The Sun.
London, England, 1842-09-05 00:00:00

*rtonbEttition

SUN OFFICE Three o'Cloch.

The conduct of Lord ELLENBOBOUGII, with respect
to the war in Affghanistan, is severely criticised in
nearly all the Indian journals received by the Over-
land Mail. Letters from Jellalabad of the Ist of June,
published in the Bombay Times, the sole advocate of
his Lordship's policy, state positively that General
PocEocx had received an order recalling the whole
of the British troops from Affghanistan, which he
suppressed, determined to risk the responsi-
bility of waiting for instructions from England.
The writer of a letter of the 29th of May, from the
" Camp, Jellalabad," says :—" It is currently believed
in camp that the General (PoLcocK) has received an
intimation from the Governor-General, that the war
in Affghanistan is not to be prosecuted any further;
and it is said instructions have been received directing
PoLEocR to retire immediately ; to which we hear
that he has written in reply that he hesitates
to obey them for three reasons :-Ist, the want of
water on the road ; second, the impracticability of
crowning the heights at that season of the year, in
the event of his meeting with any opposition ; and,
third, the impossibility of his returning without suffi-
cient carriage for the conveyance of his stores and
baggage." In another letter, from an officer in the
camp at Jellalabad, dated the Ist of June, we
find the following :—" The disgraceful order has
arrived. General Porxocx is ordered to re-
turn with his army to India, and thus has
ended the war in Affghanistan. They would
have gone to war with America if one man had been
hung; in Affghanistan thirteen thousand men and
women are cruelly butchered, and the affront is
swallowed. The troops are dreadfully disgusted ; all
wanted to go to Caubul to pay off old scores, and then
retire, if you please." General PoLEocii, how-
ever, refused to peril the lives of his troops,
and the rumour went that before his refusal had
reached the General-in-Chief, the plan of an expedi-
tion for the conquest of Affghanistan, drawn up by
the Duke of WELLINGTON, had arrived in Cal-
cutta, with instructions from the Govern-
ment at home to prosecute the war with
vigour. Immediately the order sent to PoEcocK was
countermanded, and something alleged about the
blunders of Sir JASPER Nicola., who misunderstood
the instructions of the Governor-General. In fact, a
series of blunders had been committed somewhere,
which produced the very worst effect upon the minds
of the officers and men in garrison at Jellalabad and
Candahar.

The evacuation of Khelat-i-Ghilzie, by command
of General NOTT, was likewise much condemned by
the India papers. The dismantling and abandoning
of works only commenced seven months before, and
which, when completed, would have presented the
strongest fort of Western Afghanistan, had greatly
disheartened the troops at Candahar, who regarded it
as a symptom of acknowledged weakness and danger.
This fort was a place of great natural strength ; had
an ample supply of excellent water, and was in the
midst of a highly cultivated country abounding in
provisions. Being only 80 miles from Candahar, 150
from Ghuznee, and 227 from Quettah, it formed an
excellent central base for operations against Eastern
Affghanistan. Had General NOTT been apprehensive
of danger from the enemy, the abandoning Khelat-i-
Ghilzie would have excited less surprise. But at
the time he sent Colonel WYMER to execute
that measure which he accomplished and
returned with the garrison to the camp of Candahar,
on the 6th of June—NoTT's force was upwards of
11,000 strong, with 24 pieces of artillery and nume-
rous mortars. Besides other supplies he had also re-
ceived a supply of seven thousand camels to convey
the baggage, and twenty- lacs of rupees. He was,
therefore, in a condition to move in whatever direc-
tion he pleased, and to maintain the garrison at Khe-
lat-i-Ghilzie. Our own impression, however, is,
that Norr received the order of recal from the
Governor-General about the same time as PoL-
Locx, and that he prepared to obey it. His
evacuaticn of Ghilzie was, therefore, but a pre-
paratory step to his march towards the Indus. In
oo other way can we account for the evacuation of
one of the strongest, best supplied, and most easily
retained fortresses in Affghanistan. Altogether there
is something ominously mysterious about the whole
designs of our Government with respect to the
Afghan war.

The disturbances which prevailed in the manufac-
turing districts have, we are happy to say, almost en-
tirely ceased, and the working people in general have
returned to their several occupations. Manchester
continues, on the whole, in a satisfactory state, though
the power-loom weavers still remain out, owing to a
disagreement between them and the masters as to
prices. At Birmingham, a better spirit manifests
itself among the workmen, and from Rochdale,
Preston, Wigan, and Disley, the accounts are equally
favourable, the mills generally being in full operation.
As the necessary consequence of a month's cessation
from labour, there is an increased demand for goods,
And trade and commerce are gradually improving,
though slowly, in the port of London, as well as
at the principal outports. These results must afford
satisfaction to all parties, and we confidently trust
that both masters and men will see the advantages of
cordial union and, by due forbearance, and avoiding all
clues of offence on both sides, prevent for the future
tse recurrence of such painful and mischievous out-
breaks. The Government, too, are interested in these
unfortunate disputes, and if they act wisely, and
have a sincere desire to conciliate men who have
borne their sufferings with such meritorious patience,
they will be lenient to their offences. It is highly
creditable to the people, considering the vast
number thrown out of employment, and the starv-
ing condition of thousands, that so little seri-
ous damage has been done to property. This
circumstance requires some acknowledgement, and
it would therefore be an act of policy as well as
of justice on the part of her MAJESTY'S advisers, to
conciliate the sufferers, by leaning to the side of mercy,
and showing them that they are actuated by no
spirit of revenge,
but by a paternal regard fur the
best interests of the people themselves.

There is a considerable deal of miscellaneous news
in the French journals of Friday and Saturday re-
ceived this morning. For the more interesting details,
we refer to our Foreign Summary. The following
extract from a letter in the Conqitutionnel, dated the
26th ult. from Berlin, is well worthy of attention.
We apprehend that we are nearer another Revolution
in Russia than most people in this country imagine:--=
There has been
Petersburgh. The history of the silver chair was a
no explosion or disturbance at St•
pure invention, but it is true enough that several regi-
ments of the Guards,
in garrison at St. Petersburgh,
were tampered with by the disaffected. Money was
distributed, and pretty considerable sums were found
and men.
on officers, sergeants, The secret police of the
Emperor, under the command of General Benkendorf,
received information from the conspirators them-
selves, and to the disclosures thus made, we must
attribute the terrible duel between the Princes Dol-
gorucki and Jasc
hwyl
seconds, and in which the which took place without
former was left dead on the
spot from his adversary's ball. In fact, the conspi-
racy failed completely ; the well-inclined regiments
were informed of what was going on ; the people of
St. Petersburgh meanwhile remained completely
neuter, or rather fascinated by the ascendancy of the
Emperor, so that the conspiracy was purely confined
to the military and the nobility. If you desire to
know what was the aim of this movement, I think I
am able to inform you that the life of the Emperor
was in danger, and that the intention was to proclaim
the young Grand Duke .Mexander, now 22 years of age,
and to form for him
a sort of Council of Regency to
direct his affairs, whilst the young Prince would only
reign in form. The danger has been avervd_Tfor the
moment, but the position of the Emperor IVicholas
remains exceedingly critical, having, on one side, a
disaffected nobility,
and, on the other, Poland held
subjection, and Germany tired of the Muscovite
Caucasus, which annoys in in-
fluence, and slipping-
away ,completely from the Rus-
sian alliance. Add to this the unfortunate war in the
no small degree the na-
tional pride, and that ambition which desires to plant
the Russian flag at Constantinople, and you will have
a tolerable idea of the actual state of the colossal Em-
pire of All the Russias."
There are reports of a widening of the breach
between the Emperor of RUSSIA and the King of
PRUSSIA, in consequence of the refusal of the former
to mitigate the tyranny exercised against the Poles.
" A letter from Alexandria, dated 22d August, and A