THE GLOBE. THURSDAY, JUNE 17, 1880.

Globe, Volume XXII, Issue 1970, 17 June 1880, Page 2

THE GLOBE. THURSDAY, JUNE 17, 1880.

The cablegram received yesterday to the effect that Colonel Gordon, having failed to obtain permission to go to China, had tendered his resignation of his position in the British service and was about to start with the object of conducting the military operations of the Chinese troops in Kashgar, will not have entirely surprised those who have watched the extraordinary career of the gallant colonel. A short summary of the more salient points of that career will be interesting at the present juncture. Charles George Gordon entered the Royal Engineers in 1854, and served in the Crimea and was wounded in the trenches. After peace was made he was employed in surveying the Turkish and Russian frontier in Asia, a work attended with no small risk, owing to the wild tribes who inhabit Armenia and Kurdistan. He next participated in the joint English and French expedition against the Chinese when Pekin was captured, and, after peace had been made, ho joined the Chinese service. After travelling in the interior of the country and visiting places which had never before been trod by the foot of a European, he was 1563 appointed Commander of the "Ever Victorious Army." In this position he was mainly instrumental in suppressing the Taoping rebellion. He recovered the cities Hangchow and Soochow, and left tho rebels but little outside their fastnesses at Nanking. From 1871 to 1873 Colonel Gordon was British Consul of the Delta of the Danube, and in the latter year he entered the service of the Khedive of Egypt, and commenced the great work of suppressing the slave trado along tho basin of the upper waters of the Nile and in Equatorial Africa. His success in this undertaking is now a matter of history. It will be remembered that Sir Samuel Baker had been commissioned by the late Khedive to do the same work with respect to a smaller extent of territory further north, but the effect of bis brave expeditions merely drove tho disease further into tho interior, and tho work that Colonel Gordon undertook to perform was of a far more arduous character. The territory nominally under his command, and out of which ho finally eradicated the slave trade, stretched north and south some 1300 or 1400 miles, and east and west some 1500 miles; tho number of men at his command was comparatively small, and supplies were not always forthcoming from Cairo, and yet the Colonel succeeded in breaking the neck of tho iniqnitous traffic ho had boon commissioned to exterminate. His retirement from the service of tho present Khedive has been much doplored. Whether his health was unablo to stand tho severe mental strain and tho tropical climate combined, or whethor he was not sufficiently backed up by tho Egyptian officials is not apparent, but it was a bad day for tho country over which he ruled when ho left it, and it would seem as if there is but little chance of his work being continued under other hands.

This short summary will explain the wish of the Chinese Government to obtain the services of Colonel Gordon in the event of a collision with Russia. He has already led their troops to victory, his name is a power in China, and, perhaps, no other man living possesses, to an equal extent, that mysterious power over the "barbarian" mind which is born of high intelligence and an iron will combined.

In considering the possibilities of the result of war between China and Russia, it may bo well to banish certain preconceived ideas as to tho valuo of Chinoso troops in the field. Two causes have led to the raising of tho valuo of those troops. First, there has been tho Taoping rebellion, which was fought out with tho greatest obstinacy on both sides, and has greatly raised tho eflicioncy of tho army, and next, tho army has been remodelled to a vory considorablo oxtont by moans of European officers, and has been furnished, partially at all ovonts, with arms of procision. It was tho fashion to laugh at tho Chinoso soldier as being oncumborod with ridiculous arms, and as totally wanting in bravery. The first cause for scorn will have been by this, or will shortly bo, totally swept away, and as to tho second cause, tho severity of the fighting in the rebellion and the manner in which the piratos along tho coast frequently meet their antagonists proves that courage is not a total stranger to tho national character. As far as numbers are concerned, and with regard to tho transport of war material and men to tho seat of war tho advantage will altogether lie with China. The inhabitants of tho Chinese Empire number nearly 400 millions, those of the Russian Empire but 85 millions. The army of Russia certainly last year reached 1,200,000 men on a war footing, and we have no exact knowledge of the number of soldiers tho Chinese Government may possess, but wo may presume that it is very large and tho force is certainly capable of almost infinite development. Tho communications between Kuldja and Pekin are, as compared with those between that district and Russia, very easy and run entirely through Chinese territory, and tho Chinese Government has this further advantage that the outlying tribes are the most warlike of all the celestials and the most devotod to tho throne. They belong to the conquering Tartar race, and are b» tradition warriors from their birth, and staunch adherents of the Mantchu dynasty. Taking all these matters into consideration, the German military critics who have turned their attention to the subject have come to the conclusion that China would not only bo a match for Russia in those parts, but in all likelihood more than a match, and that Russia would not only be barred in her future encroachments, but might find it hard to retain her present possessions. And to such an extent has this idea seized on the German mind that an alliance between Germany and China has been discussed in military circles, and recommended through their organs in the Press, in view of the almost inevitable collision between Germany and Russia. The fact of having obtained tho services of such a leader as Colonel Gordon will add in no slight degree to the strongth of tho Chinese position. They already possess a considerable staff of European officers, they have built numerous arsenals and manufactories for war materials, and they have a very fair fleet. All these advantages, added to their natural resources, will make them a difficult enemy to conquer. Indeed, the Government at Pekin seem to feel the strength of their position, and are evidently determined to regain from Russia the territory that was taken from them during the Taoping rebellion. Whether Russia is seriously desirous of entering on tho conflict has yet to be seen. Rumors of an expedition have certainly reached us, but the war, if it breaks out, will require no mere expeditionary force, but will prove a severe strain on the resources of tho Muscovite Empire.