The Sun.
London, England, 1868-04-27 00:00:00

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SPIRIT OF THE PUBLIC JOURNALS.

King Theodore, exclaims the Times, is dead. The
captives have been rescued. The British loss was
about ten wounded. The army will return imme-
diately. Never surely in the history of war has there
been an expedition undertaken with such reluctance,
planned with such precision, and perfected with such de-
spatch and completeness as that over the success of which
England will this day rejoice. Sir Robert Napier might
write with Cresar, Veni, Vidi, Vici. But wo cannot boast
of our victory, We could not do other with our well-
trained and gallant soldiers than defeat an Abyssinian
force of untrained men. The special merit of the
Abyssinian campaign was not that it was a victory
over Abyssinians, but a victory over Abyssinia itself.
Nature fought against us, and our science and
our organisation defeated this worst of antagonists.
Is it too much to say that nothing like it has been
attempted, much less accomplished, since Suwar-
row led his forces over the St. Gothard, or are we
too vain in remembering that this wild struggle with the
adverse powers of nature was less protracted than the
lahours of our Abyssinian expedition? Sir Robert Napier
has had to pick out his way and to make his road over
almost every inch of his march. " The army will return
immediately." The simple statement with which Sir
Robert Napier closes his telegraphic despatch announcing
the victory is the best commentary that can be made upon
our motives in entering upon the Abyssinian war. The
speedy withdrawal of the force from Abyssinian territory
will be a complete answer to the insinuations of foreign
critics. The death of Theodore happily relieves us from
all embarrassment in performing what must in any case
have been an inevitable duty. As it is, our mission in
Abyssinia has been completely accomplished.
Thus, then, remarks the Post, is this little war happily
terminated ; the difficulties which at one time appeared
almost insurmountable, and which, in fact, did turn out
to be very great, have only proved sufficient to develope
the energy and and resources of the Commander-in-Chief,
his officers, and men ; and the expedition proves what can
be done by a combination of military skill and indomit-
able perseverance. And although we have had to pay so
heavily, in a pecuniary sense, for the victory achieved,
and although it must be conceded that our enemy was not
of a very formidable character, still we venture to assert,
notwithstanding the temporary break down of the trans-
port train, that the Abyssinian expedition will hereafter
be reckoned as one of the most successful little enterprises
we have ever undertaken, and as one exhibiting in minia-
ture all the features of a scientific, well-planned, and well-
executed war.

The Daily News does not consider Theodore of Abyssinia
such an enemy as Englishmen would care to exult over.
We sought nothing of him but the restoration of the cap-
tives whom he had so long detained, and we sought it in
the most amicable way. Only last year we were sending
him presents, and letters written on showily-painted
vellum. In our desire to avoid war, we went much further
in acts of courtesy to him than it would have been prudent
to do in dealing with a strong European Power. But the
man proved utterly unreasonable. He took a course of
hostility to us, declared he would beat ns or be considered
a woman, and has died fighting rather than yield himself a
prisoner. Our task is accomplished. We march out of a
country without breaking a promise or betraying a friend.
The Herald congratulates the prisoners on their release,
the army which has marched through Abyssinia to their
aid, the chief who has led to it, and the Government which
had the moral courage to undertake an expedition which
was necessary to the prestige of our name, but which it
remained for a Conservative Administration to sanction
and to organise. From first to last the enterprise as far as
we are concerned has been successful. But one cannot
help feeling pity for the poor barbarian king. It is painful
to reflect how much misery, and bloodshed, and even ex-
pense might have been spared, had Lord Russell borne in
mind the very common dogma,that a gentleman ought not
to decline to answer a letter, even though the writer he a
poor barbarian king, and the individual addressed be Earl
Russell, Secretary for Foreign Affairs.
So, says the Standard, the honour of England has been
signally vindicated, and her prestige in the East thoroughly
restored. A lesson has been given to the barbarous princes
of Africa and Asia which will bear its fruits in the in-
creased safety which Englishmen will enjoy in these
countries, and evidence has been furnished which will not
be without its good effects on Europe, that the English
people have not lost their old spirit, and are not so in-
competent to use and direct the material strength they
are admitted to possess, as it is but too commonly supposed.
The Telegraph has its sneer at certain journals who, if
they did not predict the ruin of the enterprise, professed
to foresee that it would be prolonged into a second cam-
paign. Who has forgotten the "guinea worm," the
tsetse, the " pink-headed fly," the impassable defiles, the
savage creatures which were to beset and thwart the pro-
gress of the army ? Who fails to remember the scornful
ridicule with which the plans of Sir Robert Napier were
assailed ? Through good report and ill report, our con-
temporary says, it has steadily maintained that the idea
of an armed embassy of a thousand men was folly; that
the invasion of an unknown country in order to succeed,
must rest on a solid basis ; that Sir Robert would over-
come all difficulties, establish himself firmly on the high-
lands, and strike at iNlagdala with a swiftly moving force
self-dependent and irresistible.
The Star says Sir Robert Napier has justified the
confidence which was placed in him. Indifferent to
the impatience of his critics, he refused to move
until his preparations were complete. Once in motion,
he lost no time in pressing forward. Impediments
there were in plenty, but they were removed or
evaded. Stupidity on the part of some of his sub-
ordinates there was in abundance ; but this was got over
by taking matters into his own hands.
The Times finds it diffiult to speak with calmness of the
attempted murder of the Duke of Edinburgh. The leading
journal wishes that it could believe that this crime was
merely the work of one distempered mind, and that when
the perpetrator had been punished there would be nothing
more to suspect or fear. But it is too much in character
with the general tenour of the conspiracy for us to be con-
tent with any such careless explan:_tion. The Fenians
have shewn that they have all the will to shed blood,
and they have only been defeated in their most formidable
schemes by the watchfulness of the British and Colonial
Governments, and by the faithfulness of those who are in
the employment of the Crown. As this is not the first
murderous attempt that has been made, no one can ven-
ture to predict that it will be the last. The obvious reflec-
tion is that by these acts the conspirators will have lost
their hold over even the most ignorant and impulsive
class, and will be left a mere gang of plotters without
popular support. Such is, indeed, the consolation which
society may find amid these most atrocious doings.

The Post observes that this news shows that nothing is
too wanton and cruel for the Fenian, even though the
crimes they commit are without aim. At this very time
the trial of persons charged with being implicated in the
Clerkenwell explosion, which killed or crippled for life
numbers of the poorest class, is in progress at the Central
Criminal Court. The Prince and Princess of Wales had
scarcely gone on their mission of good-will and concilia-
tion to Ireland when Mr. Featherstonhaugh was shot in
the public highway. The news bad just arrived that Mr.
D'Arcy AVG-ft, one of the most useful and patriotic
statesmen in Canada, had been shot at his own door.
Such incidents as these bring to mind the declaration
stated to have been put forth some time ago from a Fenian
source, that for every Fenian convict executed "the life of
some prominent Englishman should be exacted," and are
of a nature to make us fear that this will turn out after all
'no empty idle boast.

The herald reminds us that some of the English friends
of the Fenians used to speak apologetically of their crimes
a few months since as beinF acts of " quasi-belligerency."
Regarded in this light let It be asked what was proposed
to be gained by the killing of the Queen's second son on
the shores of Port Jackson ? Not even a member of the
Fenian Brotherhood can seriously pretend to believe that
to shoot the Duke of Edinburgh was even a fit sort of
revenge for the alleged wrongs of Ireland.

The Standard notes in connection with the attempted
assassination of the Duke of Edinburgh that it is Fenian-
ism as developed in murder which, by their own declara-
tions, has awakened Lord Russell and Mr. Gladstone to
the necessity of dealing with the Irish Church. What
'greater encouragement could have been given to the spirit
of outrage and rapine? The matter for the Fenian des-
peradoes is nothing harder than this simple calculation :
If the murder in Manchester and the outrage at Merkel:-
well convinced the Liberal leaders and the Liberal party
of the necessity of immediately abolishing the Irish
Church, how many murders, and of what particular
degree of atrocity, will convince, first the leaders and then
_the party of the necessity of recognising the indepen-
dence
of Ireland ? A responsibility which our contem-
porary does not attempt to measure rests upon the chiefs
of the Opposition for their heedless language and their
selfish and dastardly policy.
The Telegraph directs all thoughts with loyal regard and
respect to the illustrious lady whose heart this intelli-
gence must have shaken so greatly. The news was car&
lolly broken to her Majesty by the Duke of Buckingham ;
but it was impossible that she should not be much
agitated. The later tidings, indeed, are at once reassur-
ing, for while they certainly lead us to see how serious
the wound has been, e,
sing nineteen days after its
infliction, Lord Belmore has to inform us that ' the Duke
is still progressing favourably," they distinctly report the
Prince's convalescence. ITer Mijesty will share, we hope,
with all her subjects, the confidence which these words
now inspire— that, beyond doubt, the youthful constitution
of her son, and the store of health which he must have ac-
cumulated on his unheard voyage, must by this date have
gone far to restore his Royal llighuvs from all immediate
effects of the hurt.

The Star confesses that it feels inclined, at least until
fuller tidings are received, to lean to the belief that the
shot fired at the young prince was sped brthe hand of a
lunatic:. Insanity has already been set up as the defence
of the criminal ; and every humane and Christian being
must surely hope that the proofs will sustain that defence.
It would indeed be shocking to believe that Fenianism, or
• any other cause, is capable of exciting in the hearts of
human creatures a passionate and needless hatred, an in-
sensate thirst for crime which could find relief in an at-
tempt to assassinate a youth so wholly free of any connec-
tion with political anunosities of any kind as the Duke of
Edinburgh. -- • •

MR. HOME'S DEFENCE OF SPIRITUALISM.

Under the title of " Spiritual Powers," the Spectator
publishes the arguments by which Mr. Home supports his
position as a spiritualist, and which Will be substantially
his defence in the suit Lyon v. Home, which is now pend-
ing, and has attracted an extraordinary amount of interest.
Mr. Home does not deny the spirit had an influence
over Mrs. Lyon, but only that he produced it. He asserts
that he has no control whatever over the physical pheno-
mena, which, from his earliest youth, has happened in his
presence. He fully believes in the existence of spirits,
good and bad, which can, and do, manifest their presence
to us. Elevert million Americans hold this belief ;
so does the Emperor of Russia. Mr. Home is not
responsible for the mode in which they manifest
themselves ; or if raps on the table or on a
cab seem undignified, that is not his affair, but one
between the spirits and their ruler. Instead of
tba spirits having put Mrs. Lyon under his influence they
put him under her care. Though the command respecVng
the transfer of stock was for his benefit, it was in no sense
procured by him, but was perfectly genuine, and obeyed
by a clear-headed sensible woman, acting with her eyes
open. If the Court of Chancery should not believe in
spiritual agency the court should bear in mind that
Mrs. Lyon did, wholly and independent of Mr.
Home, and this is material to tho issue. As
Mr. Home cannot subpcuna spirits he is deprived
of his most valuable witnesses. Spiritual assistance
it reasonable enough, inasmuch as it may often prove of
great assistance to blind and ignorant mortals in some of
the most serious concerns of life. It would certainly be
useful in a court of justice if only spirits could be sum-
moned effectually, and they would often defeat perjury.
Spiritual detectives might fly off to corroborate anything
said about things and places at a distance, and spiritual
telegrams would come into the hands of counsel, to put
them on the scent of discrepancies and falsehoods. The
Spectator considers it rather strange that Mr. Home's
power as a medium should have ceased as soon as his name
was entered on the books of the Bank of England.