The Sun.
London, England, 1849-03-05 00:00:00

barely 34 when he fought the battle of Assaye, and he
closed his military career at 45, Bonaparte was 27 when
be overran Italy, and defeated half a dozen Austrian
armies. Alexander was about the same age when ho
vanquished Porus on that spot were Lord Gough did
not vanquish Shore Singh. Conde won the battle of
Rocroi at a yet earlier age. In a word, nearly all great
commanders have proved themselves great commanders
in their youth. It stands to reason that it should be so.
When a soldier has passed the flower of his days in
subordinate service, he has had no opportunity of ac-
quiring that independence of action, that self-confidence,
and that comprehensiveness of view, necessary to the
man who commands the whole army. How few of the
Generals who adorn the Army List, and stir up the
bile of financial reformers, have ever had an inde-
pendent command, or done anything but execute orders!
Such, however, is not the way in which the Horse
Guards view the long roll of military worthies. Suffice
it to say, that General Elphinstone, that gouty old
gentleman, who strangley closed a long life of fashionable
gaiety by perishing with an entire British army in the
snows of Central Asia, was thrust by the Horse Guards
upon the remonstrant Board of Control. Elphinstone,
however, went to Caubal in what seemed days of pease.
Will it be believed that the Horse Guards have now pro.
duced a fellow to that unfortunate appointment for the
conduct of a difficult and disastrous war ? Sir W.
Gomm, who has been directed to hold himself in readi-
ness for the Punjaub, has never commanded a regiment,
and has not seen service in any capacity for thirty-five
years. He has spent all that time in semi-civil employ-
ments, and has not shown therein any remarkable
administrative capacity, but rather the contrary.
The whole empire demands the appointment of the
very best man that can be found. To find the best man,
the Horse Guards must lay aside its " long service"
claims, and the Duke remember that he, too, once was
young. Government must remember that it is respon-
sible for the nomination; the authorities of Leadenhall-
street must remember that the Indian empire is not a
personal affair; and, if our words could reach Lord
Dalhousie in time, we would also remind him of certain
powers vested in him for such emergencies. All
the parties concerned in the government of India
must be reminded that when the supreme hour of that
empire shall come they will be called to account for the
discharge of their several responsibilities. They must
now send out the best man—one in whom his army will
feel confidence, and whom his officers will respect, under-
stand, and obey; one whom the enemy will fear, and
whose terror will retain in subjection even those whom
his arms do not reach. We cannot believe that the Hon.
Board of Directors have acted on the pique that has been
ascribed to them, and so precluded themselves from full
liberty of choice. They are good subjects, and are bound
to administer their high trust in subordination to their
still higher quality as loyal and patriotic men.

THE UNITED STATES.

LIVERPOOL, SATURDAY. - The ship Wisconsin,
Captain Munford, which arrived to-day, has put us
in possession of accounts from New York to the
14th ult.

The steam-ship Niagara arrived at Boston on the
10th ult.

The West India mail steamer Dee arrived at Mo-
bile on the 31st of January.
The loss of the Forth is confirmed. The steamer
when on her passage to Vera Cruz had lain three
days at the island of Perez, and at the motment of the
disaster, it is stated, the look•out was not at his post.
Fortunately, of the 160 passengers on board, none
were lost.

The Congressional proceedings comprise a message
from the President touching the protocol to the Mex-
ican treaty. This document argues, first, that the
protocol is of no moment, because the Mexican Con-
gress had sanctioned the treaty before the adoption
of the protocol; secondly, that the protocol does not
in any way affect the amendments made to the treaty
by the United States Senate, but is merely explana-
tory of the character and effect of those modifications ;
that it was not considered of sufficient importance to
deserve promulgation with the treaty. To this defence
the Opposition journals reply, that the protocol is
inimical to the treaty, that that treaty was not sanc-
tioned previously, and that without the protocol as
part and parcel of the whole, Mexico would never have
acquiesced.
A Washington letter says—
" The Senate was engaged for several hours in exe-
cutive session yesterday, upon a resolution offered by
Mr. liannegan from the committee on foreign relations,
authorising the President to negotiate for the acquisition
of the rights of the Hudson's Bay Company below the
49th parallel. After a long and animated discussion it
was laid on the table. The subject may bo resumed
hereafter. The object of this projected negotiati,n is
❑ot so much to acquire the territorial possessions of the
company, though that might be sufficient and important
in some considerations, as to secure the undisputed right
of navigation to the Columbia River, which, by the
Oregon Treaty, together with the portages on the snme,
was, jointly with us, guaranteed to the Hudson's Bay
Company, and all British subjects trading with it. Look-
ing to the future settlement of the country on the Pacific,
it would seem the part of who statesmanship to remove
every probable contingency of collision and war be-
tween the subjects of Great Britain and the citizens of
the United States. Hence this measure has been enter-
tained with favour by distinguished men in both
parties."

The accounts from California are exciting, but de-
plorable. The dates from San Francisco are to the
25th of December. The following extracts contain
the pith of the intelligence :
"Since I last wrote to you, affairs have been getting
worse. 'We have no government, either civil or military,
and the country is full of lawless men, who are commit-
ting the most shocking outrages. Murders and robberies
are of daily, and I might almost say, of hourly occur-
rence. Not an arrival occurs from the north, south, or
the interior, but notifies the community of new acts of
villsny which go unpunished. Within six weeks more
than 20 murders have occurred in a white population of
less than 15,000 souls. The people are now acting in
self-defence; and four or five days since three men were
hung by Lynch law, 60 miles from this place. The
United States revenue laws are now in force here, and
will yield an income of say 450,000 dolls. the ensuing
year, and perhaps more, and four-fifths of this amount
will be collected at this port. Much dissatisfaction exists
at the payment of such a tax on the part of the inha-
bitants without either a Government or a representation.
This feeling is gaining ground from day to day.

" I wrote you a very long semi-official letter, some
time since (Sept. 18), going at length into the history of
the gold mines. 1 trust that you have received that
communication, as it accompanied other official papers,
all of which, I am informed, were correctly sent from
Mazatlan to Vera Cruz about six weeks since. I have
only time now to inform you, that everything in that
letter has been more than realized up to this date.
The gold mines continue to boas rich as before, although
the rainy season has caused many to suspend their work.
There can be no doubt that at least 4,000,000 dolls.
of gold, at 16 dolls. per ounce troy, has been taken
from the mines. The most accurate estimates lam
able to make show that 1,500,000 dolls. has been sent
from the country, and 1,000,000 of it has gone from
this port. One vessel took 400,000 dells. Two-thirds
of all that has been exported has gone to foreign
countries.—l am, dear sir, in groat haste, yours truly,
" J. L. FOLSOM.
" General Jesup, Washington, D. C."
The New York Moral(' says—
" There has not been as much sickness at the placer as
we were led to society
there neither is the state of •t y
there as bad as had been intimated. Fever and ague
prevail there to a certain extent, and attack those who
are careless in regard to their health; but with ordi-
nary prudence persons can get along without any sick-
ness. About a dozen of persons have died at the gold
diggings, principally from want of prudence and expo-
sure. The whole value of golf whidh has been gathered
in California is estimated by those acquainted with the
matter at three millions of dollars, two of which left
there in various ways, and the remainder is on its way
to the United States. It must not be supposed, how-
ever, that every one gets rich there on the moment; for
the work of getting the gold dust and washing
it is very arduous. Captain Daly, of San
Francisco, organized an expedition of ten men, who
went to gold digging, and were absent three weeks;
but they did not gather enough to cover expenses,
and were disbanded. Real estate was selling at enor-
mous price; lots 25 yards square selling for 10,000 dolls.
Provisions were abundant at Sau Francisco and the dig-
gings. Flour poured in in great quantities from Chili
and Oregon, and came down iu price, from 25 dolls, per
barrel to 16 dolls. at San Francisco. The probability is,
that that article has fallen still further, perhaps to 10
dolls, per barrel. Board in San Francisco was 10 dolls.
per week. Great as the discoveries of gold are they are
equalled by those of quicksilver. The metal is found in
various parts of California, and the quantity is as abun•
dant as it is in the mines of Spain. Mr. Forbes, the pro-
prietor of the mines, had 30,000 dolls, worth of the article
on hand at Tepee, ready for market. It is found even
within 3 miles o San Francisco. About 2,000 emigrants
had arrived in California from Oregon, the Sandwich Is-
lands, and different parts of South America and Mexico. In
fact, the gold fever rages as fiercely in Mexico as it does in
tire United States, and there as well as here expeditions are
formed. Tho ship Huntress was sold for 40,000 dolls.,
and her purchaser intended to send her to Valparaiso for
a cargo. At that place there was, at the last dates,
great exitement in regard to California. The cargo of
the ship Undine, which was reshipped at Valparaiso, was
sold at San Francisco at 500 per cent. profit. The vessel
was sold at Valparaiso for 12,000 dolls., and afterwards
re-sold at San Francisco for 25,000 dolls. Captain
Phelps, of the barque Moscow, and Captain Lindsay and
Mr. Mellows, are on their way to the Atlantic, with
100,000 dolls. worth of gold dust. Edward H. Hanson
is appointed collector of San Francisco, and will pre-
vent the ingress of spelter into that port. The barque
Tasso sailed from San Francisco for Valparaiso, bat could
not engage a crew under 50 dolls. per month to each
man, and 75 dolls. to the steward, with an ageement
to take them back to San Francisco. The Californian
Star and the Californian are united, and the now paper
is issued under the name of the Californian. The brig
Miry was to leave San Francisco for Mazatlan about the
Pat of January, with gold dust."
The Sacramento river is said to be navigable for
vessels drawing eight feet from the ocean to Satter's-
fort, a distance of 150 miles from San Francisco,
and for a hundred miles further by vessels of lighter
burden.
The rumours concerning Colonel Stevenson and
Captain Masey are reported to be false.
The reported discoveries of gold in Oregon and
elsewhere are in roost cases fahglous.