The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1842-05-06 00:00:00

A.FFGHANISTAN

It is scarcely possible to remove the mist which prejudices
and party madness have already thrown around the accounts
received from Cabul and its neighbourhood, since the disas-
trous retreat in the beginning of January.

The Bombay Times; in its overland despatch, paints every
thing in most gloomy colours, although there is not sufficient
reason for such clamour and horrifying statements. The
truth of the affair is now breaking out, and the disasters of
Cabul and of the mountain passes appear attributable to dis-
united councils in the British camp, and to the total ineffici-
ency of the military leaders. A private letter from Sir W.
H. Macnaghten to his friend the Hon. Mr. Erskine, dated
Cabul, the 9th of December, 1841, has been published by the
Friend of India. It is as follows, and speaks fearful tales
`• We have now been besieged 38 days by a contemptible
enemy, whom the cowardice of our troops and certain other
circumstances, which I will not mention, have emboldened
to assume an attitude of superiority. Our provisions will be
out in two or three days more, and the military authorities
have strongly urged me to capitulate. This I will not do
till the last moment. We have rumours that a force is com-
ing to our assistance from Candahar, and 1 sincerely trust it
may, for we have no energy or spirit among those here."
A letter, dated the 30th of January last, has arrived from
Major Pottinger, from which it appears that " General El-
phinstone, at the time after -the murder of Sir W. H. Mac-
naghten when the evacuation of Cabul and its neighbourhood
was under discussion in the British cantonments, was so ill
from gout and a wound, that all active measures had devolved
on Brigadier Shelton ; that Major Pottinger proposed march-
ing from the cantonment to the Bala Hissar, or evacuating
Cabul, with the sacrifice of their baggage, and fighting their
way to the nearest British station. Brigadier Shelton de-
clared the first proposition impracticable, and the council of
war would not agree to the second ; consequently General
Elphinstone acquiesced in the vote of the council of war,
which was for the disastrous course adopted."
Thus, instead of regarding the disasters of Cabul as a proof
of Affghan prowess, they must be looked upon as demon-
strations of the incapacity of the British generals. This
view is corroborated by the fact of Shah Soojah being ena-
bled still to maintain himself in the Bala Hissar • and by the
gallant defence of Jellalabad by Sir Robert Sale, where he,
notwithstanding every difficulty, has maintained his position
since last October. General Nott is still master at Candahar
and its environs, from whence the Affghans have not been
able to expel him. The fact seems therefore clear, that if
the British troops had been well commanded at Cabul, nei-
ther the evacuation of that place nor the wretched retreat
would have been necessary, and then the fatalities of that
miserable proceeding would have been spared.
Sir Robert Sale was safe in Jellalabad up to the 4th of last
month ; he had secured provisions for himself and his troops,
and was determined to resist to the last. An earthquake on
the 19th of February had done great damage to the fortifica-
tions and buildings of the town, but the resolution of the
general and his troops had not only repaired the damage,
but routed a party of Aflghans under Akhbar Khan, who
endeavoured to profit of the occasion, and to attack the Bri-
tish position.

The troops sent to the relief of Jellalabad have met with
various discouragements. The want of cannon caused the
failure of Colonel Wilde's movement into the Khyber Pass.
Great sickness, but luckily no heavy mortality, attacked
those that arrived near Peshawar before General Pollock.
The attempt made to buy over the Khyberrees did not suc-
ceed, although a quarrel had taken place between two of their
tribes about the spoil they had previously acquired. On the
25th of February General Pollock issued an order for a march
into the Khyber Pass, in order to relieve Jellalabad. This
order is described as giving dissatisfaction to several of the
officers, inasmuch as it limited the quantity of baggage they
were allowed to carry. It has, it appears, been since found,
that as Jellalabad was not in immediate danger, it would be
best to await the arrival of the 3d Dragoons before the attempt
was made on the Khyber Pass. The Hindoo soldiers, inde_
pendent of their dislike to cross the Indus, entertain a strong
aversion to the barbarity and treachery of the Affghans.
The brigade from Ferozpore, under the command of Bri-
gadier White, was on the banks of the Chenaub on the 9th
of March, and expected to cross the Jeelmn on the 12th or
every faci-
lity 13th, and would, therefore, reach Peshawar in the bepgaisns:geg..
of this month. The force under General Pollock would then
is even said
-and Aff hans.
Thehe
s respectable,iekh s
oo n andti
oo e fullyto
aff
oc
radp
taob ltehpeeorfa
tee Britishffw e
ictthti
troops
teePtlal Pollock
lity in passing through their territories, and
thatt n a
tat
a e strongki n g btohdey isK ;readyyher
Khyberrees
however, been some desertions from theg Sepoy regiments. The letters from the prisoners in the hands of the ThereA Anglian
have,
!vs! na
igc n e s s wants.
odulee stAinffgghmanonleeaydletros ries-,
chiefs are ver short, nd a generally re
lieAvenvoathrieorupsroy
ofetfheefirtphree
that Colonel Palmer has been able
detachment, to maintain himself with his small and feeble
months, from the beginning of
November.in Ghuznee during four
The last intelligence from c
10th of
March. All was safe there. Thereandahar is to the 1 _ . „...
ghans within .twenty was a large body fmi
miles of that city ; but their leader,
Sufter Jung, a son of Shah S o
tre with the British o ja, appeared to dread a rencon-
troops. There were upwards 0f7,000
troops in Candahar and a reinforcement of 2,500, with
money and ammunition has been sent to General Nott from
Sukkur. Khelat y Ghilzie was, with its garrison of 1,000
men, all safe, although it is situate 80 miles from Candahar.
The decision of Lord Ellenborough being now taken to up-
hold the reputation of the British troop v‘ils in Affghanistan, ore
may hope that in a short time the relief of Jellalabad •ll
open the campaign with a brilliant exploit.
prevails • the
In Khelat and Scinde apparent tranq
begun uility I) ,
inhabitants have already to know the benefit of the
British rule, in the security of their persons and properties.

INDIA.
has inflied
The departure of Lord Auckland has taken place.
the Madras S
Vari.
inofthose districts.
ous addresses, proving how much his Lordship was appreci-
ated at Calcutta, were presented to him. Lord Ellenborough,
likely
oppressor, t
who reached Calcutta on the 28th of Februar
new spirit into the preparations for. the reinforcernents to
China by his going on board to examine the transports.
e there hasy been some alarm
goys The
have disturbancesterminated, caused
and
dd
allby i!shteramnugtui
att the
There are symptons of confus►on beingbreak out
at Oude, where the old King is acting the
io instigationthe soloallf a craftystate o
of
ijnoi sdtpeorr.
created, but it is not likely to produce any important results.

BIRMAH.
I:awaddie having left Rangoon, all is quiet there. He
and„.badred to Tharawa, where the Court stopped some time,
The ordered 60 of those who had accompanied
ngoon, but whom he convicted of robbery, to be b him to
beheaded.

...Emi.ZNi..,...

DISAPPEARANCE OF THE BODY OF A MURDERER.—Wa
understand that the body of the man Cook, of Bitton, who
committed murder and suicide, and whose interment, owing
to the peculiar nature of the verdict of the coroner's jury,
could not take place Without permission of the judges, was
secretly removed at night from his late residence, and con-
veyed no one knows where, or by whom, or for what purpose.
That the door was fourid open in the morning, and the body
gone, is all that the neighbours know about the matter.—
Bristol Times.