THE TABLET

A W eekly Newspaper and Review

D um VOBIS GRATULAMUR, ANIMOS ETIAM ADDIMUS UT IN INCCEPTIS VESTRIS CONSTANTER MANEATIS.

From the Brief of His Holiness Pius IX, to T h e T a b l e t , June 4, 1870.

Voi. 54. No. 2071. L ondon, D ecember 20, 187g.

P rice sd., by Post s^ d

[R egistered a t th e General Post O ffice as a N ewspaper.

C hronicle of th e W eek :—

Page

Fighting at Cabul.— Concentration of the British Forces at Shirpur. — Communication with General Roberts Interrupted.— Later Telegrams. — Contrasts among the Afghans.— Attempted Assassination of the Viceroy.— Storm of Moirosi's Stronghold.— The Trappists in South Africa.— The Bishop of Grenoble and the Conseil d’État.— Defence of Religious Education in the French Senate.— The French Ministry.— Winter in France.— Catholic Education in Egypt.—The Duchess of Marlborough’s Relief Fund.—The Convict Castro —Political Excitement in Madrid, &c., & c ... .. 769

CONTENTS.

P eter P ence

Page •• 773

L e a d e r s :

The War in Afghanistan .. .. 773 Present Position of Irish Distress 773 The Progress of Protestantism .. 774 Christmas Charities .. .. 776 R eviews :

England and the Holy See .. 777 Politicians of To-Day . . .. 777 Short N otices ;

St. Vincent de Paul .. . . 778 Canon Griffin’s Sermons .. .. 778 The Little Pilgrim.. .. .. 778 The Almanac for the Diocese of

Liverpool .. . . .. •• 778

C orrespondence:

Truthfulness and Ritualism : Dr.

Page

Littledale’s “ Reply to the Abbé Martin,” Why Ritualists do Not Become Roman Catholics .. .. .. •• 779 An Appeal from the Sisters of

Charity of St. Vincent de Paul 782 Society of St, Vincent de Paul .. 783 The Orphanage, Brook Green [.. 783 Save the Boy .. .. .. 783 The Fever Hospital, Glasgow .. 783 The Old Old Story .. .. 783 A Correction .........................783 Mission of the Holy Child, Bed­

ford .. .. .. .. 783 Catholic Schools and School

Rates .................................... 791 Catholics on School Boards .. 791

R ome :— Letter from our own

Page

Correspondent ............................785 D iocesan N ews

Westminster

787

Southwark.......................................788 Birmingham .. . . .. 788 Hexham and Newcastle .. .. 788 Liverpool .. .. . . ,. 789 Leeds.. .. .. .. .. 789 Middlesbrough ........................... 790 Shrewsbury.......................................790 Scotland : Aberdeen . . .. .. . . 790 I reland : 792 Memoranda :

Religious ..

G eneral N ews : .............................. 793

793

CHRONICLE OF THE WEEK.

CABUL. T

FIGHTING AT

HERE has been severe and continuous fighting round Cabul, and General Roberts, notwithstanding the strenuous efforts of the small force under his command, has been unable to disperse the heavy masses of the enemy gathered at all points in the neighbourhood. The first operation of the brigade under General Macpherson was successful; that officer having occupied Sarkh Kotal on the ioth inst. just in time to prevent a junction between the Kohistanis and the force advancing from the direction of Ghazni. The Kohistanis, who were dislodged from their position by our troops, do not appear to have made a very stubborn resistance on this occasion, and our loss was only a few slightly wounded. The next day, however, brought us a check which resulted in the miscarriage of the combined movement of Generals Macpherson and Massey. The duty assigned to the latter officer was to intercept the enemy on the Ghazni road with horse artillery and cavalry; and while carrying out his instructions he was attacked by large numbers of the enemy on difficult ground, and forced after a sharp conflict, in the course of which several brilliant charges were made by our cavalry, to upset and abandon some of the guns. These were subsequently recovered on the arrival of fresh troops ; but that the enemy were by no means discouraged or disabled from further exertions appears from the fact that fresh attacks were made by them subsequently upon the hills south of the Bala Hissar, which are reported to have been beaten off with loss. Fighting continued on the izth and the 13th. On the first of these days Macpherson attacked the enemy over the Bala Hissar, but was only partially successful. He captured the lower part of the position ; but was unable to dislodge the enemy from the higher peak, which was held by a large force. On the 13th, Saturday, the attack was renewed and the position was carried by General Baker in concert with General Macpherson. General Roberts telegraphed that the enemy suffered heavy loss, but that there were parties of them still in the neighbourhood, and that it might be necessary to attack then* again. The accession to their force was, in fact, larger than he appears to have been aware of at the date of this telegram, the Ghazni force having been swollen by large numbers of the native tribes, so that the aggregate number opposed to us was very large. During the three days’ fighting our losses amounted to fortythree killed, including six officers, and seventy-six wounded, including ten officers. concentration On Sunday, the 14th, the enemy instead of op the British dispersing, as seems to have been expected by forces at General Roberts, came on in increasing num-

shirpur. btrs. Fighting continued during the day at Cabul, and our losses amounted to nineteen killed, including ten officers, and eighty-eight wounded, among whom were

N ew Series, Vol. XXII. No 380.

three officers. General Roberts then determined to concentrate his dispersed forces in the defensive lines selected by himself at Shirpur, and a telegram from the Viceroy, dated the 15th, announces that this has been effected. General Gough has been ordered up from Gandamak, and Arbuthnott’s brigade is advancing from Jellalabad to reinforce Roberts and enable him to clear the country and act decisively. The Viceroy further telegraphs that reinforcements are being sent up to replace the troops so drawn from the line of communication, that the Government have ample force at their disposal, that the telegraph is open, and that there is no disturbance along the line of communication. Meanwhile, the position of General Roberts in the cantonments of Shirpur may be regarded as perfectly secure, and it is not probable that the enemy will venture to attack him. Should they, however, be rash enough to do so, he will, no doubt, be able to give a good account of them. On the arrival of reinforcements he will resume active operations against the enemy.

COMMUNICATION WITH GENERAL

ROBERTS INTERRUPTED.

On the 17 th the Viceroy telegraphed that communication with General Roberts was then interrupted. This intelligence was to be expected, and the only matter for surprise is that the telegraph wires were not cut immediately after the withdrawal of the troops into the cantonments of Shirpur. Lord Lytton states that the force with General Roberts numbers over 7,000 effectives, that he has a strong entrenched position, cover for his troops, and five months’ supplies. No apprehensions are entertained therefore as to his safety, and he is even said to contemplate resuming offensive operations as soon as he is settled in Shirpur. It was not to be supposed that the advance of General Gough from Gandamak would be unopposed. That officer reports that the tribes in his front have risen, and that he is consequently unable to move without more troops. General Bright is sending on what reinforcements he can spare from Jellalabad, and troops are being pushed on from Peshawur. There is evidence of the efforts which are being made to raise again the tribes along the line of communication between Cabul and the frontier. The Governor of Jellalabad has fled, and letters have been intercepted from Asmatullah Khan detailing arrangements for an attack on Cabul and calling on the Khugianis, a tribe near the Jagdalak pass, to rise. Similar letters have been sent to the Shinwarris, the Mohmunds and the Afridis. The Viceroy anticipates that the enemy will shortly have to disperse for food, but meanwhile our evacuation of Cabul will encourage them and probably enable them to hold out longer than they would otherwise have done, and will tend to raise the tribes on our line of communications.

LATER TELEGRAMS.

General Bright reports from Jellalabad that the posts of General Gough in the Jagdalak Pass had been at'acked on the 16th by the tribes in the vicinity. Three companies of the