Gordon's Character

Feilding Star, Volume VI, Issue 144, 21 May 1885, Page 3

Gordon's Character

Whether we shall be permitted to read General Cordon's journal (says the writer of "'Town Talk" ia the 'Argus') seems very doubtful. If it be private, it belongs to his family, whe will hardly withhold it from the eager eyes of his fellow-countrymen ; but if it be of the nature of a military note-book, it will belong to Government, and in that case vril' probally be suppressed: This will be a mistake on iheir part, for, while nothing can possibly appear in it that will detract frem our admiration of the General's disinterestedness and chivalry, it is likely thero trill be a good deal which will explain the difficulty there was in dealing with him. Though always true to honor. he seems to have been impulsive and vari* able in his moods to a most extraordinary degree. A friend of his tells me a most amnsing anecdote of him when he was Governor ©f the Soudan under the old regime. S >me dealers in human flesh, finding certain slaves breaking down on their desert march, as usual butchered them. Gordon henrd of this, swooped down upon the wretches, and had them shot. A few months afterwards he was told he kud made a mistake. The real culprits had kept out of sight, nnd induced some of their fellow-countrymen for gain to take the blame upon themselves. They did not expect to be shot, and wero willing to endure some smaller punishment. "What kind of people were they ?" inquired the General. ''Poor, but honest. They would have given the money they thus earned to their wives and children." " Well, up n the whole, they, were rather goed fellows, then P" "Yea, they were indeed." " That's all rielit, then," said the General, confidently. "It doesn't matter."