remains unanswered. It is pretty much the same as the question "when to wink?" We would wink at a great many things that pass in the world, upon which many people gaze as intently as if they were paid for turning their eyes into microscopes. We would not observe a hundred thousand little abuses, delinquencies, and malversations which, if we were commissioners of inquiry, and salaried inquisitors, we would most unmercifully probe to the bottom. We would wink at the spots on the sun's disk, and allow him to set off his general splendor against the few scattered specks discovered by the malevolence of astronomers, who would fain be the only luminaries in the world. In like manner, should there be a mole upon the neck of beauty, we would prefer winking at the mole to shutting our eyes upon Venus herself. In morals we would act upon the same principle,see as much worth and merit in all about us as they have to exhibit, and leave it to the unwinking ones to contemplate and scrutinize their foibles. We would wink at the dark instead of the bright side of every object presented to our view; being none of those who prefer a satyr to Hyperion, and being rather (saving the immorality) of the same mind with Juan, who,

Of tremulous admiration. Such true fame
Awaits her now; but, verily, good deeds
Do no imperishable record find
Save in the rolls of Heaven, where her's may live
The high souled virtues which forgetful earth
A theme for ages, when they celebrate
Has witnessed. Oh! that winds and waves could
speak,

Of things which their united power called forth
From the pure depths of her humanity!
A maiden gentle, yet, at duty's call,
Firm and unflinching as the lighthouse reared
On the island rock, her lonely dwelling place;
Or like the invincible rock itself, that braves,
Age after age, the hostile elements,
As when it guarded holy Cuthbert's cell.

All night the storm had raged, nor ceased, nor
paused,

When as day broke, the maid, through misty air, Espies far off a wreck, amid the surf, Beating on one of those disastrous islesHalf of a vessel-ha!t-no more; the rest Had vanished, swallowed up with all that there Had for the common safety striven in vain, Or thither thronged for refuge. With quick glance Daughter and sire, through optic glass discern, Clinging about the remnant of this ship, Creatures-how precious in the maiden's sight! For whom, belike, the old man grieves still more Than for their fellow sufferers engulfed Turned from grizzly saints and martyrs hairy Where every parting agony is hushed, To the sweet portrait of the Virgin Mary. And hope and fear mix not in further strife. All this would we do, or not do, for our own peace: A few may yet be saved." The daughter's words, "But courage, father! let us out to seacomfort and enjoyment, merely, and indepen- Her earnest tone, and look beaming with faith, dently of all considerations of ethics or religion; Dispel the father's doubts; nor do they lack not but that we entertain an opinion, ground-The noble minded mother's helping hand ed upon our notions of Christian charity, highly To launch the boat; and with her blessing cheered favorable to a more frequent use of the eyelid, And inwardly sustained by silent prayer, but because we would not for a moment be Together they put forth, father and child! thought to insinuate a doubt of the seraphic Each grasp an oar, and struggling on they go, dispositions of those who feel it to be their duty Rivals in effort; and, alike intent to observe every thing, and to wink at nothing. Here to elude and there surmount, they watch Be it however, remembered, that nothing here- The billows lengthening, mutually crossed in contained is to be understood as conveying As if the wrath and trouble of the sea And shattered, and regathering their might; the slighest sanction or approbation of those who Were by the ALMIGHTY's sufferance prolonged, carry the practice of winking to such extreme That woman's fortitude-so tried, so provedlengths, as to connive at any thing, however May brighten more and more! flagrant, that promises to be profitable to themselves; or of that other class of winkers before alluded to, who have constituted themselves into a society for the succor and protection of persons laboring under the disease of "homicidal

monomania."

GRACE DARLING.

BY WORDSWORTH.
From the Kentish Observer.

Among the dwellers in the silent fields
The natural heart is touched, and public way
And crowded streets resound with ballad strains,
Inspired by ONE whose very name bespeaks
Favor divine, exalting human love;
Whom, since her birth on bleak Northumbria's coast,
Known unto few, but prized as far as known,
A single act endears to high and low
Through the whole land-to manhood, moven in
spite

Of the world's freezing care-to generous youth-
To infancy, that lisps her praise-and age,
Whose eye reflects it glistening through a tear

True to the mark,

They stem the current of that perilous gorge,
Their arms still strengthening with the strengthen-
ing heart,
Though danger, as the wreck is near'd, becomes
More imminent. Not unseen do they approach;
And rapture, with varieties of fear
Incessantly conflicting, thrills the frames
Of those who, in that dauntless energy,
Foretaste deliverance; but the least perturbed
Can scarcely trust his eyes, when he perceives
That of the pair-tossed on the waves to bring
Hope to the hopeless, to the dying life-
One is a woman, a poor earthly sister,
Or, be the visitant other than she seems,
A guardian spirit sent from pitying heaven,
In woman's shape. But why prolong the tale,
Casting weak words amidst a host of thoughts
Armed to repel them? Every hazard faced
And difficulty mastered, with resolve
That no one breathing should be left to perish,
This last remainder of the crew are all
Placed in the little boat, then o'er the deep
Are safely borne, landed upon the beach,
And in fulfillment of God's mercy, lodged
Within the sheltering light-house. Shout, ye waves!
Pipe a glad song of triumph, ye fierce winds!

Ye screaming sea-mews, in the concert join!
And would that some immortal voice, a voice
Fitly attuned to all that gratitude
Breathes out from floor or couch, through pallid lips
Of the survivors, to the clouds might bear-
(Blended with praise of that parental love,
Beneath whose watchful eye the maiden grew
Pious and pure, modest, and yet so brave,
Though young so wise, though meek so resolute)
Might carry to the clouds and to the stars,
Yes, to celestial choirs, Grace Darling's name!

entirely lost, we would make no more sacrifices of the very serious and extensive nature which could alone be effectual, except under postive instructions from England, for the re-establishment of our supremacy throughout the country. We have particularly felt it our duty distinctly, at this distance, to give instructions applicable to all contingencies, and therefore to contemplate the most unfavorable issue to the struggle which our troops are maintaining at Cabul, and in this case, upon the anticipation of which we cannot conceal from ourselves the hazard of extending dangers, and of the insurrection assuming in other quarters also the same national and united character, we have authorized Gene.

THE EVACUATION OF AFFGHANISTAN.ral Nott and Major Rawlinson, with such cau

From the Asiatic Journal.

tion and deliberation in their military and political proceedings as may serve to avoid discredit and THE papers laid before both Houses of to promise safety, so to shape their course as Parliament, relating to the military opera- quishment of our direct control in the several best to promote the end of the eventual relintions in Affghanistan, besides throwing Affghan provinces, and to provide for the conconsiderable light upon other subjects concentration of all forces and detachments, as may nected with that country, have decided the be most conducive to the security of the troops. vexed question, by whom its evacuation by the British forces was first determined upon. Much obloquy has been cast upon the present Governor-General for having adopted the "cowardly" policy of withdrawing our armies within the Indus, and thus abandoning a country from the occupation of which his predecessor had intended to derive such great advantages to the political and commercial interests of British India. It turns out that the abandonment of Affghanistan, and with it all those delusive visions of security and prosperity which the retention of that country was expected to yield, was decided upon by Lord Auckland. We surmised as much from a remarkable expression which, in the heat of discussion, fell from Sir Robert Peel in the House of Commons on the 10th August last.

The insurrection broke out at Cabul in November, 1841; it reached its acme in the ensuing month, and the British army was annihilated in January, 1842. The very first paper in the collection, which is a dispatch from the late Governor-General in Council to the Secret Committee of the East-India Company, dated 22nd December, 1841, when nothing was known but the actual outbreak of the insurrection, contains the following passages:

In their letter to the Commander-inChief, Sir Jasper Nicolls, dated 3rd December, the Governor-General in Council had distinctly enunciated the intention of "retiring from the country with the least possible discredit," collecting fresh forces on the frontier only for the sake of demonstration. This policy is adhered to in the next despatch to the Secret Committee (January 9th), and was not changed by the receipt of intelligence of the murder of the British Envoy and the extreme jeopardy of the army, farther than that orders were given for reinforcements "to strengthen our position on the Affghan frontier." The accounts of the destruction of the army induced Lord Aukland and his Council (as stated in their despatch of the 19th February, 1842) even to direct Major-General Pollock, then at Peshawur, to withdraw the garrison of Jellalabad, and the assemblage af all his force at or near Peshawur: "We have made our directions, in regard to withdrawal from Jellalabad," they say (p. 106), "clear and positive."

It appears that Mr. Clerk, the agent at Lahore, strenuously urged the policy of holding Jellalabad, with a view of advancing from it and Candahar upon Cabul, and having regained our former position there, and the influence which such proof of We have applied ourselves immediately to power must give, we should then withconcerting such measures, and issuing such in- draw with dignity and undiminished honstructions, as the exigency of the case seemed or." Sir Jasper Nicolls opposed this meato require and admit.-It will be seen that we have laid it down as a rule of our conduct that sure, on the ground (p. 118) that the means we would do all in our power to rescue our de- were inadequate, and the Governor-General tachments wherever they may be encompassed in Council (p. 120) reiterate their directions by danger; but that, if the position of command that the garrison of Jellalabad should be and influence which we have held at the capital withdrawn to Peshawur. In conformity of Affghanistan should once be absolutely and with this direction, Sir Jasper Nicolls

wrote to General Pollock on the 1st Febru- "compel us to adopt the conclusion that ary: "You may deem it perfectly certain the possession of Affghanistan, could we that Government will not do more than recover it, would be a source of weakness detach this brigade, and this in view to rather than of strength, in resisting the support Major-General Sale, either at Jel- invasion of any army from the West, and lalabad, for a few weeks, or to aid his re- therefore, that the ground upon which the treat it is not intended to collect a force policy of the advance of our troops to that for the re-conquest of Cabul." country mainly rested has altogether ceased to exist." The policy to be pursued, therefore, was, in their opinion, to be guided by military considerations-the safety of the detached bodies of our troops at Jellalabad, Ghuzni, and Candahar; the security of our forces then in the field from unnecessary risk; "and finally, the reestablishment of our military reputation by the infliction of some signal and decisive blow upon the Affghans, which may make

Major-General Nott, at Candahar, was informed of these views of the Government, though his measures in relation to them were in a great measure left to his discretion.

When Lord Ellenborough arrived and assumed the government, he thus found not only that the resolution had been formed to withdraw the forces from Affghanistan, and to abandon all intention of re-entering the country, but that instructions, it appear to them, to our own subjects, and "clear and positive," had been given to that effect to the British commanders. The measures adopted by his lordship to carry into effect his predecessor's views in this respect appear somewhat vacillating, owing to the constant change and fluctuation of circumstances. In his first despatch to the Secret Committee, March 22nd, he says:

to our allies, that we have the power of inflicting punishment upon those who commit atrocities and violate their faith, and that we withdraw ultimately from Affghanistan, not from any deficiency of means to maintain our position, but because we are satisfied that the king we have set up has not, as we were erroneously led to imagine, the support of the nation over which he has been placed."

troops had in no respect altered, and that this opinion is founded " upon a general view of our military, political, and financial situation." Three days previously, orders had been issued (p. 223) to Major-Gen. Nott to evacuate Candahar and to retire to

We have recently judged it expedient to enter again upon an exposition of our views re- Subsequent to this despatch, although, garding the line of policy which it may be pro- upon the whole, the prospects had to some per for us to pursue in relation to Affghanistan. extent improved, in his letter to the Secret To our despatch of the 15th inst. on this subject, Committee of April 22nd, Lord Ellenboaddressed to his Exc. the Commander-in-Chief, rough states that his deliberate opinion as we would solicit the particular attention of your to the expediency of withdrawing the hon. Committee. It contains our deliberate sentiments on the present position of affairs in that country, and the course we should pursue towards the retrieval of our late military disgrace, and our final withdrawal of our army from Affghanistan. It points out the conditions on which we can sanction the continuance during the coming season of Major-General Pollock's force in the valley of Jellalabad, after he shall have Sukkur, the fall of Ghuzni, Lord Ellenbopenetrated by force or by negotiation the Khy-rough observes to Sir Jasper Nicolls ber Pass. It discourages the expectation that (p. 224,) having removed the principal obMajor-Gen. Nott's force, though reinforced by ject for which it was expedient to retain that of Brig. England, will, in consequence of the force at Candahar, and the check susthe inefficiency of its field equipments, be able to effect much more than the relief of the posts of Kelat-i-Ghilzie and of Ghuznee, and the security

of its own retirement to the Indus.

tained by Brig. England "having crippled the before limited means of movement and of action which were possessed by MajorGen. Nott."

The

The letter to the Commander-in-Chief, In compliance with this resolution, peabove referred to, lays fully before him remptory orders were issued to General "the deliberate views of the Government Pollock, who had the pass, and reached with respect to the measures to be pur- Jellalabad, to retire from thence. sued in Affghanistan." The disasters want of carriage, however, which had prewhich had befallen our army at Cabul, vented the general from advancing, op"followed by the universal hostility of the posed equal obstacles to his retiring; and whole people of Affghanistan, united against General Nott, in a well reasoned despatch us in a war which has assumed a religious of March 24th (p. 244,) urges the inexpeas well as a national character," the Gov-diency of a hasty retirement. "At the ernor-General and his Council observe, present time," he observes, "the impres

sion of our military strength among the subjugating the country, and continuing the people of this country (Affghanistan,) war, the prisoners at present in Affghanistan though weakened by the occurrences at shall be exchanged for Dost Mahomed Khan, his Cabul, is not destroyed; but if we now family, and attendants, and that the issue be deretire, and it should again become neces-ther of those propositions being approved of, pendent on the sword: thirdly, in the event of neisary to advance, we shall labor under they wish to know what terms will be granted many disadvantages, the most serious of to themselves individually; whether we, in the which, in my opinion, will be a distrust of event of their submission, will confine them, send their strength among our soldiers, which them to India, take hostages from them, reduce any admission of weakness is so well cal-their pay; in short, what they have to expect from our clemency. culated to induce; and in what other light could a withdrawal from Jellalabad or Can- General Pollock, who seems to have been dahar be viewed?" He suggests that most anxious to recover the prisoners, Jellalabad should be held in considerable urged the chiefs to release them immediateforce, and a movement be made on Cabully, as a means of facilitating further commufrom Candahar, and he strongly deprecates nication between the Governments; adding the effects which a hasty retirement would have on Beloochistan, and even on the navigation of the Indus. In another letter, the general says :

that, if money be a consideration, he was prepared to pay two lacs of rupees to the sirdar, upon the prisoners being delivered to him in camp. It appears that there was a further message from Akhbar Khan himself, Perhaps it is not within my province to observe that, in my humble opinion, an unnecessadelivered privately by him to Capt. Macry alarm has been created regarding the position kenzie, desiring to know what he personally of our troops in this country, and of the strength might expect from our clemency, being and power of the enemy we have to contend willing to separate himself entirely from with. This enemy cannot face our troops in the the hostile faction. Lord Ellenborough, field with any chance of success, however supe- from the first, opposed the exhibition of any rior they may be in numbers, provided these pre- clemency towards Akhbar Khan, "the accautions are strictly observed which war between a small body of disciplined soldiers and a knowledged murderer of the Envoy, and who vast crowd of untrained, unorganized, and half-deceived and betrayed a British army into civilized people constantly renders necessary. a position in which it was destroyed." His True, the British troops suffered a dreadful dis- lordship disapproved of the offer to ransom aster at Cabul, and it is not for me to presume the prisoners, and regretted that any neto point out why this happened, however evident cessity should have arisen of diplomatic I may conceive the reasons, and the long train intercourse with Mahomed Akhbar. of military and political events which led to the sad catastrophe. respect to the release of Dost Mahomed Khan, the major-general was authorized to The representations of General Nott did speak of it as an event which, under vanot induce the Governor-General to vary rious contingences of circumstances, might his instructions for his evacuation of Cannot be altogether impossible." dahar and retirement to Sukkur, though he left the time and mode of retiring to the general's discretion.

Meanwhile, the position of General Pollock at Jellalabad, and the apprehension that he meditated an advance into the country, disposed the insurgent chiefs, and especially Mahomed Akhbar Kahn, to negotiate with him. A communication was received by General Pollock from Major Pottinger (sent by Capt. Colin Mackenzie,) dated at Tazen, April 20th, to the follow ing effect:

The sirdar wishes to know, in the first place, if we will consent to withdraw the greater part of our troops, and leave an agent, with a small body of men, to act with whoever the confederates may elect as chief, in which choice they propose to be guided by the wishes of the two factions in Cabul, and wish us to release Dost Mahomed Khan: secondly, they propose that, if the British Government have determined on

With

The death of Shah Shooja served but to confirm the Governor-General and his Council in their resolution. In a letter to

Mr. Clerk, May 16th, Mr. Secretary Maddock gives that gentleman instructions to make known to the government of Lahore the views of that of British India, in the altered condition of Affghanistan during the past four years. He observes that the object of the tripartite treaty was "to remove from the government of Affghanistan an able chief, who had, in the course of many years, succeeded in uniting it under his rule; who was forming and disciplining an army, and was supposed to entertain, in conjunction with the powers of the West, projects of hostility to the adjoining states on the Indus." That object had been completely effected. A further object was to substitute for the authority of Dost Mahomed Khan, deemed hostile, that of Shah

Shooja, which, it was expected, would be ever terms were agreed to," and the payfriendly; but it had been proved by recent, ment of two lacs for the prisoners. The as well as all past, experience, "that a Governor-General, in his remarks (May sovereign who appears to be altogether the 21) upon the reply to Akhbar Khan's proinstrument of a foreign state cannot obtain posal, again regrets that money should the willing support of his subjects, so as to have been offered for the release of the wield their power in favor of that foreign prisoners, and still more that the general state; on the contrary, he will be an ob-" should have considered it necessary, unject of hatred or contempt to his subjects, der any circumstances, to have had any and his only resource, if he be desirous of communication whatever of a diplomatic securing their willing allegiance, will be in nature with Mahomed Akhbar Khan, in throwing himself into their arms, and as- whom it must be impossible for any one to serting his independence of the foreign place any trust." state which placed him on the throne.' The resolution of Lord Ellenborough to The object of the joint policy of the two withdraw the British forces from Affghangovernments should, therefore, be to main-istan remained unaltered, but the mode of

tain Affghanistan in that state in which it may be unable to do any thing against us, "foregoing the visionary design of placing it in a state in which it could, as a united monarchy, be powerful for us against an enemy advancing from the West, and yet be content to entertain no views of ambition against its neighbors in the East." This object, the Governor-General thought, "will be best effected by leaving the Affghans to themselves."

effecting the withdrawal became modified by unavoidable circumstances. In Mr. Secretary Maddock's letter to General Pollock, of June 1st, it is observed:

The retirement of your army immediately after the victory gained by Sir Robert Sale, the forcing of the Khyber Pass, and the relief of Jellalabad, would have had the appearance of a military operation successfully accomplished, and even triumphantly achieved; its retirement, after six months of inaction, before a following army of Afghans, will have an appearance of a different and less advantageous character. It would be desirable, undoubtedly, that, before finally quitting Affghanistan, you seem to compel you to remain there till October, the Govenor-General earnestly hopes that you may be enabled to draw the enemy into a position in which you may strike such a blow effectually.

The directions of the Government to withdraw from the country were carried into effect by General Nott in Western Affghanistan, in May, so far as to evacuate Kelat-i-Ghilzie; but though the order applied in the same positive manner to Candahar itself, the general observed that the measure would take some time to arrange, and that this would afford the Government ample time to reconsider the order, and his objections to the measure of a hasty retreat. The Governor-General did give this order a reconsideration, and the result was that he left to the general's discretion the line by which he should withdraw his force. In his letter to General Nott, dated July 4th, Lord Ellenborough thus marks out his course of proceeding:

On the 3rd May, Major Pottinger writes again to General Pollock, apparently advising a compromise with Ahkbar Khan, and the payment of money for the release of the prisoners. He forwards another written (unsigned) memorandum from the sirdar, the effect of which is to require an amnesty for himself and Mahomed Shah Khan; that they shall not be sent out of Cabul; that if the British intended merely to revenge themselves and quit the country, the government might be conferred upon him; and that he might have a jaghire of two lacs, and eight lacs as a present! Major Pottinger considers these demands (except the money) as moderate, observing that the ruling faction at Cabul had offered the crown to Akhbar Khan, and that, under these circumstances, his conduct, in continuing the negotiation, proved his sincerity. The sirdar, in his memorandum, thus alludes to his proceeding during the retreat of the British troops from Cabul:In the time when Pottinger, Lawrence, and Mackenzie sahibs came at the stage of Bootkak, I agreed to their wishes, and did all in my power Nothing has occurred to induce me to change to protect the army, as is well known to the above-mentioned sahibs; but I could not save my first opinion, that the measure, commanded them from the hands of the multitude, as the dence, is to bring back the armies now in Affby considerations of political and military prunizard (“mob of Affghans") was disorganized, ghanistan at the earliest period at which their and the British soldiers could not protect them-retirement can be effected, consistently with the selves on account of the frost; and, moreover, health and efficiency of the troops, into positions the gentlemen did not attend to my advice. wherein they may have easy and certain comGeneral Pollock's reply guaranteed no- munication with India; and to this extent the thing but an amnesty for the past, when-instructions you have received remain unaltered.