The Sun.
London, England, 1848-01-22 00:00:00

S N, JANUARY 22, 1848.

• ' pursue in Africa. We admit our sagacity failed us.
. It would never have entered our heads to suspect,
until the event developed itself, what it was that a
prince of the blood was wanted in Africa for. Now
all the world knows it. The French Ministry has
indeed to deal with a third difficulty, scarcely
less menacing than the other two. Should
they brave the father's anger, save the son's
honour, and let their captive—we beg pardon
—their guest depart, they will be liable, at
any future period, to the severest censure for not
taking proper precautions for the surveillance of their
fallen foe, wherever he may take up his abode.
Whether they will not be censured also for leaving
the Due d'Aumale full liberty of action as regarded
a contingency which was sufficiently probable to be
provided for beforehand, we do not undertake to
foretell. There can be no doubt but the Duke con-
sidered he was fully empowered to make the promise
he did. Nor have the Ministry, or their supporters,
dared as yet to allege that he was not. The dilemma
of the French people is scarcely less embarrassing
than that of their Government. They share, perhaps,
the error of the Ministry, in not perceiving how
utterly worn out and wasted are the sources of that
national resistance on the part of the Arabs which, so
long as they remained to him, Abd-el-Kader com-
bined and headed with such incomparable
skill and resolution. Though, we take it,
the hero's submission is in itself the strong-
est proof that he considered that in Algeria
all was lost to the cause of which he had been
so long the forlorn hope. But the French pe*ehave
seen so much blood and treasure lavished for the sake
of what they fondly call the "union of France and
Africa," that whether they keep Abd-el-Kader under
lock and key themselves, or make Mehemet Ali deputy
gaoler, they will never be easy in their minds so long
as he lives. They are, therefore, naturally anxious to
keep him sure and quiet under their own eyes. But
then, to do the French people justice, they do not
wish to purchase the comfortable knowledge: that
Abd-el-Kader is under lock and key with any glaring
sacrifice of the national honour, which of course the
Due d'Aumale pledged in the fullest sense, at the
moment that he pledged his own. Even were the
national honour not in question, we doubt if they
would like to see the worthy young Prince's
self-respect and integrity thus trampled on.
We render our sincere testitsiony to the force
and dignity of the remonstrances which the
most independent of the French press have ad-
dressed to the Government, both as regards their
hesitation to keep faith with Abd-el-Kader, and
for their ignominious treatment of him since he has
set foot on the shores of France. Still if M. Guizot
could succeed in intimidating Abd-el-Kader into an
apparently voluntary surrender of the promise made
him, though the Minister would got little thanks or
credit for it, it would be welcomed as a fortunate
solution of a difficulty which presses heavily upon
the national heart. The hollowness and heartlessness
of such an arrangement, if it could be come to, would
no doubt be acutely felt, and sternly reprobated by
individuals peculiarly sensitive to the national honour.
But the mass of the nation would take a different view
of it, and good-nateredly attribute the change in
Abd-el-Kader'a intentions to precisely the last motive
that would be likely to influence him. And this
brings us to a trait of the French people, of which
the simplicity and bonhemmie might indeed disarm
the most rigid criticism. They account for the
solicitude of the Government to get Abd-el-Kader to
Paris in a way which appears to them the most natural
possible. They say—their journals literally say for
them:—" Only get him to Paris, and the difficulty will
settle itself. Once in Paris, Abd.el Kader will
know what France is, and never wish to live any-
where else. Once bring this Arab of the desert within
sight of the terrestial paradise and our most
deadly foe will become our firmest friend, or at least
our voluntary and contented guest." Was there
ever such a touching simplicity ? The Neapolitan
proverb is, "See Naples, and then die." The French
version of it ought to be—" See Paris, and then, if
you can, endure to live anywhere else." The hallu-
cinations, to this time, which are at present busy in
millions of French heads, may be taken as setting at
rest one question much debated of late. A people
who believe that the enmity of a man and a hero like
Abd-el-Kader could he mollified by a certain quan-
tum of Parisian amenities—to whom it seems quite
plausible that he should of his own accord prefer to
spend the rest of his life among those to whom he
-and his people owe their ruin—are obviously quite
ignorant of what the word enmity really means ; and
Lord Ellesmere must have been wholly mistaken in
attributing to them any feelings of national jealousy
and hereditary hate and revenge, either towards the
English, or towards any other people.

FIRE ON BOARD THE VICEROY
STEAM VIZ, AN!) GALLANT CONDUCT OF
TWO OF HER MEN.
Extract of a letter dated Stranraer, Jan. 19, 1848,
received at Lloyd's :
" The steamer reported so hurriedly last night as
being on fire, was the Viceroy, from Glasgow to
Dublin with goods and passengers. When abreast of
Cornwall, the ceiling of the cabin got ignited from the
over• heating of the stove pipe, and in an inconceivably
short time, the whole cabin was in flames, and before
it was got under, all abaft the aftermast bulkhead
was totally consumed with the cabin furniture of all
sorts, and a good deal of the passengers' luggage ;
indeed, some of them lost all that they had. The
passengers are all of opinion, that they owe their
safety to the gallant conduct of two brave fellows who
stuck to the wheel in the midst of the flames, until
they were severely burnt. I trust such heroism and
devotion to duty will not go unrewarded, as was the
case of the helmsman of the Clydesdale,* who was
crippled for life in a similar state, and who ultimately
died a beggar in the streets of Glasgow, to the ever-
lasting disgrace of Scotchmen.
" The captain; and all hands are represented as
having done their duty well, in which they were ably
assisted by the gentlemen cabin passengers, includ-
im4 all on board except some few half-starved Irish
deck passengers, who refused to do anything.
" The Viceroy has left for the Clyde. The day is
very fine, and no doubt she will arrive safe. Had
she-not been an iron vessel, all would have been over
with her, and probably many of the passengers would
have gone with her. The late regulation as to bolts
is a mere farce—they have no doubt the stipulate:.
number, but what is their size? This vessel had
not boats to carry, with any safety, one-half of the
crew anti passengers on board."

• The act of self- devotion, above briefly alluded to
by the writer, was one of surpassing gallantry, forti-
tude, and self-sacrifice. The person spoken of was, we
believe, a Clyde pilot, who, half-burnt to a cinder in
several parts of his parson, his eye-sight almost gone,
yet nobly risked his own life to save the lives of those
on board. This he effected, but was maimed for life.
A subscription in his behalf was got up by some persons
in Scotland, who appreciated his bravery and lamented
the sacrifice, but it met with but partial success, and the
amount was insufficient to maintain him with the com-
mon necessaries of life.

JEWISH FORBEARANCE.—In 1569, Don Joseph,
who held a prominent employment at the Court of Con-
stantinople, denounced one of his co-religionists, who
had robbed and betrayed him. The culprit fled, but the
community outlawed him, and the synod of Raboins ex-
communicated him. Some years afterwards the outcast,
a prey to repentance, sought Don Joseph, who pardoned
him ; but the religious tribunal would not revoke the
interdict, nor sanction his retura to the synagogue. He
then addressed hilt-self to Rabbi Judah Algasy, whose
talents and character commanded universal respect.
This worthy Rabbi thus wrote to the Beth-din (religious
tribinal):—" My dear brethren, a contrite and repentant
sinner claims my support and influence with you; and I
hasten to grant it to him, fur it is painful to think that
the condemned must remain all his life riveted to the
chains of banishment. It is indeed too cruel to say to
this man that his plague is incurable, and that his suffer-
ings can only cease with his life. Besides, this would
be excluding from the repentant all hope of return, and
constraining sinners :to persevere in the path of evil.
Ministers of a merciful God weep for those who fall into
the abyss of sin, and are there engulphed; and we should
never refuse a hand to those who seek to escape. Re-
pentance is a second innocence, which is entitled to the
acceptance of man, and meets the pardon of God." The
members of the sacred synod understood the noble lesson
embodied in these words, and annulled their decree.-
I.3en Levi's Tales.
THE DETACHED FORTS FOR THE CONTROL OF
PARIS.—The Ctairrier de la &utile contains the follow-
ing on the armament of the forts of Paris :—" The
forts of Charenton, Nugent, and St. Denis have directly
received their materiel of artillery from Rennes, and no
portion of it has been conveyed to Bourges. A few ;lays
ago, four waggons laden with gun carriages and wheels,
for the fortification of Paris, passed through our town.
The .National de/'Ouest positively affirms that the guns,
hitherto intended for the defence of the Atlantic coast,
had been carried to Paris. The northern journals have
likewise denounced the removal to Paris of numerous
pieces of artillery cast at Douai. There is not a single
direction of artillery, to our knowledge, that has not sup-
plied its contingent for the armament of the fortifications
of Paris, and, in presence of those facts of public noto-
riety, when there does not exist a single piece ut Bourges,
a general officer, who had become popular by his fidelity
to Napoleon in exile, has presumed to declare, from
the tribune of the Chamber of Peers, that the law re-
specting the armament of the Parisian citadels has been
I executed."

• NAVAL INTELLIGENCE.
PORTSMOUTH, JAN. 21.—A. squadron of armed
steam-vessels, to consist of twelve of various sizes
and power, is ordered to he assembled at Portsmouth
and kept ready for service. They are each to have
two engineers, six stokers, and ten seamen, with the
usual warrant officers, on board. An inspector of
steam machinery afloat is to be appointed to keep the
engines, &c., in order, and it is expected that Com-
mander Starmer, who brought the llecla to England
from the Mediterranean, will be the naval officer
placed in charge of them, and will communicate with
the Commander-in-Chief and other official persons as
to what may be required to keep them in efficient
order. It appears these twelve steamers are to be sent
round from Woolwich and Sheerness, and are in ad-
dition to the Centaur, Cyclops, Gorgon, Retribution,
and others, now in the port.
Her Majesty's brigs Sappho and Orestes are to be
got ready for service. They will be completed by
the dockyard artificers in a few days, and join the
other experimental vessels to be commissioned in
od
oa
r Van
a Dvic
ncommence
sufficient
Leannede
with
rigging
fto-morrow.
oesettlers"r Her
o w. spars
February.
The Prince Regent, 90, Captain W. F. Martin, is
getting her topsail yards across alongside the jetty,
but her progress is necessarily very slow and labori
u for want
e of
and
rigging are equal in size to those of a 120 gun-ship.
basin The Britannia, 120, was taken into the sin to-
ys
n w
The Mountstewart Elphinstone, sailed yesterday
f
from
the, tram
m o

The Firefly steam-sloop, Lieutenant-Commander
Ponsonby, is alongside the dockyard fitting for ser
vice on the coast of Africa. She has received a
mizenmast, but, as she is but a small vessel, and no
alteration has been made in the disposition of her
mainmast, the effect is the extreme of unsightliness.
The Sharpshooter, iron screw steam-vessel of 200
horse power, built on the design of Mr. Fincham, the
master shipwright of this dockyard, is alongside the
Pitt hulk, ready rigged as a brigantine, and apparently
only in want of officers and men to be ready for a
commissioned trial.

The Leander, 50, just finished building on the
design of Mr. Blake, late master shipwright of this
dockyard, is now ready for floating out of dock.
The third building slip under the galvanized iron
roofing is now ready for use, and the dock adjoining
is progressing very fairly towards completion.
The Plumper, auxiliary screw-sloop, is very
rapidly proceeding towards readiness for launching.
The Arrogant, 46, auxiliary screw-frigate, remains
alongside the above in statu quo.
The Princess Royal, 90, is again assuming the ap-
pearance of an intended ship. Her midship frame
timbers are up again, and she is otherwise getting on,
evidently with an intention of perfecting her this
time.

The Royal Frederick, 110, alongside of the above,
appears ready for launching.
In Harbour—The Victory, 104, flagship of Ad-
miral Sir Charles Ogle, Bart., Commander-in-Chief,
in want of a few hands; the Excellent, gunnery-ship,
Captain Chads, C.B , also in want of men ; the Royal
yacht Victoria and Albert, Captain Lord Adolphus
F,tzclarence, G.C.8.; the Prince Regent, 90, Capt.
Martin, fitting for sea ; the Blenheim, screw steam-
guardship, 56, Captain Yates, also fitting, or refitting
for service; the Firefly steam-sloop, Lieutenant-
Commander Ponsonby ; the Fire Queen, steam•
yacht, Acting Master Commander Allen (pro tern);
and the Echo, tug.
In Dock—The Ajax, 56, steam•guardship, re-
ceiving her machinery, and fitting for commission ;
the Leander, 50, finished building; the Orestes, 18,
refitting; the Sappho, 16, ditto; the Fairy, royal
yacht, to receive new boilers, &c. ; the Undine, to
receive new tubes to her boilers, new funnel, new
composition on her bottom, &c.; and the Dee, stu-
dents' steam-vessel, for sundry improvements.
In the Basin—The Britannia, 120, to be rigged ;
the Retribution, steam-frigate, of 800 horse-power,
to be rigged as an advanced steamer, ready for service
on short notice ; the Kite, steam-vessel, Acting
Master Commander Balliston, being fitted as a tug for
service at Bermuda dockyard; the Swallow and Rocket,
steamers.

At Spithead—The Stromboli steam-sloop, Com-
mander the Right Hon. Lord Amelius Beaucicrk,
awaiting sailing orders.
On the Stocks—The Princess Royal, 90 ; the
Royal Frederick, 110; the Arrogant, 46 ; and the
Plumper, 6.
Wind N.E., moderate breezes, and dark heavy
weather.—Five o'clock, r x.
Cu ATLI A Al, JAN. 21.—The Triton, steam-packet,
is completed; she was finished painting yesterday,
and goes out of dock on Saturday, the 22d inst., when
the Banshee will ba taken in to be coppered and fittEd
for service. It is proposed to make some alterations
forward. Her figure-head is removed.
The Sealark, 10 guns, Commander Monypenny,
was to have sailed on the 24th inst., but, owing to
some alt.-rations required, she will remain some days
longer at this port.
The Hercules,• store-ship, is ready to go out of
dock; her bottom bas been newly coppered, and the
coppering was completed yesterday.
The Hermes, steam-sloop, is completed in every
department, and she is quite ready for being commis-
sioned.

The Goodwill, Pledge master, sailed on the 20th
instant, with stores for the Woolwich and Deptford
yards.
A court-martial has been held on board the Poic-
tiers, ordinary guard-ship, at this port, of which Cap-
tain-Superintendent Price, of the Ganges, was presi-
dent, and Mr. George Essell, solicitor, of Rochester,
deputy judge-advocate, for the trial of Henry Buck-
stad, an able seaman belonging to the Ocean, for
desertion ; and, evidence having been given of a
former desertion against the prisoner, the Court found
him guilty, and sentenced him to twelve weeks im-
prisonment with bard labour, the two last weeks to
be solitary.