The Press. — London, England, 1858-12-11 00:00:00

. . . . - ...• - .... • . _ - . 1 1202 THE PRESS DECEMBER 11, 1858 . We doubt whether Mr. LOWE himself does not princes .7f 7-----"-------"--- India may l oo k forward with confi - On the whole, it is a proclamatio n prefer the present calm of Kidderminster to the dente to retaining their possessions, without the people of this c iose o t u h n teh t r ry encah m taraio a n y cst w oef e r ll tohf l e e t fear of their being, at some future day, seized it is one which, from its dignity, moderation, and more exciting reminiscences of a former visit to his constituents. and absorbed by the dominant power which j t • h as e ti e 7 e , s vi o ili f the ra surrounds them. THE NEW APOSTLE OF FINALITY. THE INDIAN PROCLAMATION. Her Majesty also pledges herself "to respect "the rights, dignity, and honour ofnative princes IVHEN Sir ROBERT PEEL carried off the clothes THIS document, as important a one as ever was "as her own; " and we must claim for this pro- issued by a monarch of these realm; has been raise the merit also of novelty. Had we re- spected the "rights "of native princes, many of of the bathing Whigs, they were, at all events, received in this country since our last publica- the horrors of the late mutiny would not have new clothes, and could be thought and said an app l au di ng tion. We have read it, as we are sure every worn —at least so occurred. It must never be forgotten that it was patriotic and honest man amongst us must have the denial of the rights of adoption to NANApublic—to some read it, with feelings of the greatest pleasure and SAHIB which roused into ungovernable fury the purpose, if not with some grace. The appropria• admiration. There is not a topic on which it inhuman passions of that monster, led him tion was intelligible, and the new wearer got on to conceive and to execute the awful mas- as well:as if he had been born in them—as well as ought to touch with which it omits to deal; and, Jack did in the Giant's Seven-League Boots. sac . re at Cawnpore, and, in the eyes of .wh o p .io f s r r o w n : d u a li d; i c i h na t n h idn e on every topic with which it deals, it deals ably and but that Somebody should, at the present MO . - his countrymen, gave him a position to stand well. We venture to predict that it will serve non Other instances of the refusal of to establish British rule throughout India on 11 . . ' • their rights migh t be brought forward—rights ment, pick up and indue the old, uncomfortable. firm foundations, for it lays down with clearness dear, beyond measure, to the Hindoos, as affect- and ill-made garment of Finality which Lord the principles on which hereafter that mighty ing, in their . belief, their state in a future life —empire is to be governed, and it sets up a stan-Josisi RUSSELL has with difficulty shuffled ed . rights affecting the Hindoos in general through- • • dard of appeal, by which may be tested ouris singular, and that that Somebody should be Mr out the length and breadth of the land, and future measures and policy. There it is ; it when violated in the persons of their LOWE is most surprising. Yet so it is. Mr. cannot be reversed ; it is the great Charter w hich, • chiefs, made them tremble for their own. They LOWE stands forth as the champion of Finality. which all the inhabitants of India can henceforth claim as their right. have now their Queen's assurance that their The politician who denounced all ancient privilegn "rights will be respected," and doubtless this and prescriptive rights, who laughed at th e We will only touch upon the leading points. will likewise serve to re-establish confidence in notion of usage and vested interests, and who stip one of the most important of which is contained the native mind, and reconcile it to British matised Charters and Title Deeds as musty parch- in the following words, which we read with the dominion. ments, entreats his fellow-countrymen not to greatest sastifaction : On the subject of religion, we are glad to see trifle with a Constitution consalidated by the "We desire no extension of our present terri- the avowal of a belief in Christianity promi- events of six hundred years, takes his stand tonal possessions; and while we will permit no nently put forward in the foreground; no base against Mr. BIUGHT, with CHATHAII, BUM, aggression upon our dominions or our rights to attempt to ignore the fact that the Sovereign of Pirr, and CANNING at his back, and declares his be attempted with impunity, we shall sanction these realms is a believer in Christianity,in order determination to seek henceforth " for the in- no encroachment on those of others. We shall to obtain the good-will of her heathen subjects. " spiration of his conduct from that pure fowl. respect the rights, dignity, and honour of native Then, in the genuine spirit of Christianity, comes " tarn—the generous and noble history of the princes as our own." a disclaimer of her Majesty's right or " desire to " British Constitution." These declarations are so calculated t o corn- impose these her convictions on any of her Mr. LOWE is, in fact, against nearly every pro- " sub - jects." position that Mr. BRIGHT has made or hinted at. mend themselves to general approb a ti on that Next comes the declaration of " our Royal will He is, or his speech is, highly Conservative. We there are many—too many, w e f ear — w h o Will " and pleasure that none be in anywise fa- don't know that we have been so surprised read them as mere declarations of course, highly " voured, molested, or disquieted, by means of since in our boy hood we saw for the first time befittiir , a British Sovereign on the " their religious observances ; but that all shall on the stage a French clown who was made to direct government ° of so vast an empire. assuminglt is, " alike enjoy the equal and impartial protectiou &epic:sent two weu, by converting his back-front therefore, well to point out that, although ` cer- tainly they are only in accorda nc e w ith every `of the law." This, again, is excellent ; the into a front-front, and putting a face on the "religious observances," of course, being such as back of his head--one front being a thief and the principle of justice and good faith, they yet have the law allows. For the law, be it remembered, other a policeman. But what are we to think the further merit of novelty; for they are not the does restrict such religious observances (for in- of Mr. LOWE in his new garments? Shall we doctrines that have either been proclaimed o . r acted upon for the last quarter of a century in stance,.. Thuggee and Suttee) which come into enrol among our Conservative forces this able • collision with the everlasting rules of justice and but somewhat timid, gentleman who is afraid England and her agents in dealing with India. morality. that Mr. NEWDEGATE is going too far and too Had they been, we are well convinced that we should never have passed through the fearful The conclusion of the parasraph which we e fast? He is a man of very considerable talent, ordeal of the late mutiny and rebellio n . have quoted is as follows : and would be no small acquisition to any party% But what is under his clothes ? We should Lord DALHOUSIE, be it remembered, publicly "We do strictly charge and enjoin all those like to know that. "Seems" are very well avowed that annexation of the dominions of the who may be in authority under us, that they man aged native princes, on every plausible occasion, wa s , a b sta i n f rom a ll i nter f erence w i th the religious cult now-a-days; and it is nearly as dd . to discern a man's political intentions and ought to be, the rule of British p o li c y ; an d b e li e f or wors hi p of any b . • of oursu j ects, on pain of th roug h hi s s p eec h es a nd his writings, u to he acted upon this rule. The most signal—not our highest displeasure." guess at a woman s figure through crinoline. We the only instance, however—of his so doing, was This i s th e on l y sentence i n t h e P roc l amat i on in the case of the Sove re i gn o f O u d e , whose are afraid we shall be regarded as very suspi- dominions were seized and a nnexe d s h ort l y a ft er which we could wish omitted or altered ; for cious people, but we cannot accept ap surearances ly, as must be inferred from what we have pure and simple, in grantee, the case of Mr. we, anY h,. , had been declared by the Q ueen ' s G overn - just said, it needs qualification. In its present more than in the instance of M. DE MOST"' ment as " the sovereign who with his an ces t ors " had been uniformly faithful to their treaty form it covers Thuggee, Suttee, or any other LEMBERT• abominations which may be practised, under the " engagements with us," and of whom Lord DAL- pretext, or even the conviction, of their being what 'lir is not:siv. himself declared, so late as on the 18th of Lo it thwEa'tshaettiistusode anxious i s conserve . Ba sad June, 1855, that " the rulers of Oude had ever required by " religious belie" or of their being to shield from the attack of Mr. BOUGHT . Is i t t " been faithful and true in their adherence to the essential to "religious worship." We feel cer- the British Constitu ion, the influence of the_ " British power. and that no wavering friendship min that that is not the construction which its middle classes, and the representation of pro e authors would put upon it, but it is the construe- perty and intelligence ;oris it the position of th " has ever been laid to their charge." Who can now doubt but that our ungrateful conduct tion to which it is not only liable, but which is Whig-Radical party, as represented by th ir e , hi_t! towards this ruler of Oude, a n d our unjustifiable the logically correct one. We say we are sure it Ad m i n i s t rat i on , an d the machinery by , for annexation of his dominion ; on f a l se pretence; is not the construction which its authors would t h e y ga i ne d th a t position, and by which, were two of the chief caus es i n w hi c h th e mutiny put upon it, because Lord STANLEY himself told near ly a quar t er o f a c entury, they have retain of the army origin a t e d, an d w hi c h ma i n l y con- eii the deputation from the missionary societies that " a l mos t a mono p o ly o f power " ? Let us take Inc duced to convert it into a rebellion of that whole " " The co Were certain principles which were pro- f o ll ow i ng ex t rac t : — people ? baltvalder than any form of belief now exist- " ing the world, and such principles they were We say false pretences, because we affirm that those who have read the official reports of the " hou r to carry out in opposition to any native called The by ß t e h th a nn t modest ßili o n f am l " prej dices or feelings which might be opposed ordinary state of' the police in Bengal, must be well aware am a drop of blood, or disturbing the e, B32 4as alt reall hou y gh a it gr w e ; that if the internal condition of Oude really "to them." We regret that we o not find such revo l u ti on.. 6 True, it was carried without ken- justified its annexation to our Indian dominions , a qualification of this declaration, but we trustrevo lution. an early opportunity will be taken of setting it the internal condition of Bengal would equally t b h u e s i i e n ss, ess o a f lif gr e a ea n t d of societ y inipo; important t t it w re as, vo net. - er - Th who *ed it naturally and justly ac- theej its annexation to the dominions of right. --Ile quired a claim upon the gratitude of to vest .: King of OUDE. For the want of protection The promise to protect the rights of landed for person and property, and the amount of crime proprietors is also specially calculated to restore a monopoly of power. At least, with the excep- (the plea put forth for dethroning the King), tranquillity and confidence. The unwise mea- tion of five y during which Sir R. Puns. To of England, and they gained by that bill almo Was quite as great in the Bengal provinces, as m sures adopted in Oude immediately after its Prime Minister, the Government has been exc u r ; party whose leaders , the dominions of his Majesty. We will not now particularize other cases, in annexation, with reference to the tenure of land, in which the sepoys of the Bengal army were sively in the hands of the were the means of which the territories of native princes have been deeply interested, was unquestionably one of the unjustifiably annexed to our dominions we will many exciting causes which produced the na turally hike to do POmething which will re e __ . content ourselves with expressing our s trong mutiny. al )- This is very temting to a Government — t he y they_ them twenty years of office unmterruPtedlY' k ith probation that henceforth this lust for territorial i Of the amnesty clauses it is impossible to all the concomitants of pay and pa vithr a. 6 carrying that Reform Biu• A el tension is renounced, so that the native speak with too great praise• • They like it ;it is human nature. And ha.— .... a ..... .. II