GENERAL GORDON'S JOURNAL.

Grey River Argus, Volume XXXI, Issue 5304, 26 September 1885, Page 1 (Supplement)

GENERAL GORDON'S JOURNAL.

A London correspondent of the Melbourne Argus writes: — When all the dust has been laid that has arisen out of the controversy about Khartoum, Gordon's Journal will still remain a very interesting, book on account of the insight it gives us into the character of a most remarkable man. There are a few so-called biographies which tell us so much of the mind of the writer, or which are so courageously — nay audaciously — frank. Gordon reminds us of St. Paul in many ways, but in none more so than in the little value he sets on what people may happen to think of him. He might weil have said with the apostle, " With me it is a very small thing that I should be judged of you, or of man's judgement." He is not, however, the dogmatist that Paul was, and would never have persecuted the Christians in his uuregenerate state. He exhibits a pity for scoundrels, and declines to judge them, though at the same time he does not hesitate to put them, to death when the public good seems to demand it. He makes, indeed, no pretence of consistency of conduct, and we like him none the less for it. The man of impulse will always more attract and sway his fellow «nen than he who acts upon hard and fast lines of mechanical duty. Gordon was strong, not only in spite of his weaknesses, but on account of them. His opinion 11 varied, but he had j always the courage of his opinions. A less conventional man probably never existed in the civilised world. Sometimes he exhibits a psychological astuteness that is j quite unlooked for. and places him very high among the students of human nature. Speaking of men in circumstances of great physical peril — "I do not believe a bit," he writes, in a sharp colloquial way, "in your calm, unmoved man. It is only that they don't show it"— i.e., -their fear. He objected to this behaviour as hypo- j critical, though he admits that it is judicious, since subordinates watch their superior with "lynx eyes, and there is no contagioi like that of fear." For his own part, he acknowledges, with a frankness that is almost humorous, "I am always frightened, and very much so. I fear the future of all engagements. It is not the fear of death — that is past, thank God — but I fear defeat and its consequences." The fact is Gordon was full of imagination, of which the other sort of heroes— such as the Duke of Wellington — have nothing. He chafed under the restraints of civilisation, and its pleasures. had no attraction for him. He was bored to death with the social amenities. He dwells on the joy "of being far away from tlv? wearisome djnner parties" of London. " How people can put up with such things" amazes him. "It is a perfect bondage. . At these dinner parties we are all in masks, saying what we don't believe, eating and drinking things we don't want, and then abusing one another. I would sooner live like a dervish with the Mahdi than go out to dinner every night in London." How very 'just are these observations. It is the revolt of the man of genius against the dullards. Again, with what delicious frankness— reminding one of Sydney Smith's " cool of the evening" — does he speak out of our connection with India in its social aspect. ' ' India is not to me. an advantage. It accustoms our men to a style of life they cannot keep up in England (and a circumstance, he might have added which makes 'them very disagreeable at home), and it deteriorates our women. ... I suppose the answer that would be given is ' We cannot get out of it." With the political aspect of Gordon's Journal bvery one is so busy that his social views have almost escaped comment, and therefore I have drawn attention to them. They are by no means the least remarkable utterances of a very remarkable man. It should be

added, in fairness to Lord Kilgordon (as the Tories have wickedly christened Mr Gladstone), that every pnge of this book bears evidence that, with all his genius and great personal attraction, the General must have been a very difficult person " to get on with" in practical matters.