The Express.
London, England, 1864-12-26 00:00:00

A History of the &pay War is India, 1867-1858.
By Joint Wuxiau Kava. Loudon : W. H.
Alleu and CO.
The policy of England in India his been so fre-
quently condemned, placing as it did a whole con-
uneut at the mercy of a body of merchant adven-
turers, whose only object was gain, and leaving
them to acquire that gain how they could, that we
are relieved at meeting with a historian who sees
some soul of good even in this evil thing. It is a
very remarkable fact, that during the sway of the
company there had been no mutiny against its
authority ' • the affair at Vellore was a conspiracy of
the friends of the sons of Tippoo, and the other
troubles were merely outbreaks of military insubor-
dination. It was not until a more enlightened
rule was established, and the religions scruples of
the Sepoys, often simulated, began to be respected,
that the notion of a great outbreak became pos-
sible. No one can look back upon the rela-
tions of the English to the natives of India
without feeling that all things pointed to the
great catastrophe of 1867. That forty or fifty
thousand persona should attempt to govern
one hundred and fifty millions of a dif-
ferent race and religion, and to govern them as a
conquered people, must for ever remelts ao example
of unmatched temerity. Had the natives of India
been naturally a stupid people they might probably
have been gulled into willing subjection to the
Europeans, bees brought entegard them as a sort
lof political hierarchy. But both Hiodoos and Mo-
hammedans in India are naturally acute and
observant. They saw that they were being ruled
by a mere handful of white men, whose power was
utterly insignificant if rightly tested. They were
daily insulted and trampled ou by this small band
of strangers. Beardless boys were placed in com-
mand of the native troops, and treated Brahmin
soldiers of the highest cast with intolerable iudig-
nity. The Sepoys of one presidency were used to
overawe those of another ; the natives of one divi-
sion of the cmotry were employed to subdue thaw
of another. Native thrones were overturned, and
native princes slain or ruiued. All this could
not go on for a hundred years without
awakening something like a public opinion
among the subjugated people. The establishment
of a native press gave an immense impulse to ideas
upon the relations of the English with India. The
conceesions demanded by the Sepoys to their reli-
gious feelings were simply feelers, thrown out to as-
certain their own strength and the resistance of those
whom they had bten taught to regard as oppressors.
Unhappily, there was butte* much ground for the
representations of British rule given by its enemies.
Public morality had been openly violated by the
domivant race in many instances ; native princes
had been despoiled on the most flimsy pretences,
and sometimes without even the poor tribute to
justice of a pretence of any kind. To compensate
tor this, the British subsidized the Temple of
Durga and the image of Juggernaut ; as if men
could see with satisfaction their independence and
natural rights infringed because their superstitious
feelings were flattered. We can see that the whole
body of native Indians were ripe for revolt when-
ever the opportunity shook: offer. Mr. Kaye
shows us how that opportunity arose, and
explaios the circumstances that led to it
both remotely and immediately. The narrative
commences with a review of Lord Dalhouaie's ad-
ministration, which terminated 'in 1866. We then
go back to the conquest of the Sikhs by Lord Hay-
dings in 1846, which led to the military occupation
of the Punjab. These events bring into notice
some of the brightest names in Anglo-Indian story
—statesmen, soldiers, Christians, whose wisdom
and character saved the empire in its sorest need,
and whose virtues redeem the shortcomings of their
countrymen. Elphinstone, Metcalfe Outran), the
Lawniuoss par nubile fratritin ; Herbert Edwardes,
Nicholson, Reynell, Taylor, Lake, Lumaden,
Becher, Abbott, Agnew, Cocks. Lord Dalhousie
had that prime quality f a ruler, knowing Low to
choose his ministers and agents ; he had also that
other quality, not less essential to the functions of
government—of confiding fully in the men whom
he had chosen. Ilia inacbiuery was good, his
agency efficient, his intentions excellent, but his
method did nut suit the material he had to operate
upon ; it was, above all, deficient in kuow-
is of the race with whom he bad to deal,
and
therefore deficient in sympathy with'
those feelings and affections by which men
are most beady managed. A just and able man,
fell of philanthropy, and earnest in the discharge
of his duty, it must yet be admitted that Lord
Dalhousie was too much of a theorist and doctrinaire
in his political views, and that without considering
I natural harmony or consistency as necessary between
a race of men and the political system under which
they live, he strove to import into India the consti-
tutional policy of England, and to enforce its ac-
ceptance upon the natives, in spite of their hereditary
habits, and of prejudices that have become incor-
porated with their very nature. He had enlarged
and consolidated our Asiatic empire, but in so doing
he had produced profound discontent throughout
the peninsula. The ancient pensioners of the com-
pany, whose services bad been rewarded with
jagheen, or dotatious of land in allodial possession,
found themselves suddenly reduced to the condition
of tenants at will by the resumption on the part of
the government of the ultimate property in the
land ; the stereotype spirit of Oriental civil-
ization was alarmed by the innovations on
its domestic and social customs ; even the rail-
way and telegraph were regarded by the millions
of India as hostile to their traditionary usages and
beliefs. They could not tell why the British should
thus wish to traverse their country with hippogriffes
breathing fire, or with wires endued with nervous
sensitiveness and intelligence, unless it were for the
purpose of overturning that world of imagination
which bad descended to them from remote anti-
quity, and which they deemed their most sacred
posseesion. To this end tended in their belief the
abolition of Thuggee and Suttee, the missionary
and Bible agencies, the native schOols—everything
done by the British. The spirit of suspicion was
roused, and it fed and got strong upon the merest
trifles ; even the taking away of the lotalm, or brass
drinking vessels, to prevent their use as deadly
weapons, was regarded as a new attack upon the
lescredneas of caste. Of course the priesthood
encouraged the disaffection, and waged a secret but
steady war against all progress, whilst the amine-
, ries of the native princes, who had been degraded
' and impoverished, were indefatigable in stirring up
and fanning the sparks of insurrection. The an-
nexation of (Jude was only one out of many
examples of the broad grounds given by the Bri-
tish government for all these suspicions, this hatred,
disaffection, and incipient revolt. Lord Delhowde's
government was a failure, the brilliant designs with
which he entered upon his duties were shat-
tered in collision with the immovable obstinacy of I
the Asiatic races, and be returned to England
broken in health and discouraged in hope, shortly
to had rest in the grave from his splendid cares
and sorrows. He was succeeded by Lord Caning,
who as yet had scarcely anything public to recom-
mend him but his great patronymic. Mr. Kaye
gives additional interest to the administration of
Lord Canning by a brief but excellent biography,
which will show the reader that although but little
knows at this time to the public, he bad been pass-
ing through that discipline which was best fitted to
mature his powers and to qualify him for the fiery
trial through which lie was destined to bring tri-
umphantly the British name and character. He
entered upon his government at a time when be-
neath a smooth surface the bitterest and most cruel
passions were raging against the nation he repre-
sented. The native rulers who bad been dispos-
sessed or disappointed. were not unobservant of- the
signs of the times. The Crimean war, the Persian
war, were occupying the attention of England. Nana