The Sun.
London, England, 1852-01-12 00:00:00

I-in/Tina .7•liit

LONDON, MONDAY, JANUARY 12, 1852

Throughout its existence, under the conduct of its
present leader, there has been a remarkable consist-
ency in the blanderings of her MAJESTY'S Govern-
ment. Mediocrity has everywhere been applauded
by Lord JOHN RUSSELL, and genius contemned ;
failure has apparently awakened his enthusiasm, and
success his indignation. He has carefully associated
Sir CHARLES WOOD—although notoriously the most
inefficient member of his Cabinet—with the idea of
the very maintenance of the Administration. Mean-
while be has as sedulously thwarted, in every in-
stance, the liberal and patriotic policy of the Foreign
Secretary—as notoriously the most distinguished
statesman among our administrators—completing his
unnatural system of opposition by the ulterior
dismissal of Lord PALMERSTON. Precisely in
the same way have the proceedings of the
Prime Minister been regulantetdma
itntersrcegonanrdectetod
other
the a n de
asrcrayr
icnegl y
ul
te sosf
important
epolarbtaours of government.
While the country has been cursed with an incapable
Chancellor of the Exchequer, and deprived abruptly,
not to say without reason, of the genius of an illus-
trious chief of the Foreign Department, the military
posts in our more remote and more valuable pos-
sessions have in cases of extraordinary emergency
beenvealifinlgled a
re ups by the Premier upon a system
perversity of judgment. It
cannot already be forgotten with what re-
luctance Sir CHARLES NAPIER was permitted
to assume the chief command of the Indian army'
after the most energetic efforts to evade the appoint-
ment—the conqueror of Sinde being, in fact, thrust
into that position of responsibility immediately on the
receipt of the disastrous intelligence of Ra
mnugger
and Chillianwallah, by the united voices of the Eng-
lish press and the English Population. Neither can
it by any possibility be lost to remembrance how

very different indeed was the treatment experienced
by Sir 'Lulu SMITH, who was hurried almost di-
rectly after his return home to the Governorship
of the Cape Colony, that unfortunate colony
which has ever since then been embroiled with the
savages of Kafirland. Assuredly, therefore, with
these memorable facts in their recollection, it will be
admitted by the public that we are not guilty of ex-
travagance in surmising that failure would seem to
hold the preference over success in Lord Jour( RIR,.
SELL'S very perverse estimation.
A glance at the news received during some time
past from the Cape will be sufficient to convince the
most incredulous that very extraordinary incapacity
has been displayed in the conduct of the recent cam.
Paigcs against the barbarians. A careful examination
of the narrative will do more than this, it will
satisfy the mind of every dispassionate observer that
the recent disasters experienced by our troops in
those quarters threaten to be irreparable unless speedy
assistance arrive at the seat of war, in the form at
once of men, of fodder, and of ammunition. Behold-
ing these occurrences at the Cape, and aware that the
General in supreme command at that point has been
in every instance petted and favoured by her ni,-
JESTY'S Government, it is impossible not to bear simul-
taneously in remembrance the very different
career and the very different treatment of the
illustrious soldier the conqueror of Sinde, and