The Sun.
London, England, 1859-12-19 00:00:00

NEIV CALEDONI.4.

The following is the narrative in the Moniteur
alluded to by our Paris correspondent :
Sept. 3, 18,59.—F0r some time past the French
authorities at New Caledonia had felt the greatest
anxiety for the security of our rising establishment
of Kanala. Their chief attention had to be directed
to the protection of the colonists, who were begin-
ning to collect round about Napoleonville, and from
the commencement of July measures had been
taken by Commandant Saisset, the governor, for
confronting the threatening attitude of the inhabit-
ants of Hyenguene, which gave rise to an ex-
tremely dangerous agitation in all directions.
The Hyenguene tribe is the most warlike one
in the country ; it formerly had at its head a
very enterprising chief named Bonaratte, whom
Rear-Admiral Dubouzet saw himself obliged to have
removed, and who is now living at Tahiti. A few
Europeans of the worst description, con victs escaped
from penitentiary colonies, had contended for the
right of succeeding that chief, and had achieved
their design of arming the Ryenguene people, and
inspiring them with the idea of taking the offensive
against us. The necessity of previously finishing
a military post at Napoleonville had caused a delay,
which had only served to increase the confidence of
the tribe, and the insolence of adventurers who had
undertaken to excite it. Things had come to such
a pass, that the tribe threatened to conic and attack
the governor at Kande..
The expeditionary corps was at length able to
start far its destination on the 31st of August, and
landed next day on the enemy's territory. It con-
sisted of barely 160 men. They were divided into
eight detachments. The first two, under the direc-
tion of Commandant Durand, occupied the defiles
of the northern extremity of the Peninsula ; the
other six, under the direction of the governor him-
self, made for the south. They endeavoured to get
the Caledonian masses between two fires. But our
troops were not numerous enough to bar their pas-
sage, far less to surround them, and this first day
was far from being decisive. During the whole of
the night the expeditionary corps was annoyed in
its encampment ; invisible enemies assailed it with
a shower of stones mixed with musket shots, to
which it was impossible to reply efficaciously, and
one soldier was killel by a musket shot fired nearly
pointblank.
On the following day, Sept. 2, the operations
continued on both sides of the river, where our men
burned several villages. At the attack of the first
village Capt. Tricot was mortally wounded, so that
the expeditionary corps the day after it had taken
the field lost one captain and one private, and it
counted areadv 19 wounded. It found itself re-
duced to about 140 men fit for duty, and the resist-
ance of the llyenguenes did not appear to slacken.
However, on the first day, the European chief,
who had been the principal agent of the insurrec-
tion, fell into the hands of one of the French de-
tachments. On the third day we likewise suc-
ceeded in capturing two other whites, his accom-
plices.
The position of these individuals taken with
arms in their hands was very clear ; martial law,
proclaimed at the beginning of the expedition, was
applicable to them in all its rigour. The governor,
appearing however to hope that their capture
would suffice to discourage the revolt, did not
hasten to put a council of war in a capacity to de-
cide upon their fate ; he waited, it seems, to see
discouragement seize the masses thus deprived of
their principal leaders; but he was able to ascer-
tain that the Europeans who .r continued to direct
them
g their
themselves
cause, and
that, re-
solved o w n
to
otr
continue
far
c contrary, fromtr
a r
yt showedhaetbhaenydonli
resistance with the same.-
pa
el
edilt
vigour. During the following days
nysothetheex
tionary corps was kept continuallyby the natives, who stole under shelter of the
thickets to surprise the sentinels. The famous Jack,
who is a European in colour only, more savage than
the Caledonians whose mode of life he has adopted,
and completely naked like them, succeeded in
getting within 30 pacss of the encampment, and
delivering his fire. It was feared the expedition
would require fresh and sterner efforts. The num-
ber of our soldiers was not calculated to intimidate
the multitude of armed men who at every instant
crossed our lines; the indulgence shown by our
commander towards the three arrested individuals
had evidently for its result the encouragement of
the natives, and tended only to prolong a contest
which could not last long without becoming danger-
ous to our troops already so harassed by the opera-
tions of the two first days. Necessity, therefore,
required, and the governor's responsibility was seri-
ously compromised if he hesitated to enforce the ap-
plication of the law. On the Bth of September the
Commandant Saisset convoked the council of war, to
which he presented the articles of accusation. The
guilt of the three prisoners was so notorious, and
the nature of the penalty so distinctly indicated by
that of the crime, that the sentence could not be
doubtful. The Court decreed immediate execution.

tives of the Protestants in the county of Bars to ac-
cept the Imperial patent, but the Assembly, as one
man, declared its resolve to petition his Majesty to
suspend it. To-morrow there is to be a so•called
Districtual Convent in the former " Montan" (min-
ing districts) Superintendency, and it hardly admits
of a doubt that the Assembly will imitate its fellows,
and protest against the Imperial patent. On Mon-
day the German Lutherans residing at Pesth assem-
bled, read the Patent Law from beginning to end
(which consists of 58 long paragraphs), and then
unanimously resolved to decline it, " and to hold
firmly to the Law of 1791,which secures self-govern-
ment to the Protestant Church."

Political and religious agitation go hand in hand
in Hungary, and consequently no one is much sur-
prised to learn that the editor of the lieligio, a paper
published by the St. Stephen's Association, has been
obliged to resign, because he recommended to the
public an organ called Ida; 'tanifja (Witness of the
Times), which is to appear at the new year. It
appears that it will be the business of the Idok
'tanztja, which is advertised as a" Catholic political"
paper, to disturb the good understanding which now
pre rails between the different confessions. The
Roman Catholics and the Protestants in Hungary
have almost always lived in harmony, but some
years ago the Lutherans and Calvinists did not pull
well together. A society of Hungarian ladies in-
tends to present 52 arm-chairs to the National
Museum at Pesth. On each of those chairs,whieh are

to be paced in the state room of the Museum, will be
embroidered the arms of a Hungarian county. It
may be observed that there are 49 counties and 3 se-
separate districts, Jazygien and Great and Little
Cumanien, in Hungary. Some of the ladies residing
in Transylvania intend to imitate the example of their
Hungarian sisters, and, consequently, the Museum
in Klausenburg will soon be in possession of a set
of chairs with the arms of the eight Transylvanian
counties, and of one Hungarian and five Szekler
districts embroidered on them. Until now the Pro-
testants in the 11 Saxon districts in Transylvania,
have displayed no inclination to make common
cause with the Hun,garians, but they are tolerably
sure to do so if complete self-government in reli-
gious matters is not secured to them. The Pro-
testant Assembly at Neutra, which a few days ago
accepted. the Imperial Patent of the Ist September,
was principally composed of Sclaves. It would ap-
pear that the air of Hungary has ceased to agree
with Count Stephen Carolyi, as he has announced
his intention of goity, to Rome for his health. The
Cardinal Primate of Hungary has given the noble
Magyar a certificate, in which it is said that he has
not only never " wounded the feelings" of the
Roman Catholic Church, but has rendered her
valuable services. Count S. Carolyi, who is not in

good odour here just now, was seized by the revo-
luftmary party in 1849, and carried off to the for-
tress of Comcrn, because he was well inclined to the
Imperial Government. About ten days ego you
were told by me that the Archduke Albrecht had
proposed to place Hungary in a state of siege, but
the assurance was yesterday given me that it was
his Imperial Highness who protested against such
an extreme measure.

In-as far as the projected reforms are concerned
the Government appears to be completely paralysed.
Every Austrian statesman seems to feel that it is
necessary to do something for the nation, but un-
fortunately none of them know how to take the
matter in hand. The Cabinet, feeling itself unequal
to the task of reorganising the empire, occupies
itself with matters of inferior moment, such as
press ordinances, &c. It is evident that the Go-
vernment is at a loss how to proceed in Hungary,
but the merest tvro in politics plainly sees what
b ouoht to be done. Let a reasonable share of liberty
be granted to all the Austrian nationalities, and they
will cease to sympathise with the Hungarians, and
to consider them the champions of religious freedom.
Government employes say that the Germans, Bohe-
mians, Croats, &c., feel no sympathy for the Hun-
garians, but they deceive themselves, as they
entirely forget that during the last nine years very
much has been taken from, and nothing given
to, the inhabitants of the empire. During the
years 1848 and 1849 there was a very large "black-
yellow" party in this city, but it would now be diffi-
cult to find 12,000 men on whom Government could
depend in the day of need. In fact, the injudi-
cious measures of the Schwarzenberg.Bach Cabinet,
and of its successors, have sadly blunted the feelings
of loyalty and patriotism in the Viennese.
A milkman at Klosterneuburg, a town in th e
neighbourhood of this city, has been sentenced to
three months' imprisonment for speaking disrespect-
fully of St. Leopold, the patron saint of this pro-
vince. The Lower Austrian free-thinker declared
that the doughty rival of Richard Coeur de Lion
was a robber knight who lived on the top of a high
hill in order that he might be able to see at a dis-
tance the vessels which were coming down the
Danube. "As to the title of saint," said the im-
pious .dealer in milk, " anybody can have it who
has the money to pay for it." The principal wit-
ness against the man was his step-father, with
whom he had long been on a very unfriendly
footing.
Ii is related here that the Prince of Orange is
betrothed to the Archduchess Maria Theresa, one
of the daughters of the Archduke Albrecht, but
the report can hardly be true, as the Prince is a
Protestant and the youthful Princess is a Roman
Catholic.

The steam transport Weser, of 650 horse-power,
purchased in England for 1,500,000 f., to carry stores for the
Chinese expedition, has arrived at Cherbourg-, where she
will take on board her cargo. The Dutch steam-frigate
Van Wasscnaer, Capt. Van Voss, has also arrived at the
same port. This vessel has come to be repaired in one of
the slips at Cherbourg.

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ENGLISH OPERA,
COVEN T -GARDEN.

.w. ~R!

that :as indeed a fitting symbol enough of a des-
potism formed out of the arbitrary binding together
of so many incongruous and thoroughly inharmo-
nious races—ltalians and Germans, Lombards
and Venetians, Croats and Tyrolese, Bohe-
mians and Hungarians ! Distinct races,-speak-
ing different languages, inhabiting contrast-
ing countries, flourishing in various climates,
charaeterised by the most contrary manners and
customs, having different religions ! And, adopting
as we can hardly fail to adopt—THE FASCES as rea-
sonably symbolical of the Austrian Empire thus
rigidly held together by the bonds of a despotic
government, ought we not, as rational observers, to
remember that one of the rods in this FASCES
(I,inibarcly) has very recently been abstracted ?
And that therefore—the bonds are as a matter of
course slackeued—the other rods are held together
mere loosely ! The Viennese Government in truth
has not yet had either time or energy to
draw its bonds more tightly together since the vio-
lent tearing away of its sceptre of authority over
the fair province of Lombardy. So slackened are
the bonds by that sudden and. forcible abstraction
of the rod typical of Lombardy, that another con-
tiguous to it ( Venetia) has been all but falling out
of the Austrian Fasces ever since ! And it is while
affairs are in this terrible plight for Austria that
the diplomatic representatives of the various Powers
of Europe are about to assemble at Paris to deliberate
over the political future of the various states and
duchies, kingdoms and principalities, of the Italian
peninsula. It requires but a small faculty for
vaticination to predict that, in all human likeli-
hood, scarcely will the Paris Congress have termi-
nated its labours—scarcely will the Italians in some
form or another [GOD grant it be the best !] have
been bound together by some plan securing to them
at last [let us hope to the fullest extent in every
way practicable] the priceless boon of independence
—scarcely shall that have been accomplished when
the Austrian Empire must fall to pieces at last !
The bonds now loosened must be definitively
severed ! The rods of that imperial fasces
of Austria surrounding the tyrannous axe of the
Hapsburg dynasty—rods less closely allied since
the abstraction of Lombardy—must inevitably fall
apart ! Then, but not till then, the permanent
pacification of Europe may, in some respects, be
regarded as a possibility. For then, but certainly
not till then, the true Balance of Power may be
attained—that true balance of power which may
be expressed in two words as the Balance of In-
dependent Nationalities.

Scarcely have we finished writing the foregoing
when there arrives at mid-day further tidings from
Vienna, via Paris, ominous of additional disasters
hastening upon the shaken and shaking
fabric of the Austrian Government. The in-
telligence received for a long time past from
Hungary has been of a very threatening
character, insomuch that that alone was of
itself sufficient to demonstrate the absurdity
of the assertions made in some quarters to the
effect that the councils of Vienna had resolved
upon an enormous diminution, almost a disband-
ment of the Austrian army. According to these
intimations we were told to believe that, in the
course of " the last Cabinet Couucil at Vienna,
presided over by the Emperor, it was resolved
that in the next budget a reduction of thirty-
eight millions of florins shall be made in the
expenses of the War Department." Yet we
learnt almost simultaneously that, " According to
information from Hungary, the political agitation
in that quarter of the Austrian empire is augment-
ing daily." It being further added, "The Govern-
ment of Vienna has given up all idea of reconcilia-
tion, and is employing military law and political
persecution against all who dare to speak of
nationality." And now about 2 p.m. to-day
we learn through communications just received
from the French capital that " We have further
accounts of political agitation in Hungary." It
being further observed, " The police have invaded
several houses at Comoro and made many ar-
rests." And finally, " The sth Corps of the Aus-
trian army, now in Italy, has received orders
to march for Hungary immediately." Does this
accord, we ask, with those inconceivable rumours
about the military reduction determined upon by
the Austrian Government ? And does it not justify
to the full every syllable we have but just now
penned as to the probably speedy, the certainly
inevitable disruption, sooner or later, of the Empire
so long misgoveaned by the princes of the House
of HAPSBURG, the weak descendants of that daring
ItuDoLrir, the first of this Imperial line of Rob-
ber Adventurers?

Few, we imagine, of our readers did not read
with painful yet thrilling interest the story of
" Captain BROWN'S" execution. It was not an
everyday event, for BROWN was not an everyda
man, nor his cause an everyday cause. His was
one of those souls, of which, be the rank of
social life what it may, all countries are proud.
The days have passed away, thanks to MACAULAY
and CARLYLE, when our Puritan heroes, misunder-
stood because they talked in the language of the
Book of which they firmly believed every syllable
to have been written by the finger of GOD, and
because their theology emboldened them to deeds
which astcnished their adversaries, can be traduced
with impunity any longer. We understand the
men now far better than did the Cavaliers and the
courtly writers of CHARLES IL's age ; and, what-
ever we may think of their theological views, we
do not fail to admire the noble faith in them which
made them at least men of unselfish principle, and
men of unsurpassed daring. They walked the
world and the field of battle as God-commissioned
men. We may doubt the commission, but we can
glory in men whom nothing could bend from the
fulfilment of the charge they believed to be given
them.

And one of this stamp was "old JOHN BROWN"
—the language of his letter, which appeared in
The Sun of Friday, and his whole bearing just
before and at his execution, as seen in the
accounts from the American papers in The Sun
of Saturday, all harmonise with what is now
known of his previous life, and his con-
duct at his trial. There is the same
tone throughout. One might fancy him a captain
in CROMWELL'S Ironsides, or one of the Scotch Co-
venanters, who shed their blood for the liberties of
posterity, and who won them for posterity too.
BROWN, like them, died in the faith that his attempt
—its ill success, and his own death, were all equally
parts of a plan arranged by Heaven, which should
result in the liberation of the slave. And it is yet to
be seen whether he is wrong. The blood of such
men has seldom been shed altogether in vain.
The civil or religious libertiei they have died for,
kindled in them a sentiment which could not be
extinguished with their lives. BROWN'S belief in
his commission might be a pure imagination, the
imagination, however, of a mind which had 'gazed
on right for the slave till to him it became a living
reality; but, assuredly the commission has been
issued from Heaven which will yet be executed
against the bloodthirsty slaveholders, kidnappers,
and manstealers of Virginia and the south, "and