eminent victorians-第44章

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and…easy　manners；　of　furnishing　good　copy　for　a　journalist；　and　

Mr。　Stead　made　the　most　of　his　opportunity。　The　interview；

copious　

and　pointed；　was　published　next　day　in　the　most　prominent　part　of



the　paper；　together　with　a　leading　article；　demanding　that　the　

General　should　be　immediately　dispatched　to　Khartoum　with　the　

widest　powers。　The　rest　of　the　Press；　both　in　London　and　in　the　

provinces；　at　once　took　up　the　cry：　General　Gordon　was　a　capable　

and　energetic　officer；　he　was　a　noble　and　God…fearing　man；　he　was



a　national　asset；　he　was　a　statesman　in　the　highest　sense　of　the　

word；　the　occasion　was　pressing　and　perilous；　General　Gordon　had　

been　for　years　Governor…General　of　the　Sudan；　General　Gordon　

alone　had　the　knowledge；　the　courage；　the　virtue；　which　would　

save　the　situation；　General　Gordon　must　go　to　Khartoum。　So；　for　a



week；　the　papers　sang　in　chorus。　But　already　those　in　high　places



had　taken　a　step。　Mr。　Stead's　interview　appeared　on　the　afternoon



of　January　9th；　and　on　the　morning　of　January　10th　Lord　Granville



telegraphed　to　Sir　Evelyn　Baring；　proposing；　for　a　second　time；　

that　Gordon's　services　should　be　utilised　in　Egypt。　But　Sir　

Evelyn　Baring；　for　the　second　time；　rejected　the　proposal。



While　these　messages　were　flashing　to　and　fro；　Gordon　himself　was



paying　a　visit　to　the　Rev。　Mr。　Barnes　at　the　Vicarage　of　

Heavitree；　near　Exeter。　The　conversation　ran　chiefly　on　Biblical　

and　spiritual　matters　on　the　light　thrown　by　the　Old　Testament　

upon　the　geography　of　Palestine；　and　on　the　relations　between　man



and　his　Maker；　but；　there　were　moments　when　topics　of　a　more　

worldly　interest　arose。　It　happened　that　Sir　Samuel　Baker；　

Gordon's　predecessor　in　Equatoria；　lived　in　the　neighbourhood。　A　

meeting　was　arranged；　and　the　two　ex…Governors；　with　Mr。　Barnes

in　

attendance；　went　for　a　drive　together。　In　the　carriage；　Sir　

Samuel　Baker；　taking　up　the　tale　of　the　〃Pall　Mall　Gazette〃；　

dilated　upon　the　necessity　of　his　friend's　returning　to　the　Sudan



as　Governor…General。　Gordon　was　silent；　but　Mr。　Barnes　noticed　

that　his　blue　eyes　flashed；　while　an　eager　expression　passed　over



his　face。　Late　that　night；　after　the　Vicar　had　retired　to　bed；　he



was　surprised　by　the　door　suddenly　opening；　and　by　the　appearance



of　his　guest　swiftly　tripping　into　the　room。　'You　saw　me　today？'　

the　low　voice　abruptly　questioned。　'You　mean　in　the　carriage？'　

replied　the　startled　Mr。　Barnes。　'Yes；'　came　the　reply；　'you　saw　

MEthat　was　MYSELFthe　self　I　want　to　get　rid　of。'　There　was　a　

sliding　movement；　the　door　swung　to；　and　the　Vicar　found　himself　

alone　again。



It　was　clear　that　a　disturbing　influence　had　found　its　way　into　

Gordon's　mind。　His　thoughts；　wandering　through　Africa；　flitted　to



the　Sudan；　they　did　not　linger　at　the　Congo。　During　the　same　

visit；　he　took　the　opportunity　of　calling　upon　Dr。　Temple；　the　

Bishop　of　Exeter；　and　asking　him；　merely　as　a　hypothetical　

question；　whether；　in　his　opinion；　Sudanese　converts　to　

Christianity　might　be　permitted　to　keep　three　wives。　His　Lordship



answered　that　this　would　be　uncanonical。



A　few　days　later；　it　appeared　that　the　conversation　in　the　

carriage　at　Heavitree　had　borne　fruit。　Gordon　wrote　a　letter　to　

Sir　Samuel　Baker；　further　elaborating　the　opinions　on　the　Sudan　

which　he　had　already　expressed　in　his　interview　with　Mr。　Stead；　

the　letter　was　clearly　intended　for　publication；　and　published　it



was　in　〃The　Times〃　of　January　14th。　On　the　same　day；　Gordon's

name　

began　once　more　to　buzz　along　the　wires　in　secret　questions　and　

answers　to　and　from　the　highest　quarters。



'Might　it　not　be　advisable；'　telegraphed　Lord　Granville　to　Mr。　

Gladstone；　to　put　a　little　pressure　on　Baring；　to　induce　him　to　

accept　the　assistance　of　General　Gordon？'　Mr。　Gladstone　replied；　

also　by　a　telegram；　in　the　affirmative；　and　on　the　15th；　Lord　

Wolseley　telegraphed　to　Gordon　begging　him　to　come　to　London　

immediately。　Lord　Wolseley；　who　was　one　of　Gordon's　oldest　

friends；　was　at　that　time　Adjutant…General　of　the　Forces；　there　

was　a　long　interview；　and；　though　the　details　of　the　conversation



have　never　transpired；　it　is　known　that；　in　the　course　of　it；　

Lord　Wolseley　asked　Gordon　if　he　would　be　willing　to　go　to　the　

Sudan；　to　which　Gordon　replied　that　there　was　only　one

objection　

his　prior　engagement　to　the　King　of　the　Belgians。　Before　

nightfall；　Lord　Granville；　by　private　telegram；　had　'put　a　little



pressure　on　Baring'。　'He　had；'　he　said；　'heard　indirectly　that　

Gordon　was　ready　to　go　at　once　to　the　Sudan　on　the　following　

rather　vague　terms：　His　mission　to　be　to　report　to　Her　Majesty's　

Government　on　the　military　situation；　and　to　return　without　any　

further　engagement。　He　would　be　under　you　for　instructions　and　

will　send　letters　through　you　under　flying　seal。。。　He　might　be　of

use；'　

Lord　Granville　added；　in　informing　you　and　us　of　the　situation。

It　

would　be　popular　at　home；　but　there　may　be　countervailing

objections。　

Tell　me；'　such　was　Lord　Granville's　concluding　injunction；　'your

real　opinion。'　



It　was　the　third　time　of　asking；　and　Sir　Evelyn　Baring　resisted

no　longer。　

'Gordon；'　he　telegraphed　on　the　16th；　'would　be　the　best　man　if

he　will　

pledge　himself　to　carry　out　the　policy　of　withdrawing　from　the

Sudan　as　

quickly　as　is　possible；　consistently　with　saving　life。　He　must　

also　understand　that　he　must　take　his　instructions　from　the　

British　representative　in　Egypt。。。　I　would　rather　have　him　than

anyone　else；　

provided　there　is　a　perfectly　clear　understanding　with　him　as　to

what　his　

position　is　to　be　and　what　line　of　policy　he　is　to　carry　out。

Otherwise；　

not。。。　Whoever　goes　should　be　distinctly　warned　that　he　will

undertake　a　

service　of　great　difficulty　and　danger。'　



In　the　meantime；　Gordon；　with　the　Sudan　upon　his　lips；　with　the

Sudan　in　

his　imagination；　had　hurried　to　Brussels；　to　obtain　from　the　King

of　the　

Belgians　a　reluctant　consent　to　the　postponement　of　his　Congo

mission。　On　

the　17th　he　was　recalled　to　London　by　a　telegram　from　Lord

Wolseley。　On　the　

18th　the　final　decision　was　made。　'At　noon；'　Gordon　told　the　Rev。



Mr。　Barnes；　Wolseley　came　to　me　and　took　me　to　the　Ministers。　He　

went　in　and　talked　to　the　Ministers；　and　came　back　and　said：　〃Her



Majesty's　Government　wants　you　to　undertake　this。　Government　is　

determined　to　evacuate　the　Sudan；　for　they　will　not　guarantee　

future　government。　Will　you　go　and　do　it？〃　I　said：　〃Yes。〃　He　

said：　〃Go　in。〃　I　went　in　and　saw　them。　They　said：　〃Did　Wolseley　

tell　you　your　orders？〃　I　said：　〃Yes。〃　I　said：　〃You　will　not　

guarantee　future　government　of　the　Sudan；　and　you　wish　me　to　go　

up　and　evacuate　now。〃　They　said：　〃Yes〃；　and　it　was　over。'



Such　was　the　sequence　of　events　which　ended　in　General　Gordon's　

last　appointment。　The　precise　motives　of　those　responsible　for　

these　transactions　are　less　easy　to　discern。　It　is　difficult　to　

understand　what　the　reasons　could　have　been　which　induced　the　

Government；　not　only　to　override　the　hesitations　of　Sir　Evelyn　

Baring；　but　to　overlook　the　grave　and　obvious　dangers　involved　in



sending　such　a　man　as　Gordon　to　the　Sudan。　The　whole　history　of　

his　life；　the　whole　bent　of　his　character；　seemed　to　disqualify　

him　for　the　task　for　which　he　had　been　chosen。　He　was　before　all　

things　a　fighter；　an　enthusiast；　a　bold　adventurer；　and　he　was　

now　to　be　entrusted　with　the　conduct　of　an　inglorious　retreat。　He



was　alien　to　the　subtleties　of　civilised　statesmanship；　he　was　

unamenable　to　official　control；　he　was　incapable　of　the　skilful　

management　of　delicate　situations；　and　he　was　now　to　be　placed　in



a　position　of　great　complexity；　requiring　at　once　a　cool　

judgment；　a　clear　perception　of　fact；　and　a　fixed　determination　

to　carry　out　a　line　of　policy　laid　down　from　above。　He　had；　it　is



true；　been　Governor…General　of　the　Sudan；　but　he　was　now　to　

return　to　the　scene　of　his　greatness　as　the　emissary　of　a　

defeated　and　humbled　power；　he　was　to　be　a　fugitive　where　he　had　

once　been　a　ruler；　the　very　success　of　his　mission　was　to　consist



in　establishing　the　triumph　of　those　forces　which　he　had　spent　

years　in　trampling　underfoot。　All　this　should　have　been　clear　to　

those　in　authority；　after　a　very　little　reflection。　It　was　clear　

enough　to　Sir　Evelyn　Baring；　though；　with　characteristic

reticence；　

he　had　abstained　from　giving　expression　to　his　thoughts。　But；

even　

if　a　general　acquaintance　with　Gordon's　life　and　character　were

not　

sufficient　to　lead　to　these　conclusions；　he　himself　had　taken

care　to　

put　their　validity　beyond　reasonable　doubt。　



Both　in　his　interview　with　Mr。　Stead　and　in　his　letter　to　Sir

Samuel　Baker；　

he　had　indicated　unmistakably　his　own　attitude　towards　the　Sudan

situation。　

The　policy　which　he　advocated；　the　state　of　feeling　in　which　he

showed　

himself　to　be；　was　diametrically　opposed　to　the　declared

intentions　of　the　

Government。　He　was　by　no　means　in　favour　of　withdrawing　from　the　

Sudan；　he　was　in　favour；　as　might　have　been　supposed；　of　vigorous



military　action。　It　might　be　necessary　to　abandon；　for　the　time　

being；　the　more　remote　garrisons　in　Darfur　and　Equatoria；　but　

Khartoum　must　be　held　at　all　costs。　To　allow　the　Mahdi　to　enter　

Khartoum　would　not　merely　mean　the　return　of　the　whole　of　the　

Sudan　to　barbarism；　it　would　be　a　menace　to　the　safety　of　Egypt　

herself。　To　attempt　to　protect　Egypt　against　the　Mahdi　by　

fortifying　her　southern　frontier　was　preposterous。　'You　might　as　

well　fortify　against　a　fever。'　Arabia；　Syria；　the　whole　

Mohammedan　world；　would　be　shaken　by　the　Mahdi's　advance。　'In　

self…defence；'　Gordon　declared　to　Mr。　Stead；　the　policy　of　

evacuation　cannot　possibly　be　justified。'　



The　true　policy　was　obvious。　A　strong　manSir　Samuel　Baker；

perhaps

must　be　sent　to　Khartoum；　with　a　large　contingent　of　Indian　and

Turkish　

troops　and　with　two　millions　of　money。　He　would　very　soon

overpower　the　

Mahdi；　whose　forces　would　'fall　to　pieces　of　themselves'。　For　in　

Gordon's　opinion　it　was　'an　entire　mistake　to　regard　the　Mahdi　as



in　any　sense　a　religious　leader'；　he　would　collapse　as　soon　as　he



was　face　to　face　with　an　English　general。　Then　the　distant　

regions　of　Darfur　and　Equatoria　could　once　more　be　occupied；　

their　original　Sultans　could　be　reinstated；　the　whole　country　

would　be　placed　under　civilised　rule；　and　the　slave…trade　would　

be　finally　abolished。　These　were　the　views　which　Gordon　publicly　

expressed　on　January　9th　and　on　January　14th；　and　it　certainly　

seems　strange　that　on　January　10th　and　on　January　14th；　Lord　

Granville　should　have　proposed；　without　a　word　of　consultation　

with　Gordon　himself；　to　send　him　on　a　mission　which　involved；　not



the　reconquest；　but　the　abandonment　of　t