The Sun.
London, England, 1842-04-05 00:00:00

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LONDON:
TUESDAY MORNING. APRIL 5, 1842.

The .accounts received by the Overland Mail from
India, will be read with painful interest. A force,
amounting to between 5,000 and 6,000 men, had estab-
lished themselves at Cabool, and remained for some time
in friendly intercourse with the inhabitants. Intrigues,
however, were carried on in secret, and a wide-extended
plot was formed for the destruction of every English-
man and every soldier in the pay of England.
Provisions were stopped, the Natives were com-
pelled to join with the traitorous Chiefs, and the
English forces being reduced to the last extremity,
from want of supplies, agreed to leave the
country, on a guarantee that they Would be allowed
to return without molestation. They had proceeded,
however, only, two or three days' march when they found
they were betrayed ; they were attacked by the parties
who had promised them a safe passage through the
country, and after a desperate struggle, in a climate to
which the majority of the troops were unaccustomed, all
w ere put to death or made prisoners. We have no of-
ficial details of the disaster ; indeed the only report we.
have received is by a private letter from Bombay ; but
taking the circumstances, stated in the letter, into ac-
count, and the numerous communications made
through other channels by the last mail, no doubt can
remain that the expedition has miserably failed, and
that the British arms have met with a reverse, from a
horde of barbarians, which they never sustained from
the best disciplined troops of Europe. We will not
enter into the cause of the war, or the expediency of
sending a. small force to a country at such a distance
from out Indian frontier, but simply call the attention of
the public to our present.position in the East. With
comparatively small forces we are carrying on great
wars in two extremities of Asia ; we have numerous
states, bordering on our territories, ready to take advan-
tage of our circumstances, and a few more defeats would
rouse them to imitate the example of the Affghans, and
set honour and treaties at defiance, to crush our power
in India. Russia, even supposing her agents had no
hand in this foul conspiracy, will rejoice at the result ;
so will the Burmese ; and the Emperor of CHINA will
weep with joy when he hears that the red barbarians
have been slaughtered in the West. We have professed
friends too in Europe, as well as in America, who will
feel no sorrow at our reverses, but, on the contrary, take
' advantage of our position, and endeavour to press forward
their own measures, while they believe England is unable
to resist. They will, however, find themselves mistaken.
England can suffer little from this disaster, if her Go-
vernment are only true to her interests, and conduct
themselves like men. Let them, therefore, bestir them-
selves in time ; no expense should be spared to AN pe off
this foul stain—this treacherous attack on men, who left
Cabool under the faith of a treaty, and were cruelly
massacred in cool blood by 'those who were sworn to
protect them. This country, as WELLINGTON said,
cannot afford to carry on a little war. A great war is
now forced upon us, and if the men in power shrink from
their duty in avenging the insult, we shall have a still
greater war. In order, therefore, to maintain our power
in India, troops must be sent out not only to punish
the Affghans, but to bring the contest with the Chinese