The Sun. — 1842-09-08 (London, England)

PUBLIC JOURNALS,  FROM THE MORNING PAPERS OF THIS DAY.  CHRONICLE.—It is no longer denied that Lord Eilenborough did issue an order for the evacuation of Affghanistan. The evidence we quoted, the despatch of the Adjutant-General, and the interpretation put upon it by all the military authorities in Affghanistan —by the public and the press of India—was upon this point conclusive. And so the denial is abandoned. But we are now told that " of the ulterior purpose of this order absolutely nothing can be known," and that, therefore, it is premature to hazard an opinion upon it. If there was a doubt upon the case, this prayer in arrest of judgment ought of course to be listened to. Ts there, however, any doubt ? If it was Lord Ellenborough's intention to send at any time a military force to Caubul, he never would have issued the order for the evacuation of Affghanistan. Admitting, for the sake of argument, that an effective force, for want of sufficient means of conveyance, could not move from Jellalabad in conjunction with General Nott's force from Candahar, still has any one pretended to say that both forces could not have maintained themselves until the requisite preparations for an advance had been made ? The " order" was not an order for the postponement of a march, but for "the withdrawal of the troops." There is something positively childish in the supposition. that the Governor-General could have issued an order for the abandonment of positions attained with such great difficulty, merely that,' at afuture period, they might be retaken with greater difficulty. The chief obstacle to our entrance into Central Asia—namely, the passage through, and the establishment of military positions beyond the Khyber, had been overcome after an anxious, expensive, and hazardous march. But this advantage so dearly acquired, it is proposed to relinquish-9nly with a view that its recovery may be attempted hereafter ! His " Army of Reserve" is not destined to effect Upon a great scale what the Governor-General would not allow General Pollock to do upon a small one. The destination of this arrnylias been a subject of anxious speculation to the Indian public. Our own accounts say positively it is not destined for Afghanistan. But instead of relying upon our own, let us turn to that which is the most favourable to Lord Ellenborough. Hear the anticipations and the reasoning of the Indian authority of our Contemporary the Times. He, too, is of opinion that this 1 army is not destined for Affghanistan. First, because it would be impossible for the finances of India to bear the additional cost of an additional 20,000 beyond the Indus. Secondly, It would be entirely impossible to find carriage and means of transport into Afghanistan for so large an army. Thirdly, The advance of such a force would argue that the occupation permanently of Afghanistan was intended. In other Journals we find many even stronger reasons for concluding that the force about to be collected at Sirhind is not destined for Affghanistan. What then, tell us, can be " the ulterior purpose" of Lord Ellenborough's order ? No other purpose than flight—cowardly and disgraceful flight. The Slave Dealer's Gazette, indeed, assures us that that the prisoners will be recovered " for a compensation.". And as to all else—why the war was the work of the Whigs ; and, therefore, what matters it that our I.nvoy has been murdered, and thousands of our soldiers, in violation of a treaty, butchered ? We must do the Conservative party the justice, however, to say that this is not its creed as a party. There is a generous and manly spirit which we welcome even she more gladly because it comes from our habitual Opponents, which, speaking through the Times and Standard, recognises the impossibility of making one retrogade step until our fellow-subjects are recovered, and the events of the last campaign redressed. The ingenious mode of recovery by slave-sale has as yet but one advocate in the Press, the Morning Post; and we confess that we have confidence enough in the patriotism of ladies' maids, and the gallantry of foot! men, to anticipate that this inhuman doctrine cannot even there be long inculcated with impunity.