The Sun. — 1842-06-09 (London, England)

ORIGIN OF THE WAR IN AFFGHANISTAN.  Anaongst other letters. from India just received which throw light more or less upon the state of affairs there, and the occurrences which brought matters in Caubul to such a melancholy 'pass, one of an extremely singular character may be mentioned, which from its curious details is really worthy of attention, more especially as the lady writer asserts that the facts may be relied upon and are well known in the higher circles in India. It would seem, according to this statement, that woman, the " cause of all man's woe," was the cause, in perfect innocence however, of the late disasters in Airghanistan. The story runs thus :—Some time after the arrival of Lady 3l‘Nag,hten in Caubul, to join her husband, Sir William, he received the news of his appointment as Governor of Bombay. When considering the necessary arrangements for proceeding to take possession of his Government, Sir William, of course, could not but look to the safety of his journey and the comforts of his lady and the other officers' ladies who proposed to accompany ber. At that time the passes through the Ghilzie territory, through which lay the route, were still infested and rendered dangerous by the unruly tribes inhabiting them. Previously, in order to restore tranquillity and ensure order among those tribes, Sir William 3hNaghten, on concluding, a treaty with the chiefs, had taken the precaution of making the condition that some of the more influential among them should take up their residence at. Caubul, so as to be under the surveillance of the 'British authorities. The ladies proposing to accompany Sir William to Bombay, well aware of the troubled state of the Ghilaie districts in the mountain passes, expressed naturally great anxiety about the perils of the passage,and in fact a disinclination to proceed without the best security for safety. In consequence, as the most ready means, Sir William summoned the Ghilzie chiefs in Caubul to a conference, at which he intimated to them his desire, equivalent to a command, that they should accompany his party through the unruly districts, so as by their presence and influence to secure the peaceful behaviour of their tribes. On retiring from the conference, the Ghilzie chiefs held a parley amongst themselves, and expressed their distrust of the proposition as being a snare for carrying them offprisoners mid confining them in Hindostan, as was the case with the Kakeer chief, Hadji Khan. They formed the resolution in consequence not to proceed with but as disobedience, of course, would subject them to punishment, they resolved also, as the only way to escape the alternative, to raise an insurrection, the plan of which was combined on the spot. And this was to attack the residence of Sir Alexander Burnes as the more formidable party they had to deal with, and to plunder the treasury, which, strange enough, was held in the next house to his, and unguarded. Early in the next morning tha project was put in execution ; Sir Alexander Burnes murdered ; the treasury plundered, and the population, already discontented, rose as one man to support this improvised insurrection. The result is known. At the nee s every district, valley, and hamlet in Caubul poured forth its man sad horse, contributed its sword and musket, to join in the plunder of Caubul and the expulsion of the Feringhees. The moral to be drawn from this lesson (for the facts can hardly be doubted) would seem to point to the impolicy and inexpediency of permitting the accompaniment of the wives, or other female relatives of officers, in an expeditionary force, not destined for the permanent occupation of a conquered country.