The Press.
London, England, 1857-10-24 00:00:00

a single assembly of this kind, even where the strictest
rules prohibit our touching on anything not immediately
bearing on the subject before us—has there been a single
agricultural meeting where, a member of Parliament has
addressed his constituents, when he has not Seen impelled
by the feeling of the meeting to say something on the con-
dition of India? We all feel confident that no such man
would debase such a subject to a party question. No man,
whatever he may think, whatever may be his opinion as
to the faults or the merits of particular parties—no man,
I say, in this society, and I hope no man in England,
would be base enough to make a party question of the
British empire. In this convivial meeting we cannot
recall—it would cause too deep a pang—all that has taken
place in India. Of all that has been said on the subject
lately nothing, to my mind, has been better or more to
the purpose than a letter of Lord Ellenborough. There is
no party spirit there • there is a reservation, so far, for
consideration hereafter, as to what may be our civil or
our political duties; but there is the appeal of an old
Englishman to English courage, English energy, English
determination. And it is perfectly true. It might be
quite possible for us to lose India,—as if India were sweet
into the ocean,—and still to remain a great and magnifi-
cent people. But it is impossible for us to remain a great
people—l will say it is impossible for us to remain a safe
people—if we were to lose India in the way we are now
threatened. It is impossible for us to be sofa against
Europe, it is impossible for us to be safe against any of
the despots of the earth, if it could be said, " England in
the plenitude of her strength, England with her countless
army, England with all her pride, could allow not only
her soldiers, not only the flower of her army, but her
women and infants to he massacred, and cease from the
contest before she had achieved a triumphant, an effectual,
a permanent victory." If we could endure that, I believe
the ocean would flow around us in vain. I believe the
ocean would soon be passed, that as England has before
now been invaded,—as the sea has been crossed when
England had not men, as she has now, to defend her,
so, though similar atrocities could not take place in this
country, the time might come when England would have
to submit to a foreign despotism. If England loses
her reputation, she loses that which distinguishes her
from the rest of Europe. No doif3t there is a good
deal which we must calmly consider, which it would
not become me now to enter on. At present our duty
is not that of calm reflection—our duty is to put down
the revolt, and to rally with all our strength around
the Executive Government, no matter in whose hands
that Government is placed—the Executive Govern-
ment which represents the Majesty of the, Crown,
and whose duty it is to preserve the lives of our
endangered countrymen. So long as the danger
lasts our tongues are in some degree fettered. While they
are putting down the rebellion we must be careful not to
utter a single word to weaken their authority. If at this
moment a mad bull were let loose among us, I don't think
the hest graver in Yorkshire would induce us to listen to
&lecture on the management of horned cattle in general.
I think the wisest man would be, not he who could instruct
you in the best method of dealing with dangerous cattle
generally, but the man who made the shortest work of the
bull. Gentlemen, that is now our object—we must make
short work of the bull. After that we shall have to
consider the wisest, or, what is the same thing, the justest
and mildest manner, consistent with our empire, of ma-
naging the wild cattle we shall have to subdue and tame.
Christianity imposes on us great obligations. The whole
question connected with India is so difficult that we ought
to have the greatest indulgence for the errors of any
Government that may have preceded us, and to consider
carefully, wisely, and without any spirit of party, bow we
may best do our duty to God and to that vast population
committed to our sceptre.