The Death of General Gordon

Te Aroha News, Volume II, Issue 89, 14 February 1885, Page 3

The Death of General Gordon

The positivo news of General Gordon's death has caused a feeling of universal regret. Although over since the news of tho fall of Khartoum was received there has been little hope that its gallant defender had escaped, people have found it hard to believe that the man who ha& led a charmed life and come scatheless through so many perils, had fallen at last. General Gordon had, in fact, infected the public mind with a half belief in his invulnerability. Howevor, ho died as a bra^e man v ould wish to die, at the post of duty, and the manner of his death lends glory to his achievements, for it proves what a set of scoundrels the General has had to deal with in Khartoum, while betot with courageous and fanatical enemies without. This Faramh Pasha is presumably an Egyp tian, who had been appointed to the command of tho native levies. Ili» treachery may have been prompted by hate of the Christian invaders and the vicrors ol ToL-el-Kebir. {Secure in tho possession oi Khartoum, and in his power to keep tho Arab hordes out, General Gordon has moved ireely about the city, and according to today's despatches, it was when leaving his house thi-t he was set upon by the traitois for whoso safety he has ivnpenlled hiss life all these months. Language is inadequate to denounce, and British justice too merciful to punish as it deserves, the treachery of Faramh Pasha, but that his career will be a short one, and his end no less summary than that of tho commander he has betrayed we may trust to Lord Wolseley and tho British soldiers who are with him. The painful impression caused by the nows of General Gordon's death is relieved by the intell.gence tiat Sir Charles Wilson and the torce at Mettemmeh are safe. Caytain Lord Beresford, whose gallantry at the bombardment of Alexandra Avon him the bravos ot tho Admiral in command, is once more found the leader of a kind of forlorn hope. Lord Charles is one of those officers who have made the British name famous throughout the earth. He is in his element where bullets fly thick, and there is hard fighting to be done. A disaster to Sir ( harles Wilson and Colonel Stewarts force would be a more lamentable event than the death of even so brave a man as Genoi-al Gordon. Many men whose live? were equally precious have indeed already fallen in ti>e difficult and fruitless endeavour to rescue that remarkable but headstrong man, whose character fills the popular mind with admiration—who was as brave, high spiiited, and Utopian as Garabaldi, and as ro3tive under control. General Gordon's instructions in setting-out for Khartoum precluded him from doing what he has attempted to do, but which men of calmer judgment knew to be impracticable. The Cabinet informed him, and he expressed his approval of their policy, that they would not undertake the government of the Soudan. His mission was solely an ambassadorial one to negotiate for tho withdrawal of the garrison and tho erection of a government by the most powerful among the chiefs. Ho was received with open arms, and, so far as can be seen, he might have left Khartoum as easily as he entered it if he had been inclined to adhere to hie instructions. But it is hard, to judge of this. His position was a singular one, and by its exigencies, rather than of his own volition, he may have been driven into the policy which has ended so disastrously. We know this, at least, that as an officer and a soldier he acted in a manner that has shed lustre on tho British name, and the nation will 1)6 ready to forgive his faults and tho consequences they have entailed, in reverence for a man whoso every action was prompted by a stern conscientiousness and whose unselfishness and devotion to duty for duty's sake sets an example worth many sermons to this self-seeking and mercenary age.

A correspondent of tha "Pall Mall Gazette " has called attention to the alarm ng mortality among bishops' wives. It appears that at present there are six bishops who are widowers, five who have been married twice, and one, the Bishop of Liverpool, who has been married three times. There are to be contests between teetotal and publioan candidates at Dunedin Licensing elections.