eminent victorians-第69章

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one　another　with　complete　flatness；　they　felt；　involved　and

supported　by　the　colossal　tedium；　that　their　confidence　was

finally　assured。　They　looked　up；　and　took　their　fill　of　the

sturdy；　obvious　presence。　The　inheritor　of　a　splendid　dukedom

might　almost　have　passed　for　a　farm　hand。　Almost；　but　not　quite。

For　an　air　that　was　difficult　to　explain；　of　preponderating

authority；　lurked　in　the　solid　figure；　and　the　lordly　breeding　of

the　House　of　Cavendish　was　visible　in　the　large；　long；　bearded；

unimpressionable　face。



One　other　characteristicthe　necessary　consequence；　or；　indeed；

it　might　almost　be　said；　the　essential　expression；　of　all　the

rest　completes　the　portrait：　Lord　Hartington　was　slow。　He　was

slow　in　movement；　slow　in　apprehension；　slow　in　thought　and　the

communication　of　thought；　slow　to　decide；　and　slow　to　act。　More

than　once　this　disposition　exercised　a　profound　effect　upon　his

career。　A　private　individual　may；　perhaps；　be　slow　with　impunity；

but　a　statesman　who　is　slowwhatever　the　force　of　his　character

and　the　strength　of　his　judgmentcan　hardly　escape　unhurt　from

the　hurrying　of　Time's　winged　chariot；　can　hardly　hope　to　avoid

some　grave　disaster　or　some　irretrievable　mistake。　The　fate　of

General　Gordon；　so　intricately　interwoven　with　such　a　mass　of

complicated　circumstance　with　the　policies　of　England　and　of

Egypt；　with　the　fanaticism　of　the　Mahdi；　with　the

irreproachability　of　Sir　Evelyn　Baring；　with　Mr。　Gladstone's

mysterious　passions　was　finally　determined　by　the　fact　that

Lord　Hartington　was　slow。　If　he　had　been　even　a　very　little

quickerif　he　had　been　quicker　by　two　days。。。　but　it　could　not

be。　The　ponderous　machinery　took　so　long　to　set　itself　in　motion；

the　great　wheels　and　levers；　once　started；　revolved　with　such　a

laborious；　such　a　painful　deliberation；　that　at　last　their　work

was　accomplishedsurely；　firmly；　completely；　in　the　best　English

manner；　and　too　late。



Seven　stages　may　be　discerned　in　the　history　of　Lord　Hartington's

influence　upon　the　fate　of　General　Gordon。　At　the　end　of　the

first　stage；　he　had　become　convinced　that　he　was　responsible　for

Gordon's　appointment　to　Khartoum。　At　the　end　of　the　second；　he

had　perceived　that　his　conscience　would　not　allow　him　to　remain

inactive　in　the　face　of　Gordon's　danger。　At　the　end　of　the　third；

he　had　made　an　attempt　to　induce　the　Cabinet　to　send　an

expedition　to　Gordon's　relief。　At　the　end　of　the　fourth；　he　had

realised　that　the　Cabinet　had　decided　to　postpone　the　relief　of

Gordon　indefinitely。　At　the　end　of　the　fifth；　he　had　come　to　the

conclusion　that　he　must　put　pressure　upon　Mr。　Gladstone。　At　the

end　of　the　sixth；　he　had　attempted　to　put　pressure　upon　Mr。

Gladstone；　and　had　not　succeeded。　At　the　end　of　the　seventh；　he

had　succeeded　in　putting　pressure　upon　Mr。　Gladstone；　the　relief

expedition　had　been　ordered；　he　could　do　no　more。



The　turning…point　in　this　long　and　extraordinary　process　occurred

towards　the　end　of　April；　when　the　Cabinet；　after　the　receipt　of

Sir　Evelyn　Baring's　final　dispatch；　decided　to　take　no　immediate

measures　for　Gordon's　relief。　From　that　moment　it　was　clear　that

there　was　only　one　course　open　to　Lord　Hartington　to　tell　Mr。

Gladstone　that　he　would　resign　unless　a　relief　expedition　was

sent。　But　it　took　him　more　than　three　months　to　come　to　this

conclusion。　He　always　found　the　proceedings　at　Cabinet　meetings

particularly　hard　to　follow。　The　interchange　of　question　and

answer；　of　proposal　and　counterproposal；　the　crowded　counsellors；

Mr。　Gladstone's　subtleties；　the　abrupt　and　complicated

resolutionsthese　things　invariably　left　him　confused　and

perplexed。　After　the　crucial　Cabinet　at　the　end　of　April；　he　came

away　in　a　state　of　uncertainty　as　to　what　had　occurred；　he　had　to

write　to　Lord　Granville　to　find　out；　and　by　that　time；　of　course；

the　Government's　decision　had　been　telegraphed　to　Egypt。　Three

weeks　later；　in　the　middle　of　May；　he　had　grown　so　uneasy　that　he

felt　himself　obliged　to　address　a　circular　letter　to　the　Cabinet

proposing　that　preparations　for　a　relief　expedition　should　be　set



on　foot　at　once。　And　then　he　began　to　understand　that　nothing

would　ever　be　done　until　Mr。　Gladstone；　by　some　means　or　other；

had　been　forced　to　give　his　consent。　A　singular　combat　followed。

The　slippery　old　man　perpetually　eluded　the　cumbrous　grasp　of　his

antagonist。　He　delayed；　he　postponed；　he　raised　interminable

difficulties；　he　prevaricated；　he　was　silent；　he　disappeared。

Lord　Hartington　was　dauntless。　Gradually；　inch　by　inch；　he　drove

the　Prime　Minister　into　a　corner。　But　in　the　meantime　many　weeks

had　passed。　On　July　1st；　Lord　Hartington　was　still　remarking　that

he　'really　did　not　feel　that　he　knew　the　mind　or　intention　of　the

Government　in　respect　of　the　relief　of　General　Gordon'。　The　month

was　spent　in　a　succession　of　stubborn　efforts　to　wring　from　Mr。

Gladstone　some　definite　statement　upon　the　question。　It　was

useless。　On　July　31st；　Lord　Hartington　did　the　deed。　He　stated

that；　unless　an　expedition　was　sent；　he　would　resign。　It　was；　he

said；　'a　question　of　personal　honour　and　good　faith；　and　I　don't

see　how　I　can　yield　upon　it'。　His　conscience　had　worked　itself　to

rest　at　last。



When　Mr。　Gladstone　read　the　words；　he　realised　that　the　game　was

over。　Lord　Hartington's　position　in　the　Liberal　Party　was　second

only　to　his　own；　he　was　the　leader　of　the　rich　and　powerful　Whig

aristocracy；　his　influence　with　the　country　was　immense。　Nor　was

he　the　man　to　make　idle　threats　of　resignation；　he　had　said　he

would　resign；　and　resign　he　would：　the　collapse　of　the　Government

would　be　the　inevitable　result。　On　August　5th；　therefore；

Parliament　was　asked　to　make　a　grant　of　￡300；000；　in　order　'to

enable　Her　Majesty's　Government　to　undertake　operations　for　the

relief　of　General　Gordon；　should　they　become　necessary'。　The

money　was　voted；　and　even　then；　at　that　last　hour；　Mr。　Gladstone

made　another；　final；　desperate　twist。　Trying　to　save　himself　by

the　proviso　which　he　had　inserted　into　the　resolution；　he

declared　that　he　was　still　unconvinced　of　the　necessity　of　any

operations　at　all。　'I　nearly；'　he　wrote　to　Lord　Hartington；　'but

not　quite；　adopt　words　received　today　from　Granville。　〃It　is

clear；　I　think；　that　Gordon　has　our　messages；　and　does　not　choose

to　answer　them。〃'　Nearly；　but　not　quite！　The　qualification　was

masterly；　but　it　was　of　no　avail。　This　time；　the　sinuous　creature

was　held　by　too　firm　a　grasp。　On　August　26th；　Lord　Wolseley　was

appointed　to　command　the　relief　expedition；　and　on　September　9th；

he　arrived　in　Egypt。



The　relief　expedition　had　begun；　and　at　the　same　moment　a　new

phase　opened　at　Khartoum。　The　annual　rising　of　the　Nile　was　now

sufficiently　advanced　to　enable　one　of　Gordon's　small　steamers　to

pass　over　the　cataracts　down　to　Egypt　in　safety。　He　determined　to

seize　the　opportunity　of　laying　before　the　authorities　in　Cairo

and　London；　and　the　English　public　at　large；　an　exact　account　of

his　position。　A　cargo　of　documents；　including　Colonel　Stewart's

Diary　of　the　siege　and　a　personal　appeal　for　assistance　addressed

by　Gordon　to　all　the　European　powers；　was　placed　on　board　the

Abbas；　four　other　steamers　were　to　accompany　her　until　she　was

out　of　danger　from　attacks　by　the　Mahdi's　troops；　after　which；

she　was　to　proceed　alone　into　Egypt。　On　the　evening　of　September

9th；　just　as　she　was　about　to　start；　the　English　and　French

Consuls　asked　for　permission　to　go　with　hera　permission　which

Gordon；　who　had　long　been　anxious　to　provide　for　their　safety；

readily　granted。　Then　Colonel　Stewart　made　the　same　request；　and

Gordon　consented　with　the　same　alacrity。



Colonel　Stewart　was　the　second…in…command　at　Khartoum；　and　it

seems　strange　that　he　should　have　made　a　proposal　which　would

leave　Gordon　in　a　position　of　the　gravest　anxiety　without　a

single　European　subordinate。　But　his　motives　were　to　be　veiled

forever　in　a　tragic　obscurity。　The　Abbas　and　her　conv