The Sun.
London, England, 1846-03-02 00:00:00

she used to do, and than is guided chiefly by her low para-
mours and servants. Now, the remnant of wise men left
hitherto prevented convulsion by their influence with the
RANEE, especially the Fakeers and BNABE RAM SDIGH ; but
this influence is all but gone in the RANEE'S present state ;
so much so, that BuAxx Res Smarr lately sent me a cau-
-1 tion against closing a business with the existing Government,
;as it was certain the troops, on their return after the Dus-
math, would put to death JOWAIIIR SINGE and the RANEE,
With hee son." In fact they did put to death
ithin JusysYlß SINGH, brother of the RANEE, and
cult his body almost to pieces. The RANEE, and her
drunken associaL'es and Ministers saw that they would be
at devoured, unless this terrible army, without discipline
al id any feeling of mercy, were diverted from their purpose.
The troops, it would appear, were not at all disposed to
al tack the English, but every day the RANEE and the Sirdare
be caine more urgent for their advance to the frontier, be-
lie ving that the only hope of saving their lives and
Brush
o-
lonoing their power wee by a collision with eforces. 'these facts exhibit the character of the Government,
and the army, which, under certain promises, and after con-
sictereeble sums of money had been conferred on it, entered
into a. sort of bargain for the invasion of the British terri-
tory. in such circumstances, therefore, the Governor-
General took all the necessary steps which he consi-
dered °pat to him for guarding the frontier; he ordered
Ti.p reinforcements, had a great number of regiments
ready to march at four hours' notice, and
mustered within a reasonable distance as many forces as he
Ithought would be sufficient to repel an invasion which he
had every reason to believe was not undertaken with good
will. But he was mistaken as to the people he had to deal
with—the Seikhs had collected a much larger army than
either Major BROADFOOT or any agent on the right bank
of the Sutlej had considered possible for them to muster in
such a short period, and the extent of the danger was
not seen till about the Sth of December, ten days before
the first battle. The Anglo-Indian army was then put in
motion, and how nobly and gallantly it accomplished its
work, the people of this country and of the gretater part of
Europe already know. Several charge Sir HENRY
HARDINGB with - neglect, and say that he was Sur-
prised, and had he mustered a larger force on
the frontier the battle would have been less bloody and mare
quickly decided. We entirely concur in the latter view of
the case; but it is evident from Sir HENRY HARDINGE'S dis-
patches, and the communications of his agents, that he was
anxious above all things to afford no grounds for war; in-
deed, his language on that point is so unequivocal, that we
have no doubt whatever that he was acting according to the
instructions of a power above him. The troops he had
already collected along the frontier were viewed by the La-
hore Government with jealousy, and ultimately made the
pretence for attacking our troops. Had he collected an army
either at Ferozepore or Loodianah, he would have acted on
the offensive, and fully justified the Seikhs in their invasion.
As it is, the case is happily different. We have right
on our side, and in a moral point of view, and as regards
physical force, this is of 3 the very first importance. Nearly
all the French journals admit the Seikhs were in the wrong,
and they are, therefore, the more inclined to do justice to the
bravery of the British troops, which they do in the most
explicit terms. But, even if the Governor-General had assem-
bled a large army, he could not tell at what point the
Seikhs would make an irruption. By concealing their move-
ments they could have anticipated him by several days on a
line of frontier extending for nearly a hundred miles, and, as
Was the case at Moodkee, there must have been
forced marches, and the troops subjected to the
greatest fatigue before they could come up with the
enemy. "It appears to me," says Major BROADFOOT,
that the frontier is too long to be defensible on all points by
any force we can move. This was evidently also the opinion
of Sir HENRY HARDINGE, and if we are not mistaken, the
Duke of WELLINGTON will bear his testimony to the fact.
It is easy to find fault, and some men delight
in throwing the heavy blame on public servants,
without considering their difficulties, and not unfrequently in
perfect ignorance of the real merits of the case. WELLINGTON,
too, was charged with:negligence, and accused of having suf-
fered himself to be surprised by the French on the plains of
Belgium; but these accusations have died away, and his
successful stand at Quatre Bras and victory at Waterloo have
fully justified him in the eyes of all respectable judges.

We are glad to see Lord LINCOLN has been put in nomina-
tion for the northern division of Nottinghamshire. If, as we
fervently hope, his Lordship will be successful, it will be
more than an ordinary triumph. It will not only be a
triumph for the principles of free trade, for the interests of
the people, and for the Ministers who are now advocating
those interests, it will be a well-earned tribute to the
Noble Lord himself, who happens to be the son of one of the
most exclusive and arbitrary of the whole exclusive
race. Himself early imbued with the doctrines of
intolerance, and recently a member of a pro-
tectionist Government, has now, at the sacrifice of all party
and personal considerations, come boldly forward to proclaim
the great principles of free trade, to assert the rights of the
people and the interests of commerce, with an eloquence and
an energy that have taken all by surprise. The election of
South Nottingham is remarkable as a striking example of
the disgraceful spirit that, happily in rare instances, still pre-
vails. It is one of the last triumphs of the evil genius
whose funeral knell was rung en Friday night,—a
triumph of prejudice over principle of intimidation
over conscience. Lord LirscoLn was placed in a most trying
situation; manfully he stood the trial—gallantly he faced
the danger. His conduct during the whole canvass elicited
universal applause.is His opponents found reason and argu-
ment useless, and resorted to every species of contumacy.
They could not assail his principles or his political cha-
racter, he defended them too efectually from their attacks ;
they turned their weapons in another direction, and repre-
sented him as an undutiful son; a renegade and a Papist !
By such means they won their triumphs—by such means
they deceived the ignorant, blinded the unwary, end led
away even the well-meaning and the good. Had the whole
truth been rightly understood, how different had been the
issue ! The -conduct which earned for Lord LLNCOLN these
opprobrious titles in reality is deserving of the highest honour.
Of the disgrace attending the open contest between afatber
and son not one particle can fall on him. It cannot be said
he " went against his father," because that father had no
right to be there. The Duke of NEWCASTLE may
call himself a constituent, but the law gives
him no voice in the matter. The question at issue
was solely between Lord Luscous and the electors, and if the
Noble Duke chose to interfere, If he came voluntarily for-
ward to oppose his son, his was the fault, and his be all the
disgrace. It must have been a severe trial for the son of the
Peer, and the representative of the people; but the latter
triumphed—weighed in the balance he was not found want-
ing. He preferred the dictates of his own conscience to the
commands of his stern father—the good of the country
to his personal welfare. Yet, for this self-abnegation,
this resolute sacrifice which in old times gained the name of
heroism, Lord Lixeous has been bitterly reviled. Equally
futile are the charges of apostacy which have been daringly
brought forward; because he is appointed a visitor of May-
noot h College, it is inferred that he must be a Papist! One
of Mr. Hitnxann's._ friends, endeavouring to win over an
elector, urged this plea : " then," exclaimed the elector's wife,
" the county magistrates must be lunatics, for they are visitors
of the asylum." And such must have been the feelings of all
who thought on the matter; but, unhappily, all could
not, or would not think. Prejudice veiled the truth, the
tenants obeyed their master, and after his strenuous exertions
and unanswerable arguments, Lord LLNCOLN was rejected !
rejected in spite of the justice of his cause. On Friday he
took leave of his former constituents ; his powerful and im-
pressive language affected even his opponents. He acknow-
ledged his mortification ; but he was firm as ever. " I regret
the issue," he exclaimed, " but I have no-other regret. One
consolation yet remains to me,—one that is able to cheer a
man in the bitterest moment of his distress,—that can
shed a ray of comfort on the darkest spot of his
existence. I feel and know I have acted on this
occasion from a single motive, from a paramount sense of
public duty. Everfinterest of a private or personal nature
would have counselled me not to stand this contest, every-
thing of a selfish nature would have prompted me to take a
different course. I might, at this moment, be the repre-
sentative of South Nottingham, I might retain your con-
fidence, but my own conscience would smite me. I prefer
this defeat, which now stings and pains me, than to have
been returned for adopting a course that would not ad-
vance my country's interests." The electors of South
Nottingham have rejected the representative whose
only fault consisted in preferring their interests
to his own. It is left for the men of the north to
repair the injury, to do honour to themselves by honour-
ing him. The very day after his rejection in the south Lord
LINCOLN was nominated on-the hustings-of Mansfield. The
protectionists had anticipated an easy triumph ; Lord HENRY
BENTINCK was to "walk over" the course. A young and
untried man, he was powerfully supported because he be-
longed to the PORTLAND family and the protection party.
Mr. Milan's proposed him as a fit and proper person, and
calling himself "an old student of the science of
Political economy," he gave a proof of his wisdom by the
extraordinary declaration :—" As an honest man and
anor Englishman, he would sooner buy his hats in Mansfield
Worksop, or Nottingham, than of a Dutchman or a
Frenchman, though he had to pay dearer for them." Now
this may appear very honest and
the
English to Mr. MiLsrEs, but
principlesat of political
eitcoinsotmoyta.lly h atisvaarpiaonor c
patriotismwitht
wouldkeMr.
only en-
courage home manufactures. If every one,MILNES,
were to buy everything at home, notwithstanding like
tanding h
WOW d foreign nations not follow our example, and pay dearer
cost,
their own goods rather than take ours, and where would be
r
our commerce, the source of all our wealth and power? Mr.
MILNES had possibly not considered the subject, neither had
he considered the present state of the country when he pro-
posed a young Lord, whose chief recommendation was his
zeal for protection. Lord HENRY EN
BTLNC ,then ew can-
his first publi speech,
idnidatweliehmadehe
a provedspeech' his sense and judgment
rr
ned present
to worst
oetshe7
wie sh.
o"
Onby speaking
theeve ooff
athheatrttilien,isNteArrs
was urging him to proceed, " When you have commanded
osulLfro"Nout
in thirty pitched battles, presume to advise me." And with
like presumption this young Lord dares to speak of Minis-
ters, who have been taught by experience, and who are now
at every cost, proving themselves the true friends of the
country. While Lord HENRY was speaking shouts
were heard in the distance, and amid general
eheerinF the glorious news of the division was sallow:lced