The Express.
London, England, 1851-03-14 00:00:00

THE EXPRESS, FRIDAY EVENING, MARCH 14. 1851.

time (of which hereafter), scarcely a Kaffir has been
seea to the west of the Great Fish River. 'The war
began and has hitherto been confined within the II
limits of the new province of Victoria and British
Katfrazia. There, indeed, the whole population to
the north of King William's Town and to the south
of the NVinterberg, from the Kat and Great Fish
River on the west to the Great Kei on the east, ap-
pear to Lc in the field, and have fought not only
with the known daring of the Kaifu, but with a de-
gree of concert, discipline, and rude military talent
that could not have been anticipated.
We wish to prejudge no man, least of all so gal-
lant a soldier,with all Ms./art/kronor:de, as Sir HARRY
Swill. We admit that allowance is to be made for
the circumstances under which he took the go-
.

vernment of the country. Ile arrived in time to
put an end to a war with the origin of which he had
no control. Upon him devolved the delicate and
difficult task of making such arrangements at its
close as were most likely to prevent the recurrence
of hostilities between two races, amongst whom the
contest just terminated inevitably left unextinguished
sparks of vindictiveness and animosity. Ile had, on
the one hand, to give the colonists a safe frontier; on
the other, to avoid giving unnecessary umbrage to
the Kaffirs by depriving them of lands with which
they were loath to part, which indeed were neces-
sary for the support of their cattle. If Sir Uvula
SMnit failed in practically solving so difficult a
problem, great allowance is to he made for him. It
is only by subsequent errors that he can have in-
curred blame.
Making every allowance, however, we must con-
fess that there is much that is obscure and mysterious
in the origin of the present war, much that calls
for explanation. "It is no cattle war." declares a
journalist, writing on the frontier. BefOre it began
there had not been more than the average amount of
petty cattle-lifting on the frontier, and since it
began them has been no inroad into the colony. It
is a struggle originating in. and as yet confined to,
British Kaffraria. It has its source in the internal
politics of that district; it has not sprung from a
collision with the colonists. Be the blame on the
side of the Kaffirs or of the British officials placed in
authority over them, it has arisen nut of the relations
between the Kaffirs and the officials of the British
government.
As yet the nature and extent of the troubles in
British Katiraria, which induced Sir HARRY SMITH
to proceed thither, are unexplained. We only know
that they had been foretold as early as last October
hy Sir ANDIUES STOCKENSTRUM, and attributed by
him to what he deemed the mistaken policy of Sir
HMOs, aggravated by the harshness of the local
authorities- Without adopting the views of Sir
ANDRIE4 us definitively established, it must be ad-
mitted that they are plausible. The provinces of
I Victoria and British Kutfraria were the homes of the
tribes now in arms and of their ancestors. The
graves of their famous chiefs arc there. The feeling
of clanship and the pride of chieftainship and heal
attachments are strong in the Kaffirs. They could ill
brook to see the whole country, from the Kat and
the lower Fish Ricer to the Keiskamma, contismted
and thrown into the colony. They could ill endure
the loss; for a people mainly dependent upon pas-
turav, in a region liable to frequent and prolonged
droughts, require a wide extent of land for their
cattle. And still less could the chiefs brook to be
lorded over by un alien race, and to see their autho-
rity over their tribes systematically sapped and un-
dermined. We arc not positively declaring that this
policy of Sir Ilakav's was wrong: we only say that.
if unavoidable, it called for the utmost caution and
forbearance in carrying it out.
But there is ton much reason to fear that there
was neither caution nor forbearance. The military
villages were established within the Kaffir territory
—the chiefs were alternately coaxed, slighted, and
bullied. The discontent and suspicious movements
which called Sir ILitinY to the spot were promoted.
For that, however, the local authorities were mainly
to blame. Ile was at a distance, now fighting with
the 1/1141,4 beyond the Orange ltiver, now squabbling
with the colonists about accounts and constitutions.

it;;;•h;;;been his misfortune that more duties
were devolved upon him than one man could attend
to. Up to the time of his arrival in British Kaffruria
there was much that requires to be explained; he is
entitled to have time allowed him for explanation.
Unfortunately his conduct since his arrival there
speaks for itself. Ile was at the head of a slender force,
scattered through garrisons. in a strong and extensive
country swarming with irritated men of a warlike race
well supplied with arms. He abruptly deposed the
principal chief, upon suspicion merely, and. installed
au Englishman in his stead. Three days later he
revoked his arrangement and installed the mother of
the depsed chieftain. By his first rash proceeding
he provoked the tribes; by his sudden vacillation
he gave them to understand that he feared the con-
sequences of what he had done. He first goaded,
and then invited them to take the field to east off
his yoke, and they have nut been stow to accept his
challenge. They tight resolutely pro aria et Jbeis
and he, if we may judge front his eroelamations,
meets them in an equally implacable spirit. We have
blushed for the language of these manifestoes, consi-
dering the excuses that exist for a rude race, even if
the Kaffirs have been in the wrong, and that they
proceed from a British officer. Ile allures the colo-
nists, and even savage tribes, to join in the war by
promising them unlimited plunder. Ile talks of
"crushing" the Amatolas, in order to "show them
that a day of retribution is at hand." "Savages,"
"bullying Katfirs," and similar epithets arc lavished
with astounding volubility. His language more re-
sembles that of an angry fishwife than of the brave
soldier he has on many occasions shown himself to be.
The war is not a colonial war, but a war between
the Katfirs and the European authorities imposed
upon them by England. It LS a war of which it is
to be feared this country has little reason to be
proud either as regards its origin or the temper in
which it is being carried on. And it is a war the
duration of which cannot easily be conjectured, •
though its heavy expenses arc certain. That we
must
.prosecute it till the Kaffirs are vanquished
there is no doubt : they are in that social stage when
men attribute forbearance only to weakness. For
• their own sakes, it is as conquerors we must treat
with them. That they must give way is certain : all
history shows that uncivilised tribes have no chance
in the long run against civilised troops. But the
war may be a long one, and the latest accounts
afford hut too much reason to tear that it will be.
Our previous accounts left Sir Hum* at King
William's Town, baffled and driven back, cut off from
• the interior forts, but having his communication
with the sea open, waiting for reinforcements.
During the interval which had elapsed from that
time to the most recent dates that have come to hand,
, he had maintained his position, and received re-
inforeements, but had made no progress. Forts
White old Cox were inaccessible; hordes of Kaffir.

occupied the country around them, and had
entrenched themselves strongly. Fort Hare had
communication with Graham's Town, but none with
Sir II %REY or the eastern forts. SEvoLo had taken
post on the lower Keiskamma and interrupted the
communication by land between King William's
Town and the colOny. Our soldiers and their chief
were cooped up in their strongholds, and obliged to
act on the defensive; the Kaflirs were iu possession
of the open country.
Various affairs 6d taken place between the Kaf-
firs and our troops ; in every instance with loss to
the former, but without materially improving the po-
sition of the British. lIERMANIA had been killed,
and his followers driven back from Fort Beaufort ;
Major-General SOMERSET had repelled an attack
upon Fort Hare; but Forts Cox and White were
still invested and beginning to run short of pro-
visions; SEvOLO had experienced a check, but had not
been dislodged from the Keiskamma ; Fort Arm-
strong had been evacuated by the garrison, and the
settlers, who had sought refuge in it. Sir HARRY
was collecting troops, and projecting alliances with
native tribes, from which the inditlert•nt success of
his diplomacy with the Kafiirs forbids us to expect
much benefit.
The latest intelligence from Graham's Town is
couched in more boastful language than the facts
warrant. It was understood that Sir HatritY
was to have moved forwards a few days before,
and that he would put down the Kaifirs. But
this result was contingent upon their abandoning
their old habits of bush-tightinz and meeting him
fairly in the field. It is not likely they would do
so, and accordingly the termination of the war is
anticipated alternatively after the lapse of three, five,
or even six mouths. In fact, it may be a year, and
how many lives and how much money may be
thrown away before that ceriginnuatiau is attained!