The Manawatu Standard (PUBLISHED DAILY.) The Oldest Daily Newspaper on tne West Coast. FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 1885. THE SOUDAN.

Manawatu Standard, Volume IX, Issue 61, 13 February 1885, Page 2

Manawatu Standard (PUBLISHED DAILY.) The Oldest Daily Newspaper on tne West Coast. FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 1885. THE SOUDAN.

In our leader m yesterday's issue we wrote :— " It would appear that the Soudan campaign is going to cause England much trouble before the rebellion is qnelled . No doubt Gordon's death will be avenged, but the retribution will entail the sacrifice of many lives and prove a costly experience to the nation." The above has already been realized, as will be seen by the news published elsewhere. There has been a heavy engagement with the rebels, who, it is some satisfaction to lear-n, have been almost annihilated. But how sad to read of the fate of those brave officers, whose services the country can so ill afford to lose. We do not anticipate that the recent defeat will greatly dis courage the enemy, who wilt rally again, confident m the strength of numbers ant} thirsting for bloodshed. The fanatical foe will not be easily vanquished, and the Soudan campaign may yet have to be written m the pages of history as one of the most disastrous and costly of the present decade. [Since the above was iv type we learn by cable that nothing official is yet known of General Gordon's death, Js it still possible that his lile has been spared by some fortuitous incident of war ? We fear to en courage any hope of the kind, dreading that the recent intelligence of his fate is based on too certain information to leave any vestige of doubt as to its ultimate verification.]