Mr. Cardwell on Friday week explained the history of the
Ashantee war. It is all Mr. Pine's fault. That person took it into his head that the easiest way to defend the " protected " chiefs, who do not particularly want protection, was to attack Ashantee, and asked permission, which the Duke of Newcastle gave only to the extent of a war in self-defence. Mr. Pine went to war accordingly, sent for regiments, sent them into the bush, and kept them there use- lessly till, as Sir John Pakington said, out of one regiment of 400 men -200 were invalided, and out of 20 officers 15. Mr. Cardwell pro- mised that the -troops should be recalled, and the war ended instantly ; but what has Government been doing for eighteen months? It has really allowed an obscure Colonial Governor to spend half a million of British money, and no one knows how many lives, for no intelligible end, rather than trouble itself to look into the matter. People ask what the Marquis de Mirabeau meant when he talked of "government by blind man's buff." That's very like it, at all events. By the way, is it true that Mr. Pine is to be promoted ?
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