GENERAL GORDON.

Manawatu Standard, Volume IX, Issue 81, 9 March 1885, Page 3

GENERAL GORDON.

! On April Bth 1884, General Gordon telegraphed to Sir E. Barmg :—" That ;he (D. V.) never would be taken alive." ; His words proved . only . too true. Durjing the first week m October there came ithe shocking news of the massacre of ; Colonel Stewart and his party which in- ] eluded Mr Power the Times correspondent at Khartoy:n. The events that ! have transpired since then as one writer says, will be fresh on peoples' minds, but an extract or two f-'om the published dispatches of Gordon are of interest >-r la a letter to Sir Evelyn Baring he says . that 1 " had not Berber fallen it would have been.a picnic." He had disturbed a decoration of three grades amongst the inhabitants of Ehartpum, f school children and women being among the recipients, had jssued a large amor it of paper money, and had borrowed con : siderably' from the native merchants^ Ih : reply to a question from Sir Evelyn Baring, asking why he had remained at Khartoum when he knew that the Government intended to abandon the Soudan, he replied:— "l stay;at E.hartoum because the Arabs have; shut us m, .and will not let us out. I also add that even if the road was opened the people would net let me go unless I gave them some government or took them with me, which I conld not do. No : one would leave more willingly than I were it possible." j As showing the way of dealing with matters once he got them under his charge, the following with reference toi to him after taking m hand the Chinese '; troops was yery characteristic of his: nature:— r-'t The rapidity of his movements and the daring with. which they' were followed up struck terror m the: hearts of the. rebels,. 'but there were; other obstacles besides the insurgent troops which Gordon had to dvercome;' there was jealousy among the officers of the Imperial forces of his invariable successes, and there was discontent among his men on accoiint of then? operations not being so profitable ,to r themselves individually as before Gordon took command. At one|time'they broke out into open mutiny. "No sooner di 4 the demonstration reach Gordon's earfi ■than he ordered out all those who had shown defiance, and told them that unless the ringleader was revealed one m every five, would be shot. This anjnouncement was received with' groans. "Gordon then approached them, seized a corporal who had groaned louder than ' the rest, dragged him out of the ranks, and ordered him to be' shot. The order t was instantly obeyed." He gave the rest of the non-commissioned officers an hour to reveal the name of the ringleader,infonning them that at the end of the time they would be shot if they dill j not give it. .They soon gave m, and It i turned out that the leader was 1 the .cofporal he had.£hot. Thus promptly did ho deal with nil difficulties and dangers, and as victory followed victory he thoroughly cowed his enemies, while "by his coolness, his daring, his complete indifterence to danger and death

liis compassion for the fallen, and his stern but loving kindness for his own men, ho won the hearts of al 1 ." In battle ho w.as always foremost, and nevoi- armed, save with a short bamboo cane, called by hik now fearless followers the " magic wand of victory." He seemed indeed to have a charmed life, and his numerous and wonderiul escai;es "were tho gossips of the camp. (ELECTRIC TEriEGRAPIf.-— COPYRIGHT.) (fifiOTKK'H TBI.KOBAM.s.) Sydney, March 6. The Asrent-General wires to the ' Government that the London Times speaks of the embarkation .of the troops as a most gratifying event m the history of the Empire, and promises a hearty welcome for the men at.Suakim. The Pall Mall Gazette, sayg tljat no more cheering lines have appeared m the English newspapers than those which record the complete success of the movement m New South Wales and the intense enthusiasm displayed m Sydney. -