FL4618270

(19)
One thing is very clear. Gordon had neither the support of Mr.
Gladstone nor of Lord Granville.

Those so-called statesmen, however, intently watched the political
barometer in England. If public opinion should demand that they
must keep face with Gordon, they would do so; not as bound in
honour, nor for his sake, but for their own. If public opinion
should not care more for Gordon and honour than the Ministry
cared, then Gordon must die.

When they denied in Parliament in April that Gordon was in
danger, they knew they were not telling the truth; but they
trusted in the chapter of accidents, and hoped that public opinion
would not be hypercritical. With Gordon's and Mr. Power's tele-
grams in his hand, Mr. Gladstone told the House (21st April),
The position of General Gordon is, so far as we know, a "position
of security". Still, this immeasurable deception did not leave the
Ministry quite easy in their minds.

A colleague of Mr. Gladstone was introduced on 21st April,
by a mutual friend, to a friend of Gordon; and although Gladstone and Granville were protesting so loudly that Gordon was in no
danger it appeared that there was a desire to know if Gordon would
avail himself of means to escape if they were offered to him.

The answer was, "Those who think Gordon would come
away to save his own life, while there is anyone in Khartoum, white
or black, rich or poor, old or young, to whom he feels that he owes
a duty, know nothing of Charles Gordon." The Cabinet Minister
replied, "What a wonderful man he must be, when his friends have
such confidence in him!"

To do public opinion justice, it must be admitted that there was
a general feeling that Gordon was being foully treated; but it is
common for ministries to evade justice until time has crystallized
into form concurring elements for their condemnation.

The periods, sometimes long, during which no tidings of Gordon
reached England will be remembered with grief.

As Gordon had foretold, Berber was in imminent danger, and it
fell at the close of the month of May, with the usual slaughter of
captives which accompanied the Egyptian exploits of Lord Gran-
ville. He, meantime, after his confident misstatements to the
House of Lords, became fretful in his dispatches, as to-how he was
to give orders to Gordon. Before Berber fell he was condescending
enough (30th April) to suggest that, "In the event of telegraphic
communication with Berber being restored, the Governor of that
place might be able to send a message through by the agency of
the Bishareen or Shaggieh tribes." (Blue-Book, No. 25, 1884.)

Mr. Gladstone came to his perplexed colleague's aid. Mr.
Chaplin had asked, "If the Government still adhere to the