COMMODORE RAPIER'S WAR IN SYRIA.
THE object of Commodore NAPIER in writing this book was, no doubt, to give a history of the war in Syria, and the negotiations or rather intrigues by which it was begun and accompanied, and its conclusion postponed. The result of the work, ho wever, is to glorify the head and arms of CHARLES NAPIER, and to depreciate Lord PONSONBY the Ambassador at Constantinople, the Com- mander of the Expedition Sir ROBERT STOPFORD, and various subordinate officers who differed in opinion from " the fighting old Commodore." Lord PONSONBY he paints as an agent who disre- garded the interests and positive instructions of his employers, the sanctity of human life, and the common rights of humanity, to 'indulge a personal hatred which he had conceived against MEHE- MET ALI. lie describes Sir ROBERT STOPFORD as something like a well-intentioned ninny; incapable of taking any comprehensive view of things, or any view at all beyond a regular routine jog-trot let- alone course which presents itself; so facile that be listens to any- body; so weak, that when he is possessed with a good plan, (mean- ing the Commodore's,) the next person who gets speech with him can overact it, the last word with him being always the weightiest ; not naturally ill-conditioned, but prone to the besetting sin of weak- minded people, a regretful kind of anger at the success of plans that a superior capacity has pressed upon him, a tetchy regard to forms appertaining to his own dignity, no matter what essentials are risked, together with a willingness to listen to tale-bearers. According to the Commodore, not merely did be take Sidon with Ida arm, but his head planned the enterprise, and almost forced it on the Admiral by iteration. The land-battle of Boharsof the Commodore gained, not merely without the Admiral, but in despite of him and the sick Commander of the Forces, who gave Commodore NAPIER orders to retreat, when obedience would have risked "the fate of Syria." At the crowning glory of the campaign, Acre, our belligerent historian was just in time to save the fleet from being destroyed in detail, (Vol. I. p. 200, 201,) although Admiral STOP- TOED, when the action was over, publicly rebuked his second in command, on the quarter-deck, for the way in which he had taken up his position. In like manner, the Admiral (together with Lord PON- sozaty, and Sir CHARLES &arm, Commander of the troops) not only disapproved of the convention NAPIER entered into with MEHEMET Am, and rejected it, but described it as "hasty and unauthorized." However, here the Commodore had his revenge. He had taken the precaution to send his convention direct to London, without exposing it to Syrian or Constantinopolitan commentary ; and the "Powers," glad to get out of the scrape, at once agreed to it, ex- cept the form of guarantee. So both Admiralty and Foreign Office praised Commodore NallEs for the arrangements he made, although exceeding his authority ; the rejecters and protesters had to carry out the terms of the repudiated convention and NAPIER returned to Alexandria to see it executed. On this occasion, the Com- modore received from Sir CHARLES SMITH the following very high-toned letter, conveying his opinion of the "hasty and unau- thorized" treaty-
"Head-quarters. Beyrout. 30th November 1840.
"Sir—Had you fortunately abstained from honouring me with your letter of the 27th instant, I should have been spared the pain of replying to it. I am not aware that you have been invested with special powers or authority to treat with Mehemet Ali as to the evacuation of Syria by the Egyptian troops; and if you have such special powers and authority, you have not taken the trouble of acquainting me therewith.
"Tile convention into which you have entered had been, as relates to the advanced stage of military events in Syria. more than attained by the retreat of Ibrahim Pasha. If therefore you have, unknown to me, had authority to treat, I must decline to be a party to recommending the ratification of the said convention ; and if unauthorized to treat, such convention is invalid, and is by me protested against, as being highly prejudicial to the Sultan's cause, in as far as it has or may have relation to the operations of the army under my command. It is needless for me to add, that a copy of this protest shall be for- warded to her Majesty's Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs. "I have, &c.
"C. F. SMITH, Major-General, Commanding the Forces in Syria. "Commodore Napier, C.B., II. M. S. Powerful."
The "rum old Commodore" took no notice of this effusion till the arrival of the approving despatches from London ; when he sent this neat reply-
" H. H. S. Powerful, Marmoriee, 6th January 1841.
"Sir—Bad I unfortunately abstained from writing to you, and the Admiral had quitted the coast, you would have had just cause to have complained of my want of courtesy. "When I left Beyrout, Sir Robert Stopford was Commander-in-chief of the Allied Forces by sea and land; it was therefore unnecessary for me to commu- nicate to you what my powers were, as on him alone devolved the duty of ap- proving or disapproving of my convention. He disapproved of it; and Ibrahim Pasha returned to Damascus. I quite disagree with you that the convention was prejudicial to the interests of the Porte; and I am happy to say it has been approved of (with the exception of the guarantee) by her Majesty's Govern- ment; and I am now going to Alexandria to see it carried into execution. "I have, &c. CHARLES NAPIER, Commodore. "To Sir Charles Smith, &c., &c., Gibraltar."
The additional information which The War in Syria contains, beyond what the press and official documents have already put the public in possession of, consists of the secret history of many transactions ; the personal narrative of the Commodore with respect to actions or persons that fell under his own observation ; and his commentary on the conduct of the war in general, in what was done, in what was not done, and in what ought to have been done. The secret history is curious, and we have no doubt true as far as it goes ; but Sir ROBERT STOPFORD, and others whose conduct is criticized, may probably have their truths too. The personal narrative is straightforward and rapid, with an air of freshness ; but is some- times too much the counterpart of the official despatches to require the printing of both in juxtaposition : indeed, despatches already published, though not bandy to the general reader, form too large a portion of the volumes. The commentary is frequently search- ing, and has an air of justice; but it is for the most part too elaborate and minute, smacking of the quorum pars magna fui, without regard to other people, who have no reminiscences of the reality to stimulate attention. The attraction of the volumes is their natural, off-band, and apparently hearty manner, (for the venom they contain is latent) ; and the insight they give into what is passing behind the scenes in military and naval expeditions. But for the public at large, the narrative is planned upon a scale too extensive for the importance of the story ; and perhaps the interest of The War in Syria is rather professional than popular.
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