The Sun.
London, England, 1852-02-20 00:00:00

THE SUN,

tion the papers communicated to it by her
MAJESTY'S command, relating to the Cape
of Good Hope, is of opinion that the disastrous
state of that colony is mainly attributable to its mis-
management by the Government at home; and that
the attempt of Earl GREY, in his dispatch of the 14th
of January last, to cast the chief blame of the present
position of affairs on the Governor of the Colony, is
unjustifiable." Such is the tenor of the notice, which
was inscribed on the books of the House of Commons,
on the 16th instant by Mr. ADDERLEY. In those few
words the Ministry may discern expressed the most for-
midable accusation yet directed against them, either
within or without the walls of the Imperial Legis-
lature. Through them, as through the folds of the
canopy of DAMOCLES, quivers the keen-edged sword
of destruction. The worst of the Ministerial posi-
tion, moreover, is the fact that it is at once untenable
and unavoidable. The Colonial Secretary, at last, is
doomed to the vengeance invoked for a considerable
time past by his disgraceful and intem-
perate policy in the conduct of that
most important department of the Administration. It
may he that Earl GREY, dismayed at the approaching
exposure of his proceedings, may endeavour to evade
the more formidable arguments which are certain to
be adduced by his antagonists. The herring may
be trailed, it is true, but we feel assured that the
beagles of justice are not to be drawn off the scent
by any such disingenuous efforts at the avoidance of an
alarming difficulty. The words of his Grace the Duke of
WELLINGTON are not to be set aside so very readily
as may be dreamt by the Colonial Secretary.
There are two or three matters for the consideration
of Parliament in the question at issue, such as must
set at defiance the most artful prevarication.
Foremost among these is the circumstance that
General Sir HARRY SMITH—an officer of conside-
rable distinction in the military annals of our own
country a little further luck than yesterday—bas been
reprimanded on the plea of incapacity by the civilian
at the head of the Colonial Department, coupled
with the circumstance that his Excellency has
since then been eulogised in the strongest
terms by the most illustrious captain of the
age, Field-Marshal his Grace the Duke of WEL-
LINGTON ! Those two facts alone would be sufficient
to display to the comprehension of the least discerning
the precipitancy and injustice of the condemnation
pronounced upon Sir HARRY SMITH by the Noble
Lord her MAJESTY'S Colonial Secretary. Remember,
however, in addition, and as a point enormously
and deplorably aggravating the cruelty of that un-
called-for condemnation, that the notorious despatch
of the 14th of January contained more than a mere
reprimand. It conveyed to his Excellency the an-
nouncement of his summary and ignominious recai
from the Government of the Cape, together with the
information that as he was deemed unable to cope
with the difficulties of his situation he had been
already superseded by Maj or- General the Hon .GEoltois
CATHCART. It will, of course, k.e duly remarked
by Mr. ADDERLEY on Tuesday ,evening that these
very gratifying scraps of intelligence were conveyed
to Sir HARRY SMITH in language of a character so
harsh, so intemperate, and for these reasons so wholly
and glaringly unstatesmanlike that it alone would
be enough, in all conscience, to bring irreparable
disgrace upon the present Gavernraent. Besides all
which, the reprimand and the rece,l were forwarded
to his Excellency in consequence of acts which
were eulogized on the sth inst,, in the House of Lords,
by his Grace the COMMANDER,IN•CHIEF—being
designated by the Duke acts worthy both of the
gallantry of the soldiers and of the military capacity
of the Governor.

Already Earl GREY has, in the most paltry
manner, endeavoured to shift, the responsi-
bility of recent occurrences. in Southern
Africa from his own shou-iders to those
of Sir 'hazy' SMITH, asserting It:kat the latter had
not made application for that increase of forces
which was afterwards found to have been necessary.
An examination of the blue-book, I24id on the tables of
the Houses of Parliament on the 3d of this present
February, will demonstrate clearly enough that such
is very far, indeed, from having be en a correct state-
ment as to the correspondence between Sir HARRY
SMITH and her MAJESTY'S Government. It will be
seen that the Colonial Secretary was no leas
familiarly acquainted throughout with the exact po-
sition of affairs at the seat of war than he was, and
is manifestly the cvipaiie party, from having by his
policy originated and fomented the whole of the last
lamentable outbreak in Kafirland. Aware of
the damning evidence afforded against Earl
GREY by the documents comprised in this same in-
estimable bluebook, we look forward with a calm
and imperturbable confidence—a confidence inspired
by a deliberate and unimpassioned conviction, to the
moment when, on TrAesday
evening, Mr. ADDERLEY
will introduce the motion already specified to the
consideration of tha lower branch of the Legislature.

The Irish Government, and more particularly its
head, the Earl of CLARENDON, has been formally ar-
raigned, not merely at the bar of public opinion, but
before the High Court of Parliament of the United
Kingdom of
Great Britain and Ireland. The most
able, the most zealous, the most of Viceroy that
ever represented his SOVEREIGN in the sister kingdom,
has been charged with the commission of a high crime
and a misdemeanour "of a nature—to use the lan-
guage of the Noble Lord who brought forward the
question—" to weaken the authority of the Execu-
tive, and to reflect discredit on the administration of
public affairs." It is true that the LORD LIEUTENANT
of Ireland was
asetiled only in a " Pickwickian"—
we beg pardon:-..a
" Parliamentary" sense. Lord
NAAS expresall declared that "he had the deepest
respect for the great personal qualities, the talents,
and the Privttte virtues of the party on trial ;" while
deliberatelx accusing his Excellency of bribery and
corruption, he professed a profound admiration for
his character. The would-be executioner was ex-
ceedingly anxious to dispatch his intended victim
in the most considerate and friendly manner.
He would not injure him on any account ;
it was merely in the discharge of the pain-
ful duties which the exigencies of party
imposed on him,, that he exhibited himself on the
melancholy occasion. He therefore extended the
open hand of friendship before clenching it to admi-
nister
,the most stringent punishment. We must,
however, think with Lord PALMERSTON, that if it was
not a personal question, we are utterly "at a loss to
underettnd what a personal question is." It might
have been merely intended to injure the Ministry,
but the blow could only be inflicted through the person
of Lord' CLARENDON.
It is to be regretted that Lord NAAS should have
allowed himself to be made the tool of his party on
sqch an occasion • that he should have so totally
forgotteg his own family
history as to have suffered
himself to be set up as the stalking-horse' on the oc-
easi.nn, and to make his first appearance as a
tical PlitiSt. Does he forget that his father's
predecessor
uncle the peerage, his own great
,
JuUze, fourth Earl of Mayo; was for
nO less than forty7nine
years—from the rather sue-
picious period Orthe union-until his death in 1849—in
receipt of a pension of 1,332/, per annum ?
Oh wad some power the gifiie
To see ourselVes as other, See us,
Richard SOUTHWELL, Viscount NW, would not
have yielded to the importunities of
whipper-in, or be made the instrument by
the-most accom-
plished
talented,, and an
amiable,
statesman might have been seriouSly
accomplished
which the feelings of an
hurt.

'The motion was, however, not only a complete and
unequivocal failure, not only was the anticipated re-
sult unaccomplished, but it pieced Lord CLARENDON
in a far better position than that which he had pre.
viously occupied. The exceedingly suspicious fact
that a public journalist had been paid a sum of money
for writing in support of the existing Government
was known. The proceedings of .rocs v. SoMER-
VILLE rendered that point but too
painfully notorious.
But the circumstances that induce 0d Lord
CLARENDON
to fall into the trap laid for him by a crafty and
designing man had not received equal publicity. The
poison had been administered. Lord NAAS has
now supplied the antidote. Lord CLARENDON
may well be proud of the high testimonials
which he received. He bad, unfortunately,
been betrayed by his zeal for the public service into
a serious error. We do not deny that it was a grave
mistake to attempt to unduly inlaence the opinions
of a public journalist, and to obtain the ve-