Just at this moment the European nations have but two
wars on hand, one a war of defence waged by the British in New Zea- land, and the other a war of conquest commenced by the French in Cochin China. Of the former we have nothing to report, but the French have achieved an important success. Their army, which was reduced by sickness to a purely defensive attitude, has been reinforced by part of the China squadron, and has recommenced operations with the capture of Mytho. According to French ac- counts, this success places the province of Saigon in their hands ; in reality it is of no importance whatever. The key. to Cochin China, as to all these rotten empires of Eastern Asia, is the capital, and till that is occupied nothing is achieved. Hue once in their hands, the French will hold the reins of administration, may demand the whole country, or content themselves with the pro- vince of Cambodia. The natives will obey them as they would obey any conqueror, and with a strong naval position in the Meinam, a province to furnish them supplies, and the Philippines to lend them Irregulars, they will assume a position in the East second only to that occupied by Great Britain. Meanwhile, hostilities in Saigon afford them an excuse for maintaining a war squadron in Eastern seas.
