, 1880-08-21

as SuCu Tulc uO3 luGu u viioSFSs vi ouo
other hand, the Afghans might fight as they
fought Sir Donald Stewart outside Ghuznee.
charging right up to the General in command,
and then, with such thin regiments and so few
Enropeans, there would be no hope. The die
went against the British. Under that inter
mittent impulse which the most experienced
Generals can neither understand nor forecast,
which perplexed our leaders forty years ago as
it p~erplexes them now, the Afghans elected to
fight, and the catastrophe reported to the
House of Commons by Lord Harrington
occurred. General Burrows Brigade was
an nihilated,o-or rather, as was subsequently
ascertained, partly destroyed, partly driven
in little parties back to Canda bar. Whistler
the British wers overwhelmed by a rush of
numbers, whether the Wallis cavalry betrayed
them, or whether they were surrounded, we do
not kuow,-we can be sure only that they
fought well in any case, they were crushed,
only driblats escaping 10 warn General Prim-
rose, who had been left in command at CaDds-
har, of the great disaster. He Withdrew his
men at once into the citadel, where he will
most likely be surrounded by Ayoub Khan's
army and the fighting ron CHS of Candahar, and
where he must remain until Ger eral Phayre,
with the Reserve Division, can relieve him, or
until-if that be neoessary-General Donald
Stewart, renouncing the idea of withdrawal by
the Khy Der and the Shuturgard an, fights his
way back past Ghuzuee once more to Canda-
har. Fortunately, he is one Of the most
experienced apd able. as we'll as one Of the
most daring of British officers, and will do all
that can be done but for many days, perhaps
weeks, the British people must be divided
between pity for the fallen, and suspense as to
the fate of those who survive, and who, while
they survive, uphold the Flag in Candaf ar.
General Primrose appears to be confident that
he can hold his citadel till October, unless tbs
water gives Out,-a very serious doubt to
throw out,-aDo it is possible that if General
Phayre oan be reinfor ced in time by even one
regiment of Europe ans, he may force his way
rapidly through Ayoub Khan's army, swelled,
as it will be, by victory, aud the junction of
the tribes round Pisheen. The captivity of
the 1000 men in the Citadel may otheI wise be
long. The season is too early for forced
marches, the transport for Candahar is INSULT
cient, and it may we'll be weeks before General
Phayre's command, should it prove INSULT cient
can be swollen into an army.
1t is easy to exaggerate, but it is useless TO
conceal the seriousness of the 81 ~tnation. The
Afghans, for the first time in their history,
have defeated us, not after a capitulatiOn or
by treachery, but in the field. They will not
consider the disparity of numbers, or any other
Oh cumstance, except this, that they have des-
troyed a British "army"-it was not a British
army, but a Nstive Brigade, with a handful
of Europeans to assist it-which thought
itself able to cope with them. The news will
spread in a few days throughout Afghanistan
and in q few days every man of one Ul the
vainest races in the world, as we'll as one
of the bravest, will dsem the Afghans the
equals of the English. 1t is most fortunate
that the new Ameer, Abdurrahman Khan,
knows something Of European politics, and
much Of the strength Of the English, for his
knowledge may induce him to :emaln faith
jul, and SO earn, once for all, the confidence
of the Great Southern Power upon which be-
must be in future dependent. But nothing
will keep the Afghan soldlery from a victO-
r:ous Generals Standard, and there is some
fear of a popular movement 10 favour OF the
nation prec!piiating itself upon Sir Donald
Stewards force, and attempting to drive the
detested white men beyond the Passes at
once. That movement might not in ITSELF
be exceedingly formidable. The British 10
Alghanistan a nd the Passes are strong enough
to meet any force the Afghans can collect
they are we'll commanded, and they may be
able, while the enemy is so elate, to deliver
a crushing blow. But it must not be for
gotten that the British have been preparing
for withdrawal; that their Cavalry has already
started that the Sepoy force, certain regi-
ments, like the G aides. excepted, is neither in
good heat nor in good health, and that the ris-
ing, if it occurs at all, will be nearly universal.
Cnoh a movomant 10 a1uavs most DarOlpYinO