The Sun.
London, England, 1845-08-04 00:00:00

LIE L T.-GEN ER A L NAPIER.

[General Napier, the gallant Gruvernor of Guernsey, has
art Irk s a,l the f.lioxing iateresting letter to the editor of the
It places the character of his chivalrous brother, if
pos,il,le, in a still more striking light than heretofore.—En.
Sun.]

Sir,—ln Galignani's Messenger of the 18th of July I find
the following extract from the Parisian journal called the

Siecle
" In England an event like that of Dahra would not even
have ex,•ited remark. General Napier recently committed
in the war ;•f Silide atrocities which nothing could equal."

[Teen thi Galignani's Messenger observes:—
" Tile charge agairst General Napier does not stand upen
eeee geenel •' true or false, it stands in juxtaposition
with that against Colonel Pelissier."
This intolerable calumny. invented by the Siecle, repeated
and countenanced by Gaiignani, is addressed to the startled
civilisation of Europe to avert its rising indignation at the
barbarity of French warfare in Africa. The atrocities of
Sir kele'rles Napier ! What were they ? Can one be men-
tioned? Let the Siecle state any act of his deviating in
the slightest degree from honour, generosity, or good dis-
cipline ! General Napier never committed, nor suffered
those under his command, to perpetrate any barbarity.
He warred in Sinde, under the orders of his Govern-
ment, and justly ; he was not an aggressor. He
fought two battles and won both. The first, which lasted
four hours and a halt; he won with 2,000 men against 34,000
brave warriors, who did not resign the field until 8,000 of
their numbers had fallen. The second, which lasted above
three hours, he wen with 5,000 men against 26,000, who left
a fifth of their number on the ground to attest their valour.
He has made two campaigns. and for more than two years
he has, governed the country heconquered; andneither in his
campaigns, nor under his government, has a woman or a
chile been killed, oppressed, injured, or insulted. No man
has been killed, save on the field of battle. Even the unmi-
tigated calumniator of the Bombay Times never dared to
assert more than that some officers had seduced the Ameer's
women to live with them; and his mendacious assertion was
instantly met by an indignant denial, published and signed
by every officer of the army. No man of that army had
ever seen one of the wotren.
Gaignani's Messenger desires to have General Napier's
conduct placed in juxtaposition with Colonel P‘lissier's.
Let it i4e so.
The French Colonel, if the French papers are to be be-
lieved, roasted by a blow fire 800 Arab men, women, and
children, together with their cattle, rather than delay, even
for a few daye his march of de7astation against other tribes,
and title is ac, aggressive war on his part.
The English General invaded certain Belooch tribes be-
cause they had descended from their mountains upon Sinde,
cut off some troops, destroyed many villages, and murdered
many men, women, and children. These tribes were not
subjects of the conquered Ameers; no war had been madeon
them, no injury had been done to them, no insult, no prevo•
cation offered to them ; but to repress their aggressions, and
' protect the people under his government, General Napier in-
vaded their mountains. Phis surprising expedition, which
lasted 54 days, prestinted the most formidable difficulties. A
desert a hundred miles wide, arid and desolate as any in
Africa, was to be passed ere the army could reach the nu-
merous tribes, which were to be warred dawn amidst stupen-
dous rocks and barren mountains, where more than one im-
perial army had been destroyed in former days, and where re-
cently many British detachments had been cut off. The
troepe had to dig, day after day, for water, of a deleterious
na' ure wh n procured; they were constantly on half ration;
they had to contend with a numerous and warlike
people. glidieg like serpents around them in craft, and
Lighting like lit e s when beset. The Indiae newspaper ridie
cull the euterprise, and predicted defeat fur the madman
who had it el-rtekert it; the army. officers and soldiers alike,
thooelt brave awl devoted to the last degree, sustaining
evere hard • hip. every privation, every fatigue, and meeting
every 41.inger with matchless patience and courage, had no.
exeeetation of a successful termination to their labours.
The General stieel alone in his hopes ; but when his masterly
combin itions had reduced the tribes (whose power to destroy
his army by fatigue and starvation was represented and be-
lieved by all tit be insurmountable) to the last gasp of misery
and famie,.—that is to say, when. he was on the point 4-,f
resister the fruit:; 4f his indentitable pe:seyerance by their
stir,' ••: e•--I tied Cie folio-wise; passege in his private jeur-
leS , , eee t hi. ,eeratiou, and recording in homely
;., • i> :r in airiest from hour to hour.-
- .• el, (commiesariat) have, to the tune
44, tin ereeisione past eihateuor"—a place
trte, ...te i•I iteserr, tie army being then in mountains as
will eiel srerile as the desert itself -" and I am fairly put to
my trumps. Well, exertion must increase. I will use the
camel corpe"—a fighting corps—" and dismount half my
cavelry to fetch provisions, if need be. I will eat Red Rover
(hi, charger) sooner than flinch before these rubber tribes."
" Feb. 3.—1 knew I was right. I have intelligence that
Bej (the great chief of the tribe) and all his men are at
Minelo, a place 20 miles in advance, dying of hunger; many
expire daily. Ceuta, I will wait. Le: them fast. In four
days the pees will be secured, and then I am at you, Bejar,
and mean to give y,,u a bellytull. Ay, but there are his
women, and be hanged to them ' I must get them and the
children out of the way, even though he escape."
Thae, Sir, you see General Napier was ready to sacrifice
even the f.irest advantages of war, and his own military re-
putation, to save women and children. Colonel Nlissier
roasted them alive by hundreds rather than lose a few days'
time—that is, if the charges against him be net an invention
of t..;e French journalists, which the falseeood of their charge
ageisst my b, other gives me the right to suspect.
W. F. P. NAPIER, Major General.
(suet esey, July 30.

THE LA FE ACCIDLNT ON rilE

,LT I'II- EASTERN RAILWAY.

TUNBRIDGE, FILIDAT —Yesterday afternoon Major-General
Pastel, thy Government Inspector-General of Railways, ar-
eil pec‘at era n, aecompanied by Captain Charlewood,
R.N., 11. e superint, tulent or the line, and Mr. Cuhitt, the
lecom tire enuiheer. to investigate he circumstances attend
ing the lat eriou• c.,,llision at the Penshurvt station. Pre
viou.ly to his ar, iv..., however, he had entered into the inquiry
at the latter s'aion .o as to he fully acquainted of the fact%
conriert• d with the accident, and then left to conclude it at

this ',lace.
The proceedirees occupied several hour., in the course f
whieh the d fferent w itne,ses. who were examined before the
teag strafe at the examination of the engine driver, gave
similar ter irnony. a tull report, of which has already appeared.
During the inquiry the regulations adopted by the Company
2,r the guidance of the guerd and other officers engaged on
the line in their respective duties came under consideration.
anti ae of late many reperts have been circulated condemnatory
of the menagement of this particular line, it is but an act of
justie, to the Company to mention the moat important. instruc:-
tione iha. affect th. safety • f the public :
" The head gear) wid receive his instructions from the
sgetien. clerk who will start the train, and from the moment it
is set in ootion the guard wilt be held responsible for its regu-
larity and safety. It will be his duty exclusively to see that
the carriages are properly coupled, and that the train is pro-
vided with all requisites to ensure protection to the passengers
and their property.
The head guard is responsible for the due placing of
the
signal lamps and ceach lamps on the train, and for a proper
supply te- hand lamps, flags, fog aim di. and spare coupling
eha wi•h each train. it) perteet order fs,r use. The head
guard will always have a red and green flag ,ith his train by
day. and bo h guards w i l have their hand lamps with them,
together with the engine and tail lamps, will be lighted
at sunset or in foggy weather.
Each guard will, in all caves requiring it, on the signal
being given. namely, the tremulous sound of the whistle,
anly the beak to the carriage en which he is riding, and re-
m ,ve it wi the engine man giving one short sound of the
whistle, anti, or, cleArenfiing the incline from the Dartmouth
Arms to the New-ero.. station, invariably apply the break,
with or e tl,e stg•.al being given.
.‘ It, case of any accident ocaurrmg, s i 3,3 to impede the pro-
tyress of a train, Ihe under guard shall be dispatched to the
neare,t station a-t, nof the train to give notice thereof, and
his progrese iheieto shall fix a• a distanc•• t f half a mile from
tee point of otistruetien a red fin by day, or a red light by
night (ill aeltioi ,n to the fug signals), so as to indicate danger
to a comine twin. Measures should also be taken to advise
the clerk at the nearee station a-head of the occurrence.
Shduld the accident occasion the stoppage of both lines of
rail, the head guard will send the stoker or other servant of the
company, and, in the absence or inability of either, then go
himself in advance of the train, to place the signals on the
opposite line of rail to that which the train is en, in the same
order as to distance, as is above and in the tog signals, d'rected
for the under guard, by which precaution both lines of rail will
be protected,
• "f he s.curity and safety of pasaeneert being the chief duty
of the head guard, he shad, in all cases of accident to or
stopping et a tra.n, use his utmost endeavours to secure that
object in ttle first place, and on this account he shall not,
under any pretence whatever, quit the train, unless he be
released therefr,m by his superior officer, or he finds it ne-
cessary himself to p ant the signals in the front or rear of

the train.
Information having been conveyed to the guard of a train
that the tile of raes on which his train is advancing is
bl eked up in front, he is ill on no account attempt to proceed
on the vereeg line i,f rails, unless he has received full authority
for •o thong ; and when travellieg on the wrong line the speed
of the train shall not exceed fifteen miles an hour during the
day time, or in foegy obscure weather, or after sunset, six miles
au hour wit be the ti..ratrrt t.pet-d.
" The guards anti itreaksmrn will make themselves tho-
rouebiy Aettuattorti with the ,hnalv estahlodied on the railway,
end will always h .ve copies ef them in their possession. They
will oleo has order hooks, wnh the various " guards' general
orders." issued by the superintendent, copied into them.
Every guard is to deposit lit/. with the secretary for the honest
and faithful discharge of his duty.
" They Ala Ott no account allow persons to ride on the roefs
of Ihr carriages, neither will they exchange their trains or
duti, wi4l each other without permission from the superin-
tendent
" Any failure in the observance ef, or departure from, these
regulations, will be viseed by fine or dismissal, and the forfei-
ture of the bind to be given in terms above-mentioned.
Each officer is provided with a copy of these regulations,
and on taking office, certifies to receiving them, and binds him-
s. If to observe and obey them, together with any other orders
anti instructions which may from time to time be given him by
his superior officers.
" The witness Smithera, the porter at the Tunbridge station,
and who accompanied Walker, the engine driver, with the
pilot er:gine to overtake the train, stated, it will be remem-
bered, at the magistrate's inquiry, that they could not per-
ceive the train until they had arrived within 20 yards of it.
It was, however, satisfactorily proved beyond all doubt that
the Peoshurst station, where the collision happened, could be
distimely observed for upwards of three-quarters of a mile up
the line.
" Respecting the report that an engine had accompanied the
train from Dover, propelling it at the rear, it was fully ascer-
tained not to be the case, and that the only engines employed
were two in front of the train.
G-nerel P isley, in the course of the investigation, ex-
preseed cunviction that the accident had arsen from the
improper act on the part of the head porter at Tunbridge in
sending the pilot engine to overtake the train; yet he could not
attribute any blame, as that step had been taken for the best
of reasone, to prevent an acc dent. As regarded the conduct
of the engine-driver, Walker, he was of opinion that he had nut
ex .seised that caution which he ought to have persevered in,
n, or. leg that he was clesely following in the wake of a
ete at the same time he was disposed to think that the
sir rier me-t have laboured under some misconeeption as to what
et, he was eenvesing fie further observed that the guard,
se-'i'v, railee in his duty in not obeying his instruetiors,
r.. laving seen that the tail iognal lights were properly adjusted
he ore the train left Tunbrol.:e.
"The Gallant General then took his departure for town, and
it is expected, make his (Awl report of the calamity to
the Board of Trade in a few days.
" Although Mr. Flare, the magistrate of this town, exone-
rated the engine-driver, in dismi•sing the charge against him
for carelessly and negligently cau-ing the collision, the Com-
. pany having considered it to be their bounden duty to dismiss
him from their service; as also Shells, the head guard, who
omitted the most. important part of his dtey, viz., ascertaining
that the signal lights were correctly fixed on the train.
" Sir G. o ge Hayter, and the two other sufferers known to
be: injured, were report, d yesterday to be going on favourably."