The Ashburton Guardian. Magna est Veritas et Prævalebit. WEDNESDAY, MAY 2, 1888. CHINESE GORDON.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 1830, 2 May 1888, Page 2

The Ashburton Guardian. Magna est Veritas et Prævalebit. WEDNESDAY, MAY 2, 1888. CHINESE GORDON.

In the newly published "• Letters to his Sister" some extracts written by General Gordon — the hero of Khartoum from the Soudan are worthy a perusal. The. " Pall Mall Budget " prints some mundane extracts showing General Gordon's views on English politics and \ society generally. Of England's pros- . pects, Gordon writes to his sister m this ' strain : " I declare the products of Great Britain have terribly fallen off. You can never get a good thing now-a--days. You were and are interested m the Eastern Question ; but, my dear Augusta, I feel sure- it is nearly over with us. I hope it may come after our day, but I think we are on the decline. It is money, money, money with us. We put lime m our cotton, and aro full of tricks m every trade. You must see it yourself m the things you buy. It may bo fancy, but to my mind, for the last fifteen years our products have deteriorated. Now falsehood m trade shows want of morality m the nation, and when morality — that is honestyis lacking, the end is not far off." Of his hardships m the Soudan while trying to cobble his own shoes, Gordon speaks lightly, and writing m amoralising strain he says : <f If I had. sons I certainly would teach them a little of most trade — among others, boot-making. You have no idea how feeble one feels not knowing these things. People m our position of life must see the time has gone past for sinecure posts ; that their sons, or grandsons, at anyrate, must be prepared for the. colonies. What a number of useless boys there are, who cannot even write a good hand (I can't I know). I had a signal failure with my repairs on my boots to-day. A little carpentering, black and tin smithing, shoemaking, and tailoring, would be a real gift to a young man ; he would be prouder of himself, feeling, " Let the worst come to the worst, I am not useless." I declare I feel for the poor little chaps of the future, if we give the ABC education we do now. Large schools are, to most boys, not an advantage, but the reverse. What earthly use will be tho Latin, Greek, or algebra to thousahds who have learned, ond probably forgotten them ? Looking at many one knows, they never need have learnt more than reading, writing, arithmetic, history, and geography. A disastrous war would close the army, except to strong men who were soldiers only. It seems cowardly to say it, but lam glad I was born when I was. I imagine six months would give a boy a good insight into all trades, sufficient to let him carry on any one with ease if he chose to pursue it m after years." These extracts, and many more, which could be given, show the feelings which throbbed m tho breast of the noble Christian soldier whom even the Queen delighted to honor, and for whom she expressed the profoundest sympathy I when the news of his massacre was carried to England.