The Sun.
London, England, 1864-02-15 00:00:00

The Weather—Sun Office, Feb. 15, 1864.

THERMOMETER.
This day at Two o'clock 47

Barometer-29.8.
Wind—S.W.; light breeze, and cloudy.

'Ff.
1.0"-€44
gilt. it
:44,-„gC0P114.674.11p, ONN/

LONDON, MONDAY, FEB. 15, 1864.

In the old fable of the frogs and their king the
discontented subjects of King LOG and the unhappy
victims of King STORK had each great reason for
complaint. In our happy country at the present
moment we are blest with a Government which
possesses the singular advantage of combining the
evils of both of these celebrated systems of admini-
stration in a system of their own, which is, in fact—
no system at all. The irritating interference of
King STORK alternates with the apathetic inaction
of King LOG until the disastrous consequences of
this No-policy principle are affecting our national
importance and undermining our national influence
in the European counsels. As a proof of the esti-
mation in which our vacillating rulers are held by
our good-natured friends across the water, a recent
number of the Monde declares that " The howls of
the British leopard no longer have the power of
moving Europe. France laughed at them in 1860
at the time of the annexation of Savoy ; Russia did
the same in 1863 with regard to the Polish ques-
tion ; Prussia and Austria go forward as though a
great Power called England did not exist. Up to
this time they have avoided the proclaiming the
annulment of the protocols of 1852, as it was useless
for them to complicate their military action by a
diplomatic embarrassment. Success, however, em-
boldens them ; they see England isolated, on bad
terms with Russia on account of Poland, cool with
France in consequence of the refusal of the Con-
gress, unfriendly with the Diet which drives them
farther than they would wish to go, and they consider
it is more important for them to satisfy the German
feeling than•listen to the menaces of Earl RUSSELL/
While, in terms,equally complimentary, the Opinione
Nationale describes th© English policy as "odiense
et ridicule," and tells us that France regards with
surprise and satisfaction our unwonted and unbe-
coming isolation. On the very first night of the
Session Mr. DISRAELI, in terms of very natural
indignation, described, with his happy sarcasm,
the great weakness, and the great want of the
No-Policy Administration. The Earl of DERBY,
again, in the House of Lords, epitomised his
sarcasm (one to precisely the same effect) in a
most happy and alliterative phrase—to wit,
" meddle and muddle." It did not, however,
require the Leaders of the Opposition to inform
us of a fact long since glaringly and grievously
notorious. As Lord ABERDEEN, for the want of
a timely decision, suffered the country, in his
day, to " drift into a war," so Lord RUSSELL, for
the want of that same statesmanlike quality—a
quality the most indispensable of all in a ruler,
whether civil or military—decision—is allowing
the nation that trusts to his diplomacy to subside

from that high position of power and influence
which has hitherto been its own, into an attitude of
unwonted inanity and unaccustomed humiliation.

We have now the fall particulars of the last en-
counter with the Maories, and they serve to con-
firm the intelligence which had already reached us
in outline both in regard to the triumph achieved
over the enemy and the heavy loss of gallant men
which chequers our satisfaction. The rebels, as we
know, succeeded in effecting their escape from
Mere-Mere and entrenched themselves in a spot
called Rangariri, about 14 miles higher up, if the
troops were marched by land, although the distance
is considerably greater by water, It was supposed
by many that the Maories would not attempt to
hold Rangariri after abandoning Mere-mere, a
much stronger position. However, this opinion
proved to be erroneous, as they concentrated all
their energies upon it and held it with desperate
resolution, General CAMERON, whose military
dispositions have been greatly praised, was resolved
to give the Maories no chance of escape a second
time, and arranged for an assault to be made as soon
as possible after the joint arrival of the military
and naval forces. Rangariri is protected on two
sides by the Waikari Lake, and its front has been
very skilfully intrenched by the native engineers.
the task occupied them, it is said, for the bast part
of a year, and the result has proved to be very
formidable to even the bravest and most skilful
assailants. It may be conjectured, however, that
European science had something to do with the
matter, since more than one deserter has been among
them. The body of au ex artilleryman was found
in the trenches after the place was captured, and
we do not suppose his former comrades wasted much
regret upon his fate. Another is said to have been
among the defenders, but he escaped. The place
was strongly defended in point of numbers, the
whole of the N'gatiawa, or proper Waikato tribe
being within it. The number of :Abodes in the
intrenchment amounted altogether to about 1,100,
while the assaulting party were 1,200. The first
assault on the landward side was a severe
struggle, the embankment being high and the ditch
deep and broad. Only two of the seven officers in
the leading column escaped unwounded. The river
front of the defences carried at the same time was
less warmly contested—the natives perhaps being
less sanguine of success from its inferior strength.
1 But the greatest difficulty was to come. The
Maories, who fled from the first line of land de-
fences, took refuge in a central position on the
brow of a hill. The chief leaders of the defenders
made their stand here, and the construction of the
place seconded their efforts only too well. Four
times was the assault made, each time without suc-
cess. Every officer who led the attack was either
MAYNE, who led the blu
jackets
killed or dangerously Rounded.
of
tChoomEmoal
Eclipse,
and whose bravery has since been rewarded by
promotion, was among those wounded in the
attempt. The only means of access to the enato wa
time, Opening
d e rt theihnrg"g
task one of great difficulty. The General, perceiving
that heavy loss to our troops was resulting without
any commensurate advantage, gave orders for the
attack to be deferred until daylight, and the para-
pets undermined and blown up. When daylight
came, however, a flag of truce appeared, and the
chief who bore it called for some one who could
speak Maori. The interpreter advanced, but mean-