d had no part in the Soochow affair. Gordon made the procession turn
about and take the whole lot back again. He wrote his reply stating
his reason on the back of the Imperial rescript itself; he rejected Li
Hung Chang's flags, but he accepted the other two as being in no sense
associated with the disgrace of the Taeping massacre. In this manner
did Gordon show the Chinese what he thought of their conduct. His
characteristic reply to the Imperial rescript read as follows:--

"Major Gordon receives the approbation of His Majesty the Emperor
with every gratification, but regrets most sincerely that, owing
to the circumstance which occurred since the capture of Soochow,
he is unable to receive any mark of H.M. the Emperor's
recognition, and therefore respectfully begs His Majesty to
receive his thanks for his intended kindness, and to allow him to
decline the same."

At this moment it will be recollected that Gordon was, strictly
speaking, no longer in command. He had resigned, because his very
reasonable demand for a gratuity to his troops had not been complied
with. But circumstances were too strong for him, and a number of
considerations, all highly creditable to his judgment and
single-mindedness, induced him to sink his private grievances, and to
resume the command on grounds of public policy and safety. The
internal condition of the Ever Victorious Army itself, which inaction
had brought to the verge of mutiny, was the determining fact that
induced Gordon to resume the command, even at the price of meeting Li
Hung Chang and sinking his differences with him. There had been much
intrigue among the officers of the force as to who should succeed
Gordon in the command, if he persisted in his resolve to give it up,
and before tranquillity was restored sixteen of the agitating officers
had to be dismissed. The force itself welcomed the formal resumption
of the command by Gordon, and not the less because it signified a
return to active operations after more than two months' inaction. The
murder of the Wangs took place on 7th December 1863; it was on 18th
February 1864 that Gordon marched out of Quinsan at the head of the
bulk of his force.

In a letter written at the time, Sir Robert Hart, whose services to
the Chinese Government, spread over the long period of forty years,
have been of the highest order and importance, said:--

"The destiny of China is at the present moment in the