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any rate； there was no extreme desire to resist the wishes of the
Press。 Nor was the Government as a whole by any means incapable
of ignoring public opinion； a few months were to show that；
plainly enough。 It is difficult to avoid the conclusion that if
Ministers had been opposed to the appointment of Gordon； he would
never have been appointed。 As it was； the newspapers were in fact
forestalled； rather than followed； by the Government。
How； then； are we to explain the Government's action？ Are we to
suppose that its members； like the members of the public at
large； were themselves carried away by a sudden enthusiasm； a
sudden conviction that they had found their saviour； that General
Gordon was the manthey did not quite know why； but that was of
no consequencethe one man to get them out of the whole Sudan
difficultythey did not quite know how； but that was of no
consequence either if only he were sent to Khartoum？ Doubtless
even Cabinet Ministers are liable to such impulses； doubtless it
is possible that the Cabinet of that day allowed itself to drift；
out of mere lack of consideration； and judgment； and foresight；
along the rapid stream of popular feeling towards the inevitable
cataract。 That may be so； yet there are indications that a more
definite influence was at work。 There was a section of the
Government which had never become quite reconciled to the policy
of withdrawing from the Sudan。 To this sectionwe may call it
the imperialist sectionwhich was led； inside the Cabinet； by
Lord Hartington； and outside by Lord Wolseley； the policy which
really commended itself was the very policy which had been
outlined by General Gordon in his interview with Mr。 Stead and
his
letter to Sir Samuel Baker。 They saw that it might be necessary
to abandon some of the outlying parts of the Sudan to the Mahdi；
but the prospect of leaving the whole province in his hands was
highly distasteful to them； above all； they dreaded the loss of
Khartoum。 Now； supposing that General Gordon； in response to a
popular agitation in the Press； were sent to Khartoum； what would
follow？ Was it not at least possible that； once there； with his
views and his character； he would； for some reason or other；
refrain from carrying out a policy of pacific retreat？ Was it not
possible that in that case he might so involve the English
Government that it would find itself obliged； almost
imperceptibly perhaps； to substitute for its policy of withdrawal
a policy of advance？ Was it not possible that General Gordon
might get into difficulties； that he might be surrounded and cut
off from Egypt'？ If that were to happen； how could the English
Government avoid the necessity of sending an expedition to rescue
him？ And； if an English expedition went to the Sudan； was it
conceivable that it would leave the Mahdi as it found him？ In
short； would not the dispatch of General Gordon to Khartoum
involve； almost inevitably； the conquest of the Sudan by British
troops； followed by a British occupation？ And； behind all these
questions； a still larger question loomed。 The position of the
English in Egypt itself was still ambiguous； the future was
obscure； how long； in reality； would an English army remain in
Egypt？ Was not one thing； at least； obvious that if the English
were to conquer and occupy the Sudan； their evacuation of Egypt
would become impossible？
With our present information； it would be rash to affirm that
all； or any； of these considerations were present to the minds of
the imperialist section of the Government。 Yet it is difficult to
believe that a man such as Lord Wolseley； for instance； with his
knowledge of affairs and his knowledge of Gordon； could have
altogether overlooked them。 Lord Hartington； indeed； may well
have failed to realise at once the implications of General
Gordon's appointment for it took Lord Hartington some time to
realise the implications of anything； but Lord Hartington was
very far from being a fool； and we may well suppose that he
instinctively； perhaps subconsciously； apprehended the elements
of a situation which he never formulated to himself。 However that
may be； certain circumstances are significant。 It is significant
that the go…between who acted as the Government's agent in its
negotiations with Gordon was an imperialist Lord Wolseley。 It
is significant that the 'Ministers' whom Gordon finally
interviewed；
and who actually determined his appointment were by no means the
whole
of the Cabinet； but a small section of it； presided over by Lord
Hartington。
It is significant； too； that Gordon's mission was represented
both to Sir
Evelyn Baring； who was opposed to his appointment； and to Mr。
Gladstone； who
was opposed to an active policy in the Sudan； as a mission merely
'to
report'； while； no sooner was the mission actually decided upon；
than it began to assume a very different complexion。 In his final
interview with the 'Ministers'； Gordon we know （though he said
nothing about it to the Rev。 Mr Barnes） threw out the suggestion
that it might be as well to make him the Governor…General of the
Sudan。 The suggestion； for the moment； was not taken up； but it
is obvious that a man does not propose to become a Governor…
General in order to make a report。
We are in the region of speculations； one other presents itself。
Was the movement in the Press during that second week of January
a genuine movement； expressing a spontaneous wave of popular
feeling？ Or was it a cause of that feeling； rather than an
effect？ The engineering of a newspaper agitation may not have
been an impossibility even so long ago as 1884。 One would like
to know more than one is ever likely to know of the relations of
the imperialist section of the Government with Mr。 Stead。
But it is time to return to the solidity of fact。 Within a few
hours of his interview with the Ministers； Gordon had left
England forever。 At eight o'clock in the evening； there was a
little gathering of elderly gentlemen at Victoria Station。
Gordon； accompanied by Colonel Stewart； who was to act as his
second…in…command； tripped on to the platform。 Lord Granville
bought the necessary tickets； the Duke of Cambridge opened the
railway…carriage door。 The General jumped into the train； and
then Lord Wolseley appeared； carrying a leather bag； in which was
￡200 in gold； collected from friends at the last moment for the
contingencies of the journey。 The bag was handed through the
window。 The train started。 As it did so； Gordon leaned out and
addressed a last whispered question to Lord Wolseley。 Yes； it had
been done。 Lord Wolseley had seen to it himself； next morning；
every member of the Cabinet would receive a copy of Dr。 Samuel
Clarke's Scripture Promises。 That was all。 The train rolled out
of the station。
Before the travellers reached Cairo； steps had been taken which
finally put an end to the theory if it had ever been seriously
held that the purpose of the mission was simply the making of a
report。 On the very day of Gordon's departure； Lord Granville
telegraphed to Sir Evelyn Baring as follows： 'Gordon suggests
that it may be announced in Egypt that he is on his way to
Khartoum to arrange for the future settlement of the Sudan for
the best advantage of the people。' Nothing was said of
reporting。 A few days later； Gordon himself telegraphed to Lord
Granville suggesting that he should be made Governor…General of
the Sudan； in order to 'accomplish the evacuation'； and to
'restore to the various Sultans of the Sudan their independence'。
Lord Granville at once authorised Sir Evelyn Baring to issue； if
he thought fit； a proclamation to this effect in the name of the
Khedive。 Thus the mission 'to report' had already swollen into a
Governor…Generalship； with the object； not merely of effecting
the evacuation of the Sudan； but also of setting up 'various
Sultans' to take the place of the Egyptian Government。
In Cairo； in spite of the hostilities of the past； Gordon was
received with every politeness。 He was at once proclaimed
Governor…General of the Sudan； with the widest powers。 He was on
the point of starting off again on his journey southwards； when a
singular and important incident occurred。 Zobeir； the rebel
chieftain of Darfur； against whose forces Gordon had struggled
for years； and whose son； Suleiman； had been captured and
executed by Gessi； Gordon's lieutenant； was still detained at
Cairo。 It so fell out that he went to pay a visit to one of the
Ministers at the same time as the new Governor…General。 The two
men met face to face； and； as he looked into the savage
countenance of his old enemy； an extraordinary shock of
inspiration ran through Gordon's brain。 He was seized； as he
explain