New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1879-07-14


which the Court had thus set the fashion. was pune
tualy performed by great numbers of those who bask
in court sunshine Day after day the fashionable or
gans publish long lists of these pous travellers; and
the greatest names Of the English Peerage figure
among them. In Parliament not day passes with
ont some ausiOn to what is called the Tragedy in
South Africa. The Prime Minister led the way;
other Ministers toll after him, and ruck of pohti-
cal celebrities and political nOnentities swell the
chorus of question, OF complaint, of grief and ndg-
nation that so precious life should have been, as
they term It, sacrificed.
Needlessly and cruelty sacrificed, said Lord Bea-
consiield He said it before he could know the
facts but his judgment those responsible for
the Princes death was probably correct Lord
Chelmsford. whose mil tary DEFICIENCIES are many,
but who has a talent for shifting blame of his own
shoulders, made haste to declare IN his
first bulletin that the Prince had not
been ordered into danger by him. The Duke of
Cambria e, on the first meeting of the House of
Lords, showed himself equally eager to escape the
responsibility Of having encouraged the Prince TO
60. The letters which he read from himself TO Sir
Bartle Frero AMI Lord Chelmsford proved clearly
enough that he had declined TO give him any official
position, and that he had warned Lord Chelmsford
to keep him out of mischief If be could. Military
ters and not a few of them say that the Duke,
Commander-in-chief, was bound either TO withhold
his permission altogether, or to assign the lad some
definite place in the force he allowed 70 Join.
As the Duke did neither, they do not acquit hun of
all blame, nor the Government either.
These. to be sure, are distractions and technica-
ties to which the British public, looking eagerly
about for "a burnt-of'crng. pay little heed. The
British public bames first, but i'll minor degree,
Lord Chelmsford, whom they look upon as having
been, by virtue of his supreme command in Natal,
dry-nurSc to this adventurous Prince. They think IT
was his duty to have kept him in leading strings
But as Lord Chelmsford's sins are, after all, some
what indirect, il is the unhappy Lieutenant Carey
on whom the full weight Of the general anger falls
In the Army there may be two opinions about his
guilt; outside of the Army hardly two. Yester-
days papers brought pretty full reports OF the
testimony of the survivors of the expedition and it
may be said that they curously and completely
confirm the opinion on which the public had fast
ened with almost no evidence at all. The military
view last week was that the Prince was out with a
patrol, and that when his companions fed at the
first fire aud left HIM to his fate, they were only
obeying that well-knownrue of war which enjons
upon a patrol or recommending party to fly rather
than fight its first duty being to bring intelligence
TO the camp. This view is a good enough view, the
oreticaIly but it has nothing 10 do with this
The Princes party was not patrol. 1t is now GER
tain that the Prince himself originated the eXpedi
ton. lie went to Zululand in search of mill
tary fame. lie was hgh-spirited aud venture
some He took it into his head to make
an excursion into the enemy's country. He Overcame
the opposition Of Assistant Quartermaster-Genera
Harrison Cwho because he let the boy have his way,
is now bitterly attacked,) and obtained pretext
and an escort. The protext was the finding site
for a camp; the escort consisted OF Lieutenant
Carey a regular officer six mounted men of Major
Bettington's force and six BasutOs as scouts. The
latter never turned up and the party went without
them. Harrison told Carey not to interfere with
the Prince in any way, but to let him have the full
credit of choosing the camp. The Prince, in plain
words, was to do little more playing at war; to
earn little cheap glory, and Carey and his six men
were with him for other purpose in the world but
to see him safely through bis lark.
1t was the Prince who was in commando it was
he who gave all the orders that were given on that
day. Neither he nor anybody else seems to have
taken the matter seriously. No Zulus supposed
10 be about, says survivor After a long ride they
dismounted in a deserted kraal and oh-saddled.
No scout or picket was thrown out-no more precau-
ton taken than if they had been campaigning about
Woolwich. On three sides of the kraal was high
grass or maize. If the boy was learning his
trade as a soldier. he had the elements OF
il vet to learn; and he was doomed to add
one more to the catalogue of disgraceful surprises
of which the British campaign in Zululand has thus
far been made up. After hours rest, the horses
had been resadded and the order Prepare to mount
given by the Prince, when there came yolley out
Of the maize not twenty yards off. Lieutenant
Carey and five troopers got to their saddles and
bolted. One of them was shot as he fled One other
who could not reach his horse was killed near hut
The Prince tried to mount, but his horse was
frightened and FESTIVE. The saddle-ap-cr holster.
for accounts dfer-tO which the Prince chung as ne
tried TO spring up, tore away. He on
foot for some distance, was speedily over
taken and his body was found next day
with nineteen assegai wounds, all In front
One is not sorry to hear that when he knew
escape was hopeless, the bgaye boy faced his enc
mics. and so died. Lieutenant Carey and the four
unbarmed troopers galloped off the field at speed.
Carey never looked to see whether the Prince was
with him or not. Two troopers saw HIM vaInly
irving TO mount but ne thor drew rein 10 help NM
no wonder that the British press ana pubIc wax
indignant over this sorry tale Of shameful desert!On
II seems probable that II there had been one cool
brave man among the Princes escort he Would nave
bnen so we'd 1t needed only hand at ms horses
head for a second. Bat It Is the O.d story
nothing Is SO cruel as fear. lhey Knew
thev were leaving the Prince to certain death,
bnt not one of the five would lessen his own chance
of safety by one seconds delay to save the lad they
were there to protect. Prince OF pebelan care not;
fine blood boils at their c0wardce. The British Ma
ron does well to be angry. Not pang of anger or
modification can be spared them. 10 DO them JUS
flee they are perfectly sensible of IL, and they are
proclaiming their own Illumination with vieor
which relieves everybody else from the distressing
duty OF pointing ont 10 them Ii is one OF those
cases where a single man, or few men, may piiht
a Whole people to shame. Nobody supposes that
Tngshnen are not as brave a. ever, or that any
tr'nns AM II is Epglands i'll luck that the poll
troons happened to be in the wrong place az the
yyrono mollent and since the Nation set such store
Inv this heir of Imperialism. they have TO hide their
face, over the want of courage in their own SOL