The Press.
London, England, 1857-09-05 00:00:00

LONDON, SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER

attack upon thp Residency which was repulsed
so gallantly wIR be the last. It is not in the
nature of the horde of ruffians that fill that
Mahon3edatn city to remain quiet while the
storm of war and rebellion is raging around.
Over the dreadful horrors of Cawnpore we
would gladly draw a veil; but it is a mistake
to suppose that it was a deed of infuriated
passion in the monster NANA SAHIB. With
him we may be sure it was an act done deli-
berately to dishonour us beyond redemption
throughout the whole Eastern world.
To talk of money matters at such a moment
may be deemed unworthy, but in the examina-
tion of our position financial considerations can-
not he wholly thrown aside. There can be no
doubt that the resuit of this outbreak
will be to render the Indian finances insol-
vent, and to throw not o-ply the chief cost of
the suppression of the rebellion on the mother
country, but to cause a large annual drain on
our finances, even after peace shall be restored,
for the support of the vast body of European
troops in India whom it will be utterly im-
possible for us to provide for from the dimi-
nished receipts there.
Such is our position as it really stands.
The question then arises by what chain of
circumstances has this state of things been
brought about? The Ministerial journals tell
us that it is because the Sepoys have been
pampered. and petted; but Sir CHARLES
NAPIER, wpb knew the Sepoys well, says:—
" I have constantly commanded and studied
" Bengal and Bombay Sepoys for nearly eight
" years, and could find nothing to fear from
" them except when Mused." And whenever an
inquiry shall be instituted into the treatment
they had received of late years, it will be found
that, so far from being pampered and petted,
they had, in the matter of distant expeditions,
and furloughs, and compensation, and hutting,
and allowances, and invalidings, and privileges
of various kinds, been extremely illused. Or,
at least, they had been used in a manner very
different from that to which they had been
before accustomed, and which long enjoyment
had led them to expect. But all these were
trifling grievances compared with the seizure
of their country, and the-confiscation of their
lands under pretence of a new revenue settle-
ment, which. immediately followed on the
annexation of Oude. This seems to have
been the culminating point with them, and
they knew that they would find sympathy, if
not active allies, among our own illused ryots.
and in those who peopled the other lately
annexed native States. Here was the real
cause of the final resort to arms. Thus, al/
the horrors that have been perpetrated, all
the money that has been and will be wasted,
and all the misery and dishonour that have
been occasioned, are owing to Lord PAL-
MERSTON and Lord DALHOCSIE, the Minister
who sanctioned, and the Governor-General
who effected, this unjustifiable act. It might
have been something if the Government, de-
termined, in spite of warnings, to persist in a
course so dangerous, had at least had the
sense to provide against the resistance which
they had resolved to brave. But, so far from
this, the establishment of Queen's troops in
India was reduced in order to give an im-
proved appearance to the balance-sheet, and a
large force of Europeans and Bombay troops
was sent to Persia only to be hurried back again
before we had reaped any of the advantages of
that foolish war. At the same time the
Madras troops were left to garrison Burma',