eminent victorians-第47章

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Gerald　Graham；　and　smash　up　the　Mahdi？　They　could　not　make　up

their　minds。　So　far　as　Zobeir　was　concerned；　there　were　two

counterbalancing　considerations；　on　the　one　hand；　Evelyn　Baring

now　declared　that　he　was　in　favour　of　the　appointment；　but；　on

the　other　hand；　would　English　public　opinion　consent　to　a　man；

described　by　Gordon　himself　as　'the　greatest　slave…hunter　who

ever　existed'；　being　given　an　English　subsidy　and　the　control　of

the　Sudan？　While　the　Cabinet　was　wavering；　Gordon　took　a　fatal

step。　The　delay　was　intolerable；　and　one　evening；　in　a　rage；　he

revealed　his　desire　for　Zobeir　which　had　hitherto　been　kept　a

profound　official　secret　to　Mr　Power；　the　English　Consul　at

Khartoum；　and　the　special　correspondent　of　〃The　Times。〃　Perhaps

he　calculated　that　the　public　announcement　of　his　wishes　would

oblige　the　Government　to　yield　to　them；　if　so；　he　was　completely

mistaken；　for　the　result　was　the　very　reverse。　The　country；

already　startled　by　the　proclamation　in　favour　of　slavery；　could

not　swallow　Zobeir。　The　Anti…Slavery　Society　set　on　foot　a

violent　agitation；　opinion　in　the　House　of　Commons　suddenly

stiffened；　and　the　Cabinet；　by　a　substantial　majority；　decided

that　Zobeir　should　remain　in　Cairo。　The　imperialist　wave　had

risen　high；　but　it　had　not　risen　high　enough；　and　now　it　was

rapidly　subsiding。　The　Government's　next　action　was　decisive。　Sir

Gerald　Graham　and　his　British　Army　were　withdrawn　from　the　Sudan。



The　critical　fortnight　during　which　these　events　took　place　was

the　first　fortnight　of　March。　By　the　close　of　it；　Gordon's

position　had　undergone　a　rapid　and　terrible　change。　Not　only　did

he　find　himself　deprived；　by　the　decision　of　the　Government；　both

of　the　hope　of　Zobeir's　assistance　and　of　the　prospect　of

smashing　up　the　Mahdi　with　the　aid　of　British　troops；　the

military　movements　in　the　Eastern　Sudan　produced；　at　the　very

same　moment；　a　yet　more　fatal　consequence。　The　adherents　of　the

Mahdi　had　been　maddened；　they　had　not　been　crushed；　by　Sir　Gerald

Graham's　victories。　When；　immediately　afterwards；　the　English

withdrew　to　Suakin；　from　which　they　never　again　emerged；　the

inference　seemed　obvious；　they　had　been　defeated；　and　their　power

was　at　an　end。　The　warlike　tribes　to　the　north　and　the　northeast

of　Khartoum　had　long　been　wavering。　They　now　hesitated　no　longer；

and　joined　the　Mahdi。　From　that　moment　it　was　less　than　a　month

from　Gordon's　arrival　at　Khartoum　the　situation　of　the　town　was

desperate。　The　line　of　communications　was　cut。　Though　it　still

might　be　possible　for　occasional　native　messengers；　or　for　a　few

individuals　on　an　armed　steamer；　to　win　their　way　down　the　river

into　Egypt；　the　removal　of　a　large　number　of　personsthe　loyal

inhabitants　or　the　Egyptian　garrison　was　henceforward　an

impossibility。　The　whole　scheme　of　the　Gordon　mission　had

irremediably　collapsed；　worse　still；　Gordon　himself；　so　far　from

having　effected　the　evacuation　of　the　Sudan；　was　surrounded　by

the　enemy。　'The　question　now　is；'　Sir　Evelyn　Baring　told　Lord

Granville；　on　March　24th；　'how　to　get　General　Gordon　and　Colonel

Stewart　away　from　Khartoum。'



The　actual　condition　of　the　town；　however；　was　not；　from　a

military　point　of　view；　so　serious　as　Colonel　Coetlogon；　in　the

first　moments　of　panic　after　the　Hicks　disaster；　had　supposed。

Gordon　was　of　opinion　that　it　was　capable　of　sustaining　a　siege

of　many　months。　With　his　usual　vigour；　he　had　already　begun　to

prepare　an　elaborate　system　of　earthworks；　mines；　and　wire

entanglements。　There　was　a　five　or　six　months'　supply　of　food；

there　was　a　great　quantity　of　ammunition；　the　garrison　numbered

about　8；000　men。　There　were；　besides；　nine　small　paddle…wheel

steamers；　hitherto　used　for　purposes　of　communication　along　the

Nile；　which；　fitted　with　guns　and　protected　by　metal　plates；　were

of　considerable　military　value。　'We　are　all　right；'　Gordon　told

his　sister　on　March　15th。　'We　shall；　D。　V。；　go　on　for　months。'　So

far；　at　any　rate；　there　was　no　cause　for　despair。　But　the

effervescent　happiness　of　three　weeks　since　had　vanished。　Gloom；

doubt；　disillusionment；　self…questioning；　had　swooped　down　again

upon　their　victim。　'Either　I　must　believe　He　does　all　things　in

mercy　and　love；　or　else　I　disbelieve　His　existence；　there　is　no

half　way　in　the　matter。　What　holes　do　I　not　put　myself　into！　And

for　what？　So　mixed　are　my　ideas。　I　believe　ambition　put　me　here

in　this　ruin。'　Was　not　that　the　explanation　of　it　all？　'Our

Lord's　promise　is　not　for　the　fulfilment　of　earthly　wishes；

therefore；　if　things　come　to　ruin　here　He　is　still　faithful；　and

is　carrying　out　His　great　work　of　divine　wisdom。'　How　could　he

have　forgotten　that？　But　he　would　not　transgress　again。　'I　owe

all　to　God；　and　nothing　to　myself；　for；　humanly　speaking；　I　have

done　very　foolish　things。　However；　if　I　am　humbled；　the　better

for　me。'



News　of　the　changed　circumstances　at　Khartoum　was　not　slow　in

reaching　England；　and　a　feeling　of　anxiety　began　to　spread。　Among

the　first　to　realise　the　gravity　of　the　situation　was　Queen

Victoria。　'It　is　alarming；'　she　telegraphed　to　Lord　Hartington　on

March　25th。　'General　Gordon　is　in　danger；　you　are　bound　to　try　to

save　him。。。　You　have　incurred　a　fearful　responsibility。'　With　an

unerring　instinct；　Her　Majesty　　forestalled　and　expressed　the

popular　sentiment。　During　April；　when　it　had　become　clear　that

the　wire　between　Khartoum　and　Cairo　had　been　severed；　when；　as

time　passed；　no　word　came　northward；　save　vague　rumours　of

disaster；　when　at　last　a　curtain　of　impenetrable　mystery　closed

over　Khartoum；　the　growing　uneasiness　manifested　itself　in

letters　to　the　newspapers；　in　leading　articles；　and　in　a　flood　of

subscriptions　towards　a　relief　fund。　At　the　beginning　of　May；　the

public　alarm　reached　a　climax。　It　now　appeared　to　be　certain；　not

only　that　General　Gordon　was　in　imminent　danger；　but　that　no

steps　had　yet　been　taken　by　the　Government　to　save　him。



On　the　5th；　there　was　a　meeting　of　protest　and　indignation　at　St。

James's　Hall；　on　the　9th　there　was　a　mass　meeting　in　Hyde　Park；

on　the　11th　there　was　a　meeting　at　Manchester。　The　Baroness

Burdett…Coutts　wrote　an　agitated　letter　to　〃The　Times〃　begging

for　further　subscriptions。　Somebody　else　proposed　that　a　special

fund　should　be　started　with　which　'to　bribe　the　tribes　to　secure

the　General's　personal　safety'。　A　country　vicar　made　another

suggestion。　Why　should　not　public　prayers　be　offered　up　for

General　Gordon　in　every　church　in　the　kingdom？　He　himself　had

adopted　that　course　last　Sunday。　'Is　not　this；'　he　concluded；

'what　the　godly　man；　the　true　hero；　himself　would　wish　to　be

done？'　It　was　all　of　no　avail。　General　Gordon　remained　in　peril；

the　Government　remained　inactive。　Finally；　a　vote　of　censure　was

moved　in　the　House　of　Commons；　but　that　too　proved　useless。　It

was　strange；　the　same　executive　which；　two　months　before；　had

trimmed　its　sails　so　eagerly　to　the　shifting　gusts　of　popular

opinion；　now；　in　spite　of　a　rising　hurricane；　held　on　its　course。

A　new　spirit；　it　was　clear　a　determined；　an　intractable　spirit…

…　had　taken　control　of　the　Sudan　situation。　What　was　it？　The

explanation　was　simple；　and　it　was　ominous。　Mr。　Gladstone　had

intervened。



The　old　statesman　was　now　entering　upon　the　penultimate　period　of

his　enormous　career。　He　who　had　once　been　the　rising　hope　of　the

stern　and　unbending　Tories；　had　at　length　emerged；　after　a

lifetime　of　transmutations；　as　the　champion　of　militant

democracy。　He　was　at　the　apex　of　his　power。　His　great　rival　was

dead；　he　stood　pre…eminent　in　the　eye　of　the　nation；　he　enjoyed

the　applause；　the　confidence；　the　admiration；　the　adoration；

even；　of　multitudes。　Yet　such　was　the　peculiar　character　of　the

man；　and　such　was　the　intensity　of　the　feelings　which　he　called

forth　at　this　very　moment；　at　the　height　of　his　popularity；　he

was　distrusted　and　loathed；　already　an　unparalleled　animosity　was

gathering　its　forces　against　him。　For；　indeed；　there　was

something　in　his　nature　which　invited　which　demanded　the

clashing　reactions　of　passionate　extremes。　It　was　easy　to　worship

Mr。　Gladstone；　to　see　in　him　the　perfect　model　of　the　upright

manthe　man　of　virtue　and　of　religion　the　man　whose　whole　life

had　been　devoted　to　the　application　of　high　principles　to　affairs

of　State；　the　man；　too；　whose　sense　of　right　and　justice　was

invigorated　and　ennobled　by　an　enthusiastic　heart。　It　was　also

easy　to　detest　him　as　a　hypocrite；　to　despise　him　as　a　demagogue；

and　to　dread　him　as　a　crafty　manipulator　of　men　and　things　for

the　purposes　of　his　own　ambition。



It　might　have　been　supposed　that　one　or　other　of　these

conflicting　judgments　must　have　been　palpably　absurd；　that

nothing　short　of　gross　prejudice　or　wilful　blindness；　on　one　side

or　the　other；　could　reconcile　such　contradictory　conceptions　of　a

single　human　being。　But　it　was　not　so；　'the　elements'　were　'so

mixed'　in　Mr。　Gladstone　that　his　bitterest　enemies　（and　his

enemies　were　never　mild）　and　his　warmest　friends　（and　his　friends

were　never　tepid）　could　justify；　with　equal　plausibility；　their

denunciations　or　their　praises。　What；　then；　was　the　truth？　In　the

physical　universe　there　are　no　chimeras。　But　man　is　more　various

than　nature；　was　Mr。　Gladstone；　perhaps；　a　chimera　of　the　spirit？

Did　his　very　essence　lie　in　the　confusion　of　incompatibles？　His

very　essence？　It　eludes　the　hand　that　seems　to　grasp　it。　One　is

baffled；　as　his　political　opponents　were　baffled　fifty　years　ago。

The　soft　serpent　coils　harden　into　quick　strength　that　has

vanished；　leaving　only　emptiness　and　perplexity　behind。　Speech

was　the　fibre　of　his　being；　and；　when　he　spoke；　the　ambiguity　of

ambiguity　was　revealed。　The　long；　winding；　intricate　sentences；

with　their　vast　burden　of　subtle　and　complicated　qualifications；

befogged　the　mind　like　clouds；　and　like　clouds；　too；　dropped

thunder　bolts。　Could　it　not　then　at　least　be　said　of　him　with

certainty　that　his　was　a　complex　character？　But　here　also　there

was　a　contradiction。



In　spite　of　the　involutions　of　his　intellect　and　the　contortions

of　his　spirit；　it　is　impossible　not　to　perceive　a　strain　of

naivete　in　Mr。　Gladstone。　He　adhered　to　some　of　his　principles

that　of　the　value　of　representative　institutions；　for　instance

with　a　faith　which　was　singularly　literal；　his　views　upon

religion　were　uncritical　to　crudeness；　he　had　no　sense　of　humour。

Compared　with　Disraeli's；　his　attitude　towards　life　strikes　one

as　that　of　an　ingenuous　child。　His　very　egoism　was　simple…minded；

through　all　the　labyrinth　of　his　passions　there　ran　a　single

thread。　But　the　centre　of　the　labyrinth？　Ah！　the　thread　might

lead　there；　through　those　wandering　mazes；　at　last。　Only；　with

the　last　corner　turned；　the　last　step　taken；　the　explorer　might

find　that　he　was　looking　down　into　the　gulf　of　a　crater。　The

flame　shot　out　on　every　side；　scorching　and　brilliant；　but　in　the

mids