The Sun.
London, England, 1852-03-13 00:00:00

emit-it% aint.

LONDON, SATURDAY, MARCH 13, 1852.

Misfortunes, in truth, never come singly—aa the
Earl GRIT ifs just now discovering to his amazement
—but in battalions : the latest illustration of this
coming through the battalions under the command of
his ex-Excellenc7 the hero of Aliwal. Nothing
surely could m(a-e glaringly demonstrate the rashness,
the folly, and the intemperance of the policy adven-
tured upon by the late Colonial Secretary, than the
intelligence which has just arrived from the Cape by
the steam-ship the Bosphorus. Before the Honourable
GEORGE CATHCART had reached his destination, the
war with the Kafirs had thanks to the
military capacity of Sir HARRY SMITH been
gloriously terminated. Scarcely had the insolent dis-
patch penned by Earl GREY, on the 14th of January,
come to the hands of his Excellency the late Gover-
nor, scarcely had he found himself stigmatized as in-
competent both as a captain and as an administrator
by the petulant civilian recently at the head of the
Colonial Department—when the distinguished officer,
thus cruelly sod gratuitously insulted, vindicated at
once his courage and his capacity by conquering the
barbarians opposed to his forces, what though those
forces were, in point of numbers and general
efficiency, altogether inadequate for the enter-
prise in consequence of the niggardliness of the
very Minister
who had dared to pronounce Sir
HARRY SMITH worthy only of degradation. A little
forethought on the part of the Colonial Secretary in
sending out additional troops, betimev, to the Cape,
and ail the bloodshei which has taken place
there recently might have been happily and
Within a week after his
effectually prevented. •W -a,
last vigorous attack upon the Kafirs Sir Haaßy
had brought them thoroughly under subjec-
tion, had destroyed their crops and taken posses-
sion uf the whole country belonging to the insur-
gents. Such was the incapacity complained of y
the late Colonial Secretary I Such was his late Ex-
cellency's utter failure in showing " foresight, energy,
and judgment" [vide the "Blue Book," Bm, 11
254] ! Such was the weakness of the Go-
vernor of the Cape—a weakness (!) imper-
tinently attributed by Earl
‘JEtEr to his
possible " failure in health " [" Blue Book," p.
252] ! Such was„ Sir HARRY'S incapacity (accord-
ing to Earl GREY) " in giving either to his military
operations or to his political measures that character
of vigour and judgment which were necessary to in•
spire confidence in the inhabitants and troops, and to
command success " [" Blue Book," p. 254] ! Earl
Guar will now, perhaps, have the goodness to in-
form the country, fiam his place in the House of
Lords , how far his assertions have been corroborated
by the regent proceedings in Kafirland—he will,
perhaps, kindly acquaint the public in what
manner Sir Hartßy SMITH has failed to inspire con-
fidence in the inhabitants, has failed to inspire con-
fidence in the troop's, has failed to command success
against the insurgents now that he has utterly sub-
dued the rebellion and restored peace to the agitated
colo !.y. Such has been the culpable course pursued
by his ex-Exoellency in a way, says the Earl GREY,
seriously reprehensible even to " an unprofessional
Blue' Book,"
observer" p. 255] ! Such has been
the disgraceful (i) Way in which, if we are
to believe the Colonial Secretary, Sir HARRY
has " either been entirely mistaken in his
judgment, or has failed in using with effect the force
it his disposal" [" Blue 800k.".p. 255] ! Such have
been the Blue Book," p. 225,] " most fatal errors"