The Sun.
London, England, 1846-07-13 00:00:00

distance to march being about five miles, and which was
done within an hour and a half, consequently reaching the
spot on which they halted about four o'clock r.m. This point
is a round hill, abutting in a fine open ridge, sprinkled with
low thorn bushes, being upon the whole a very favourable
position for the movements of cavalry. The detachment of
the 91st had been directed to make a little detour, and one
of the guns was halted about a mile in the rear. On reach-
ing the top of the ridge the Kaffirs were seen in great force
along the opposite valley, in which is situated the Missionary
Institution, called the Beka Station. The enemy, on seeing
our troops on the height, instead of retreating, with unparal-
leled audacity made a signal by waving a kaross, when in-
stantly, in the face of the troops, the village or station was
tired. They then moved boldly forward in the high road,
and advanced in force to confront them. In the meantime,
however, the gun had got into position, and a few
shells were thrown, the first three doing no execution, but
the latter, fired by Lieutenant Hill, killing, it is said, some
twenty or thirty Kaffirs. Nothing daunted by this the
enemy moved steadily forward along the high road. On see-
ing this Lieutenunt Colonel Richardson, instead of dashing
forward, ordered the bugle to sound a retreat, and without
firing a carbine, the troops were actually wheeled round, and
retired at a brisk pace to Port Peddie I So peremptory
was this order to retreat, that time was not given for the
discharge of the field piece, though actually shotted, and
though, as affirmed, tile officer in charge of it entreated he
might be permitted to tire. The civilians were anxious, and
also the Cape Corps, to engage the enemy, and it now
remains for the officer commanding this force to show
wherefore he withdrew to the shelter of a fort, when so
favourable an opportunity was presented for crippling,
or, as Colonel Hare would say, for "striking a heavy blow"
!pots the enemy. We call for inquiry into this affair—for
rigid, smelting inquiry. The facts, as we have stated them,
are, as we are reluetautiy compelled to believe, after the Most
careful inquiry, substantially correct ; and if this be so, then
in what a painful position does it place those on whom rests
the responsibility of this retrograde movement. Lay bare
the strong points of the case and they are these :—A body of
about 200 British troops,_ chiefly cavalry, with two field-
pieces—with 300 armed Fingoes in their immediate vicinity,
and who had single-handed maintained a long engagement
xvith the eremv. with the strongest fortress on the
frontier only live miles in the rear, and a body of
live hundred more Fingoes immediately at hand,
the road perfectly unobstructed ; and vet, despite of
all these favourable circumstances, a strong body of cavalry,
well mounted, and whose bounden duty it is to defend this
part of the Queen's dominions, retired before a horde of
savages, and that at the very moment they were about to
rush into and lay waste the colony. We repeat that in all
its circumstances this is one of the most deplorable affairs we
have yet had to record, as well as one of the severest blows
the colony at this eventful crisis has yet received. That
such is the fact is seen by the subsequent proceedings of the
very savages, before whom this body of British
troops were made thus to retire. The Kaffir's,

it is said, immediately dispatched messages to
the neighbouring chiefs, boasting they had driven
the Dragoons before them with so much precipitation
that they rode one upon another, and had even killed their
(logs in their hurry to escape. The public look to Sir Pere-
grine Maitland, as he values the lives cf the inhabitants of
this frontier, which are LOW in imminent peril, to deal with
this affair upon ite own merits.
We shall not attempt to make conjecture in order to ac-
count for this extraordinary forbearance towards the enemy.
We have had it intimated to us that Lieutenant-Colonel
Richardson, in thus retreating, only acted in accordance with
the peremptory orders received by him from Lieut.-Colonel
Linasay, 91st. Regiment.

IRELAND.
THE ORANGE ANNIVERSARIES.
DUBLIN, JULY 10.—The •
preparations to commemorate
the approaching anniversary of the battle of Aughrim appears
to be general in the province of Ulster, and serious a,pre-
hensions of disturbance are entertained the peaceably dis-
posed inhabitants of the north—Protestant as well as Roman
Cathslic. The evil tendency of these political gatherings
was forcibly depicted by Mr. Justice Crampton •
, opening
the commission at Armagh on Wednesday last.
" Thera is on the calendars," observedhis Lordship. " one
case upon which I think it right to offer you some observe-
thins. It has oceurred during the course of the past month.
It is a ca-e of riot, in which a considerable number of persons
are implicated. It is a riot which, I fear, has grown out of
Party spirit. and, indeed, perhaps I might say, out of what
is often called religious differences; although I must say
that I much doubt the prop: iety of the application, and that
I think they would be more appropriately termed anti-
Christian disputes, because I believe it is not, it can-
not be, from the root of religion that such bitter fruits arise.
It is not in the nature of things that such should be the
case. The spirit of the Christian religion, which we all in
common profess, would, on the other hand, inculcate peace
and brotherly love in all and towards all. We may, no
doubt,
in discharging the god offices which come in our
way, prefer t hose who are members of household of
our own
faith, and to whom we are
bound by sympathy • bnt we
should recollect, also, the precept of Him, whom m
ac-
knowledge as our Head and our aster, 'to do unto e allal
men
as we would wish they should do unto us;' and that this
spirit is within us it should be our aim to demonstrate as
much as possible. We should strive to restrain ourselve.,
and others, from all demonstrations of a different spirit.
The species of party demonstrations, to which I have re-
ferred, are essentially selfish. They are entirely selfish,
inasmuch as they do not spring from love, they do not
lead to love, they are of the spirit of evil ; they tend
only to opposition, and to the creation of dissension, to
strife, to bloodshed, and to murder. Ido sincerely trust, that
the peasantry of this country, and the artisans, may feel the
propriety of acting on the advice of those gentlemen who
should exercise the leadership over them, who reside among
them, and who ever prove themselves their best friends
protectors, and that they will open their eyes to the absur-
dity as well as the sinfulness of such preposterous practices.
I trust they will abstain from every species of party proces-
sions, or displays calculated to excite opposition. If there be
past events, either of a religious or of a secular nature, the
anniversaries of which may seem to some to be fit subjects for
celebration, in the way of joy and merriment, let them be ce-
lebrated as it becomes loyal subjects and as becomes Christian
men—men desirous to observe and respect the law of the land,
and that Christian law which all of us profess to follow end to
obey. Formy own part I would earnestly inculcate on all, that
they should abstain upon this, as upon all occasions, from any

public or irritating dis.'play of their' particular opinions, doC-
triness, and sentiments, calculated to excite aiiiino.-..ity, or to
lead to breaches of the. peace. I would call upon all to
abstain from every manner of provoking or insulting lan-
guage to their neighbours, and from the exhibition of all
partyrw sYnahols and party badges of every description ; to put
fo
to make d nothing having the name of party attached to it, and
it their rule of life to give offence to none. lam
convinced, that, it the people of this country knew their own
interests, and consulted them, they would attend to these
the humble individual
irun
admonitions,
they adhk-red to as they are, in the spirit of peace, by
land, and the Christ'
their
who now offers them ; and that, if
loyalty, and respected the law of the
law, it would do more to preserve the
peace of the country, to promote its happiness and its pros-
perity, than would even nu
the most stringent laws whicmh
erous regiments of soldiers, or
that these observations are note3uld he devised. It may be
in
case to which I just now referred Place, as far as regards the
; but, whether or not, it
may not be amiss to impress on the
the peasantry, and upon all classes, tTeTiF.rates, the gentry,
this, because I have heard of threateningrsyl.ng importance. I say
been made,
of getting up some manifestations of the kind; and I will
only say, to such as threaten to join in them, that
should not do so, that they are unbecoming, that'
they
they
e
unmanly ; it is not for me to say now that they are illegal,
are
but they are unconstitutional in spirit and also unchristian
On the other hand, the man must, indeed, act absurdly, he.
must be weak, he must be mad, who _could be tempted to
join in them, after ail the lessons which have been written,
in bl.,0(1, in the history of the country. But, absurd and
foolish as such a man must be, there is equal folly and mad-
ness, and wickedness displayed by any * one who would
attempt to offer him opposition."

MANCHESTER ATHENEUM SOIREE.—The Right Hon.
Lalot. Sheit, Esi , M.P., has accepted the invitation of the
dirtetoz to be present at the an:9144 fir 4
•••• •