With far less political importance, the turn of affairs on
the Rangoon, as communicated by the last mail from India, is likely to affect us more sensibly at the moment. It is disastrous and disgraceful. We remember how General Godwin had checked an impetuous attack on Prome, and had waived the advantages of its first seizure. He went up the river in full dress, and stopped at a certain point under "orders," till next season. A suspicion has been hinted, that the " orders " were issued to cover a tardiness of movement more suited to General Godwin's years than to the po- licy of an invasive campaign. In his well-pondered course he left a garrison at Peru, to hold in check the main body of the Bur- mese army. With peculiar ideas on the subject, after restraining a dashing advance by a comparatively small party, he intxusted this enduring duty to a smaller, and left 400 men to hold the Bur- mese army in check. The 400 were sore pressed. To relieve them he sent 450 more ; who were repulsed, with loss. He then sent nearly 2400 men; but his miscalculation could scarcely be repaired in its moral effect; nor could the reinforcements recall to life the brave soldiers who have perished, it is to be feared, be- cause England, to cheat her own taxpayers, maintains pensioners high in military command as " Generals." Possibly the General may offer an explanation : we rather anticipate, as more pro- bable and more welcome, a resignation.
