The Express.
London, England, 1852-02-11 00:00:00

THE RECALL OF BIR HARRY SMITH.

COPY OP A DESPATCH FROM EARL GREY TO
GOVERNOR SIR 11. 0. SMITH, BART., 0.C.8.
Downing-attest, Jan. 14. lOW
lave received and laid Mire the Queen your
despetaltes of the 6th sad 19th of November, rippers( tb ,
resits of the of the war sines the date of your
despatches by the preview mail.
2. I Imes fetus these despatch.. that moths, swath of
this dietressiag madam has passed away, and though the
fume at year disposel bed been increased to every cossider-
able amount, so advantage of any real importance ham bona
gained over the enemy, while the Massif her Majesty's troops
has been exceedingly heavy, that very distiaguished offime,
Limit.Coloosl Fordyce, being included ammo these who
have fallen.
3. I hare said, that no real advantage has been gained,
because, while you state that positions of extraordinary
strength have been stormed, aid it is clear that the moat
determined courage has been shown by her Majesty's troops,
these INIKONIIIII (if they can be called so) have bees entirely
barren of seefhl results; and it appears from the reports of
Msior-Oeneval Somerset, and particularly from his despatch
dated the 9th of November, that the ground thus hardly
won could not be retained, anil that the position which wee
carried at the price of such heavy loss to the 74th Regiment
on the 6th of November, was only held until the major-
general " withdrew the troops in the afternoon," when it
would rem that there was no obstacle to its being re-o=u-
pled be the enemy, and that in fact it ems°.
4. For several months your despatches have been of •
similar character. You have described to me operations
which I hare constantly been assured had been attended
with success, and had inflicted heavy loss upon the enemy,
while there could be no doubt that the troops had fought
with their accustomed gallantry ; but at the same time 1
was tome unable to diseuver that any ground had really
been gained, while it was obvious that the enemy, far from
being discouraged by their supposed defeats, were from
month to month increasing in boldness and determination •
and the lists of casualties but teo clearly proved that the loss;
they had indicted was at heist as certain, sod bore no small
proportion to that which they were believed to have sus-
tained.
S. It was impossible that I should continue to receive in-
telligence of this description by many successive mails with-
out being led to cntertaiu very serious doubts whether the
war had been conducted with the energy and the judgment
which were necessary to bring it to an early and sueeissful
issue; but, distressing as was the anxiety which these doubts
occa,ioned, I have not hitherto allowed them to induce me
to deprive you of that support which I know it is of the
utmost importance to the public service that theee in high
military commands should be able to rely on not having
lightly withdrawn from them by the advisers of the crown,
when, in situations of difficulty and danger, success does not
at once attend their exertions.
6. Hat the information I have now received has converted
what was before only a very serious doubt, into conviction ;
and it is my painful duty to iulorm you that having con-
sulted my colleagues on the subject, they have concurred
with me in coming to the conclusion, that upon a maul re.
view of the events of the war and those which pert...led its
breaking oat, there is in idence, which it is impossible longer
to resist, that yon have tailed in showing that foresight, energy,
end judgment which your very dinieult position required,
and that therefore we should nut be justified in shrtuking
from tendering to the Queen our humble advice that the
government of the Cape of Good Hope and the conduct of
the war should be placed in other hands. It bar accord-
ingly been my duty to submit to her Majesty my advice
that Major-General Cathcart should be appointed to relieve
you, of which her Majesty has been pleased to approve, and
that officer will very shortly proceed to the Cape for that
purpose.
7. I need hardly assure you that I cannot make this com-
munication without great pain sad sincere reluctance, and
that nothing bat a sense of imperative duty would have led
my colleagues and myself to take the course we have felt
ourselves compelled to adopt.
We do full justice to the ardent zeal fur her Majesty's
service which you have uniformly displayed ; we have not
forgot how greatly you have distinguished yourself on for-
mer occasions, and what • high military reputation you
hare deservedly obtained ; but we have been compelled to
believe that, perhaps teem the failure of your health, sod
your being no longer able to exercise as close a personal
superintendenro as formerly over the conduct of affeirs, you
have failed in giving either to your military operations or to
your political measures bearing upcs the war, that charac-
ter of vigour and judgment which are neecserry to inspire
confidence in the iuhecitauts and troops, and to command
sneers+. I must remind you that the first error which was
committed, and to which I believe the failure of • policy
otherwise sound, and the calamity of the war, are malniy
attributable, wee the premature reduction of the British
force under year command. I must take upon myself •
share of the blame for this mistake, inasmuch as I had pro-
bably too often and too strongly pressed upon you the im-
portance of reducing the number of troops as soon as this
could be safely dune. Still your discretion was unfettered;
you were left to decide for yourself when the troops should
Ito out home, sines this was • point on which a judgment
ossid only be funned us the spot; and the error, therefore,
rem your own of supposing that • large proportion of the
Ems which you found in the colony could without danger
16 sum be dispensed with
S. I mast also remind you that up to the eve of the actual
boosking oat of hostilities you continued to tend me the
smerences that there existed no real danger,
' Zerrthi spprchemhons expressed by the frontier farmers
were anfuWsd. Even when the war began you were so
little aware sf its true character that you made no applies-
; ties to me Re additional force; and neither in your public
=private letters did you eV, me the slightest inti-
dist such aid was require); and,the reinlorcementv,
I which IMO immediately despatched, as well as those which
have bees subsequently sent, have all, with the exceptioo
, of the Last, 'alienated your demands for theta. It is not
fee me to express any opinion us the detail of your military
operatiose; but it mast strike eves an unprofessioaal di-
ssever, that by the employment of MMUS which you mai-
. dined mdequate for the purpose se serious impression ap-
e pears to have been made on the enemy. It follows that you
have either bees eaurely mistaken is yourjudinestokad have
someequestly led het Majesty's governmest Mrs error as to
the character of the war, and the amount of hem required ;
or aim *m have failed es vim with east dis Wee at
' your disposal
9. With regard to the yolked masons beating upon
the moult of lama war, I mkt raw you to the despatch
, whisk 1 ham hem esnipviled to aide= to pm by the pre-
twat mail ea the 'Neglect of the pragmatismo obolowely vo-
quired, ha ardor M siestruct the sew* of ammilen es
' the eammtessine hail in this mast no emit he
par
t M the Colombia when you bap
altt in 'huge of the goverment et Caps own ' • bat Wyk
had intimated Mme that Mr. Montagu could not ohms Wm,
quately disclaims its arduous duties which demand
him in your abase" I skald net hive failed
' to have allbeded yen hake refire re, by the
of a civil hentenamseresse, to reeks at Cape Cain "Illinedarkig
the war—a step I propose adoptiag, now that the seeemity
he it km thus bees disclosed to me.
10. I meet aim observe, that_ pm have, I Wiese, truly
! sgpreeented to me, that if pame, bed bed ab =aim ealy to
aimed with, the MST 11011 M Mei Mee hare been breeOs
to a close ; and that what bass teal e Ore oak theridake
enemies has been the anistmese they bar embed Rees the
rebel Hottentots, too many of whim hod beam redned am
' soldiers in the realm of the DAY arsq. lint if kis is,
se I believe, • wrest view of the salgeet I rut roped it
0 as • met fall error that the der inkness of tram
aremen kb aim of the Wuhan., ef the Clip wore met
Asa WM atm peeeptly and awe semely, mkt
arias the bend Mt, had shis bra Mk aorifts of
dimedisettea lave ham egged, atbs jano prisite•
ark ef the Ind Imam mil isvan amino**, haw aste-
. sally united ameaptthe white Mohawk by /Mae their
heartily, end vernal thee Me preedsdM esiemists of
Rewe deep* nom bare led to efteria Ind display
that ilhadrkele *May of their selensed tallow sub-
' jeek while ha hew, as there is Ise mkt urea to fear,
tan man el Mein dirdbriem sky of she um.;
' who were met erleimelly I.eLad le it
: 11. Lastly, I mast regard it es a seismal anew that you
have allowed the adminotratios of the Orange River Tor
rigors so roman too keg in the heeds of an eller le yew
elk eelnlerrestual so Mr task, rid Mt by this muff elhar
I Miriam In war managrasst of re DIM Mahatma of
M heathy ileists you have Idled to medlar that
=t dray ekes mid se-reestiem lbws en be so
rat yee maid boo bek enabled es belie kg war
, te • rash earlier herimatien ken ohne h now •perfect
of ; while, ea the eentray, by re disliesisd waifsa of
' the seak, year Manilla la Kirk bre bra my
subs* itisisarad. TM mom in which, by pairs
meeemnik Its. hr anseseded is Natal la essetring
the merldnnsitand atteohmost of the Del* hsware, es &-
I scribed he paw dispirit No. IM, ales* pwe that if pro-
, per!), mead, they may be rewired lapel ed useful sub-
, pats of dm gmern.
12. It's§ kin with nee rieeleme eel I have entered
is, this review of the mos whielyeassar to re to have
Oomiguod, but I buys Anglot it duets year_ plink sad
be yew high segratien le dm Ong Iftberre ar-
mee km ate aulserkill ie akin the Qom to mm-
, came you is the midst of the war, wither orisient use
he doing is ; and ler this ream Maki as it bee Ma to
sam M write to in sae\ • Mae of osemen, I have been
'earned to peW eat the sense bile u pa bar been
IssatayeL It it beverver, ems selshation ft re be be
are to add, that I bar me desk It has been pew Jude.rast sal y which hes been in litedt, and that, M IMe hem of
leer ablility, you have eadomosred to asmmk yensadf of
imtiseof as ordinary &Ideally c um de I desk that in
men 'eight weehek spier • lised may, erdpilicz
military opereelsom had lisea lies
complisatal by
dlMltlea,yee mold have ashieved the Ism missms by
which pen had hersri.i.beis so mesh disikeuldbel.-1
set Re., Oise.
Limutleseral irergaith, Bart.

Tan Mansura Cr.leatia.—The mono of the Utah
territory is sikially published is the Weaditspeors Republic
stud luta&power. Front it we learn that the number of
dnellinp in the territory when the seam was taken wee
2,322; families, the same • white male inhabitants, 6,032;
white &nuke, 6,306; total nastier whites, 11,330; free
coloured males, 12; and the same sousker of (make;
snaking the total free population 11,364. There are 26
slaves, all of whom reside in Utah conaty. The number of
death; daring the year was 239; and the number of farms
le the territory was 9'26; number of manefectering ens-
blishinents, 16. The total popelatioe of the territory, free
and slave, amounts to 11,380. There are seven counties,
respectively named Davis, Oreat Salt WIC Doe, Ban Pete,
Torras, Utah, end Weber. The most populous of these are
Great Salt Lake, with 6,167 inhabitants ; Utah, with 2,026;
Weber, with 1,186; sad Davis, with 1,134