. gen
eral need of good officers and lack OF
discipline and of any equitable system OF
reward and punishment.
4 =
Under the head of the bombardment
and burning OF Alexandria In 1SS2 there
is no mention of the role OF
Unjust the American officers, sailors
Gill;, and marines in saving hun
dreds Of lives the city of
Alexandria and the khedivate itself Lord
Charles Beresford, however, has cordially
expressed his appreciation of their eminent
services. which are held in grateful re-
membrance by all Europeans and Egyp-
tians in Alexandria and in all Egypt.
Lord Cromer was in India until 1855.
preparing for the role he was expected to
act in Egypt when his government in
contingency might make him a rajah.
The author indeed, says: 1T was there
lin 1889 that for some long while to
COME the representative of the British
government in Egypt would be of neces-
sity more than an ordinary diplomatic
agent. The title deeds of all political
authority are elastic. This elasticity was
about to be put to the test In Egypt. The
British government invited me to accept
the honor and 1 arrived in Cairo Septem-
Der II, 1883
Lord Cromer now attacks the question
of Gordon. 1t is a thorny subject, and
that it is close to his soul may be judged
from the fact that he devotes to Gordon
175 pages.
There is not much that is new. Lord
Cromer declares he did not favor Cor
don's return to the Sudan But Gordon
was determined to return.
Mr.. GladStOne'S government made two
grave mistakes in dealing with Sudan
affairs in their early stages OF these
one was a sin of omission and the other
sin of commission. The sin of omission
was that the government did nothing to
stop the departure of the Hicks eX-
petition. The sin of commission was the
dispatch of Gen. Gordon to Khartum.
Looking back at what occurred after a
space of many years two points are to
my mind clear. The first is that no
Englishman should have been sent to
Khartum. The second Is that If any one
had to be sent Gen. Gordon was not the
right man to send.
Gen. Gordon was no friend to the
particular class to which I belonged
and he once said I hate
General diplomatists. 1 think
with few exceptions they
0oioon' are arrant humbugs and
1 expect they know it. Acting on this
general principle, Gen. Gordon In his
journal. which when it was first publish
ed was probably read by almost every
educated man in England, held up Mr.
subsequently Sir Edwin Egerton, my
self and others to odium and ridicule. To
all this, acting ON Mr.. Gladstone's prin-
ciple, I shall not attempt to reply. more
especially as l feel sure that had he
lived no one would have regretted what
he wrote more than Gen. Gordon him
self"
Lord Cromer's assurance that Gordon
would have regretted anything is idle.
Gordon suspected Lord Cromer and NJ
bar with having recalled him from the
Sudan in 1879 as punishment for Cor
don's loyalty to Ismail Pasha Khedive
and the humiliation of being definitely
supplanted by the apostate Emin sharpen
ed his anger. This in word was the
deadly feud between Gordon and Cromer
and Nabur.
Lord Cromer. referring to Gordon's
death, says: Five years after its oc-
currence a critic who was disposed to be
hostile to Gen. Gordon (Col. Chatlle-Long)
wrote to Mr. Gladstone with view to
eliciting an expression of his opinion on
Gen. Gordon's conduct
Lord Cromer does not state the matter
correctly. There could be no question of
CIordons conduct" The writer in his
chief of staff to Gen. Gordon was asked
his opinion as to Mr.. Gladstones re
sponsibility for the death of Gordon"
The editor of Belford's Magazine pro-
ries. Celebrated Men of the Day" The
writer therefore wrote Mr.. Gladstone ask
ing him If he cared to refute for publ
cation the accusation made against him
in America and England. and Mr.. Glad
stone courteously replied as follows:
X \
"HAWARDEN, January II, 1890.
Dear Sir: ! am much obliged for your
kind letter and Enclosure.
Gladstone's l hope you will not think
it bellies this expression
when l say that l feel my
self precluded from supplying any ma
teral or entering upon any communica-
tons for the purpose of self-defense
against the charges which are freely
made and. l believe widely accepted
against myself and against the cabinet
Of 1SSO-5 in connection with Gen. Gordon
1T would be felt in this country by
friends, l think. in many cases, as we'll
as adverSareS. that Gen. Gordons much
lamented death ought to secure him, SO
far as We are concerned, against the
counter argument which we should have
to present on his language and proceed
ings.
"On this account you WILL I hope, eX-
cuse me from entering into the matter.
/ do not doubt that a true and equitable
judgment will eventually prevail. 1 re-
main, dear Sir, your very faithful serv
ant w. F. GLADSTONE"
Mr. Morley, in his Life of Gordon"
reproduces this letter, and Lord Cromer
should have done likewise in order to
be clear.
Lord Cromer reasSerts the old charges
and says: Il maintain that of ali the
mistakes committed at this period in
connection with Egyptian and SudaneSe