The Press.
London, England, 1858-05-15 00:00:00

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LONDON, SATURDAY, MAY 15, 1858.

POSTSCRIPT.

SATURDAY AFTERNOON,

THE INDIA MAIL.

THE papers of this morning give us letters from
India. these letters strongly corroborate the view
we have taken on page 408, of the serious character
of the present crisis in India. The correspondent
of the Times says :

It seems clear that we have a hot-weather campaign upon
our hands. The sepoye, some 8,000 excepted, have
escaped, and are swarming into Rohilcund and the pro-
vinces east of 13enares. Bareilly overflows with them and
with the armed ruffians who, beaten everywhere. still con-
gregate whenever there is a chance of plunder or of
anarchy. Bahadoor Khan is rapidly building up an admi-
nistration, collecting revenue, founding families, striking
coin in his own name. All the discontented seek his pro-
tection, and leader after leader, the Nana being the first,
submit to a man risen from the ranks. lie has, lam
told, a strong body of cavalry, in which he reposes great
confidence, some 25,000 eepoya, and an armed rabble which
may be estimated at any number you please to fix
These districts must be garrisoned after they aro won,
and we have not the force to do the work. There are up.
wards of forty of them, exclusive of Bengal Proper, all
in more or less danger, and varying in size from districts
as large as Scotland to districts as small as Suffolk. Each
requires for the present one wing of an European regi-
ment. Where are they to come from ? Certainly not
from the force now in the country, for Sir Colin Camp-
bell, after garrisoning only a few stations, cannot collect
more than 8,000 Europeans for the attack on Rohilcund.
We need more men if the war is to be brought to an
early termination. It was the want of men which frus-
trated the operations before Lucknow,—so frustrated them
that officers of experience hold our position actually worse
than before we entered Oude.

The same letter also enlightens us as to the mean-
ing of the term " confiscation ":

From Delhi I hear that Sir John Lawrence has left for
Lahore, having submitted full proposals to Government
for the military and political defence of the territory.
Arrangements for the management of the confiscated
estates, Jhujliu r, Dadree, and ilahadoorgurh—they are as
big as most English counties—have been completed.

The text of Lord Canning's Conde Proclamation
had not transpired at Calcutta, but all its leading
features were known. The Hurkaru, which publishes
a summary of its provisions, says of the confiscating
clause:—

The wisdorn of this measure has been questioned, on
the ground of its sweeping severity on the sorest point of
■n Asiastie's feelings—his property.

The Calcutta Phenix concludes its review of the
state of things with this remarkable avowal .

In conclusion, we ham only to observe that the temper
of the people of this country has never been so excited
against any former rulers as it is now against the British.
There is no use in concealing the fact that we are regarded
by most classes of natives with feelings of religious and
national hatred. India must, indeed, for a long roll of
years be held by the sword.

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