GORDON'S DEFENCE OF KHARTOUM.

Manawatu Standard, Volume IX, Issue 62, 14 February 1885, Page 3

GORDON'S DEFENCE OF KHARTOUM.

■■ v: '-' : '' i [Christchurch Telegr-fh.'] ; rlt.may.be -interesting, m view of : . .the announcetnen', elsewhere of the capture of Kh^tpum by the Mahdi, v if >ye mention tVat is now exactly "twelve 1 months since General Cordon va s appointed. 'Governor of the Soudan: Relying on his knowledge of the people and of the country, he resolved to make the journey from Cairo to Khartoum without an escort, and ;he did so, arid he reached the latter City about the 16th February, just after the massacre of Sinkat It will ..be remembered that one of his first ; acts wastq proclaim the independence of' the Soudan, the recognition of the JCiahVii as .tho Sultan of Kordofun, , m : j__what created some sensation at, the time— ad ini tied the light of the to traffic m slaves. Thes« measure's were pretty freely criticised at the time ; but jooking at them m ihe light of the subsequent history of the Soudan rebellion, it is doubtful whether outsiders were competent to judge as to the best policy to pursue m dealing with the re Ms. One tiling however is clear, and that is whether his policy was right or wrong, Gor don's defence of Khanoum is one of j,\\» most extraordinary achievements m modern history. For nearly iw?l v c Wonthsby.bis own unpaid pluck, energy and genius, he has been ablu ; to > sustain the sinking hearts of his folWers aud to defy all efforts of '• theYebels to dislodge him from Ihe beleaguers 1 town. And now, when relief seemed almost certain and his countrymen were within a few miled ' T ofhim, he hsß ! fallen a victim to treaohery and to the incapacity of the Government m whose interests he had fought so heroically. The long-looked 1 for succour canie indeedj but just two days top late !