The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1879-07-17
THE DEAD PRINCE IMPERIAL.

THE DEAD PRINCE IMPERIAL.
Indignation OF the English People at tho
Wanton Sacrifice e-Lord Chelmsford De.
nounced in Unmeasured Terms.
LONDON, June "a, 1879.
Shame and indignation have taken the
place of surprise and horror regarding the
sad death Of the Prince Imperial. The
first thoughts in the public mind were the
probable political consequences and SYM
pathy for the widowed and now childless
Empress. But at present the feeling up
permost in the English heart is one OF
shame for the blot cast upon the English
army by the want of proper guardianship
over the young Napoleon displayed by his
superior officers whose guest he was, but
mostly by the ignoble flight of his COM
rade in arms, Lieutenant Carey, and the
other English soldiers with him., In mil
itary circles in England nothing has for
years, if ever, created such sense of dis
grace. The papers are filled with letters
from army officers expressing indignation
at the conduct of their fellow officer, and
urgently demanding an impartial investi-
cation. "He is fine young fellow"
wrote the Duke of Cambridge to Lord
Chelmsford, at the time the Prince went
out to Zululand, full of spirit and pluck,
and having many old cadet friends in the
artillery he will doubtless find no difficult
ty in getting on, and if you can help him
in any way pray do so. My only anxiety
on his account would be that he is too
plucky and go-ahead." The Duke also
wrote that the Prince wished to serve in
the army, but the government would not
permit it.
BRITISH HOSPITALITY.
The Prince, therefore, went out as a spec
tator and a guest. In spite of the above
warning the young Bonaparte was allow
ed to 60 into the heart of the enemy's
country with meagre escort of less than
a dozen men, who, when surprised, all
scampered away and left their guest and
comrade to follow on foot as best he could.
Perhaps the soldiers whose bodies were
found by that of the Prince did die in his
defence. Later accounts will tell, and
every one hopes they did, for English
honor is at stake and Lieutenant Carey
did little for its glory. What chance
this was for a man to have earned the
thanks Of nation and the personal graf
itude of the heir of the Bonapartes, not
to speak of more substantial rewards in
the shape of the Victoria Cross and pro-
motion. There were models of bravery
for Lieutenant Carey, but unfortunately
the stuff of the hero was wanting in him,
Such a story" writes a gentleman to the
"reddens the cheek of every
aye, and every English
woman with unutterable distress aud
Indignation"
WHERE THE RESPONSIBILITY RESTS.
It was possible for him to see service
without risk. The Prince would have
been the last to sanction such tender care.
He was brave to recklessness, and would
have smarted under any more restraint
than is customary in similar cases. He
was not serving in the army, however,
and his place should have been by the
side of the commander-in-chief or Gen
eral Newdigate, into whose care he had
been put. The Me1us, citing supposed
parallel case, says that, "If son of Gen
eral Grant or of Marshal MacMahon had
been allowed to be present with the
British army in South Africa under con-
ditions similar to those under which the
Prince Louis Napoleon accompanied it,
the sense of care and protection due to a
guest would have involved precisely the
same obligations toward either of them as
toward the Prince" To show you how
this part of the incident is regarded by
the English army, it is only necessary to
quote the end of the letter to the Stand
ard from one who says, Cup to this time
we have sustained many military disas-
ters and have made many military blum
ders, but never before this occasion have
I blushed to sign myself British officer"
Another signs himself GA Much Ashamed
The Standard, in printing
these two communications, says it does so
with pain, but that it is useless to con-
ceal the sense of humiliation and shame
which is felt throughout the length and
breadth of the land at the manner in
which the gallant young Prince was de-
tailed for most dangerous duty, and
was then deserted by his escort upon the
first intimation of the fact that the Zu-
lus had surprised them."
THE INCOMPETENT COMMANDER.
A proof that Lord Chelmsford never.
realized the Importance of the charge
committed to him is the matter-of-course
way in which his official dispatch is writ
ten. To him it was an unfortunate af-
fair" as he described the Isandula mas
sacre, and when he meets the "brave"
Carey and the other survivors of this later
affair, he will probably say, "Thank you
all very much for your very gallant =
Sir Bartle Frere and the
colonists are still less considerate. Don-
aid Currie G. Co. offered to have their
steamer stop at St. Vincent in order that
the news might be telegraphed to Europe
from there instead of later from Madeira,
but the colonial government paid no at
tention to the offer. Yet another exam
pie of disregard of propriety and good
taste is the announcement that the festiv-
tiles connected with the return of Sir
Bartle to Cape Town would not be inter-
rupted, because the Prince Imperial did
not hold an official position. Sir Bartle
has been, you doubtless know, making
triumphal tour through the colony. He
was to make grand entry into Cape
Town, and there was to be great pro-
cession and banquet. Triumphal arches
were being erected when the last mail
left, though where the cause for triumph
is nobody in England has been able to
discover. The glad music in celebration
of the unknown triumphs of Sir Bartle
Frere will be mingled with the requiem
of the Prince Imperial as his body is car
ried ON its way to England. No wonder
British pride is wounded.
AN ARMY OFFICERS LETTER.
To give you an idea of the Indignation
- 81, =