The Press.
London, England, 1858-10-23 00:00:00

peace, and he prayed fervently that this peace might
continue, we should always be prepared for war,
The officers of the navy were most anxious to be
placed in such a position by the good understanding
and right feeling of the people of England, and when
called upon to shed their blood in the defence of their
country, weapons and means should be placed in ,heir
hands, not only to show their ability and strength, but
their readiness to meet the liberal expenditure of the
country by making the best use of those weapons.
His lordship resumed his seat amid loud and
continued cheering.

THE EARL OF SHAFTESBURY ON INDLt

AND CHINA.
AT the annual meeting of the Leeds Auxiliary Bible
Society, on Monday night,

The Earl of SittrrEsnufty, who presided, having
appealed to his audience to promote the spread of
the Gospel in France, Austria, and Italy, said that
eudesett
to
devotethe
countries tah eepf
strongrbnet
East
prin-
cipal
se
tcl owpnehtrii
tne nf
at
tt ohafel
it Er t
ieumbr oee
spr
m
while acting in the most free and catholic spirit on
h
p
trshe
set oey
nt :I
claim, but peculiarly so at that moment. It was im-
possible to look upon the two great empires of India
and China without seeing that they were invited, he
might say commanded, to direct their special efforts
to the evangelization of their people. India pre-
sented peculiar claims, for not only was she now a
constituent part of her Majesty's empire, and her
people their fellow-subjects, but she was fast emergi • ng
from a frightful revolution; and if they wished to
govern that empire, and to prevent the recurrence of
such horrors as had been disclosed during the mutiny,
not only in fact but in their very notion, they must
do all in their power to raise the people of India to
a level with themselves in spiritual knowledge, and
give them the means of free access to the written
Word of God. Notwithstanding all that had taken
place, India was at that moment in a position more
favourable than she had ever been before for the
diffusion of God'a Word. This was the opinion of
almost every one who hail the opportunity for forming
a correct judgment, and from every quarter of that
vast empire was heard the cry, " Come over and help
us." With reference to the past, he must say that
he thought thtiir missionaries had committed a great
mistake, as well as all engaged in circulating the
Scriptures, by the special attention they bad given
to the conversion of the high caste and the Brahmin.
They had been thought objects peculiarly worthy
the claim of the missionary, who had thus, uninten-
tionally, done much more than he was aware of to
fasten on the native mind that vanity, that conceit,
that self sufficiency, that conviction which pervaded
Indian society that caste was a thing of immense
value. The conversion of a Brahmin caused more
noise than the conversion of a dozen pariahs, and
the news circulated from hand to hand over the
entire country, and thus the attachment to caste had
been unintentionally fostered. And yet that caste
was the great, almost the only, obstacle to civilization
in India, and it was their duty to set it aside, to
treat it with the contempt it deserved. For God's
sake, do nothing which should savour of coercion or
civil disability ; do nothing which should enable the
mostimalignatit to say that they were not acting in
accordance with justice; but let them ignore caste,
and declare that they would recognize nothing but
individual merit, whether found in the proudest
Brahmin or the meanest Sudra, declare that caste
was of no value and had no influence, and they
might depend upon it there was not a Brahmin in
India who would not soon pocket his caste, and that in
a few years they would hear no more about it.
Hitherto the no-caste population, numbering no less
than twenty millions, and forming the aboriginal race
and the hill tribes of the country, had been neglected
by the Christian missionary, but they formed the army
of Clive and of Lawrence, they obtained the dominion
of the country, and if the English nation were only
true to them they would save India,. as they had w../I1
it, and keep it in peace for the advancement of
religion and civilization. Everything showed that in
India opportunities were opened to them such as were
never opt ned before, and he did hope that, in con•
junction with that excellent society for training native
schoolmasters and schoolmistresses, to teach in the
vernacular, special attention would be directed to
India. Then as to China, they had now established
a treaty which gave them free access into that empret
and recognized not only the existence of Christianity,
but for
some the right to teach it. It was possible thato
some time the stipulation would be only a bare
_
or
principle , u the op nb t e ing was made, and it was I
well
them to avail themselves of it ; and it W
whikS
ether
worthy the consideration of the Bible Society,
a special Lund should not be opened for the issue of
one million Chinese Bibles, for circulation in China.
Attention should also be directed to the Chines
emigrants in their Australian colonies. It was cal.
culated that there were something like 40,000 Chinese
nd thieking
in Australia. They were an intelligent a
people, and as they everywhere evinc • ed the j2teptiOU

TilE PRESS OCTOBER 23, 1858.
-Ise from any neglect on Old England. The army its a profession might be peace, and he prayed fervently that this peace might
'by reason of the im- useful when the foe reached our coasts, but we should continue, we should always be prepared for war.
-o and art—in the be prepared with fleets ready to put to sea at any The officers of the navy were most anxious to be
c affairs of the moment to prevent them reaching the shores of our placedcalleandrd ig
upon to shedihnt
fseueclhihag
position bnyplethnef gEonodglaVerstanding
•
'etroduction island,—when
sn effecttheir
That precious gem, born of the silver sea.
;on of country, weapons and means should be placed in ,beir
• a lfe forgot the context at the moment, but ho knew hands, not only to show their ability and strength, but
it applied to :he important matter of the protection their readiness to meet the liberal expenditure of the
-'f our sea•girt isle, which we should make defensible country by making the best use of those weapons.
:nst any fleets that could possibly be put to sea. His lordship resumed his seat amid loud and
seven years' war of 1763 we had 113 sail of continued cheering.
and Parliament voted 56,626 seamen and
in those which followed the figures were THE EARL OF SHAFTESBURY ON INDIA.
Seamen and AND CHINA.
Date. Sail. Marines.
AT the annual meeting of the Leeds Auxiliary Bible
17+42 .. 126 .. 105,433
.. 120 .. 112.0,100 Society, on Monday night,
.. 113 .. 1 01,387 The Earl of Sittrrnsnuoy, who presided, havin33 g
67,729 appealed to his audience to promote the spread of
in fitting out the Gospel in France, Austria, and Italy, said that
'-kuce. Those while acting in the most free and catholic spirit on
4o inflict a the continent of Europe, they must devote the prin.
"Inland cipal part of their energies to those countries of the
vof East which at all times presented to them a strong
I claim, but peculiarly so at that moment. It was im-
oossikle to look upon the two great empires of India
,1 China without seeing that they were invited, he
• say commanded, to direct their special efforts
-angelization of their people. India pre-
'iar claims, for not on:), was she now a
+ of her Majesty's empire, and her
subjects, but she was fast emerging
lotion; and if they wished to
.0 prevent the recurrence of
closed during the mutiny,
^v notion, they must
-eople of India to
•nowledge, and
the written
,c 1 taken
more