The Press.
London, England, 1857-09-19 00:00:00

MR. HENLEY ON THE INDIAN MUTINIES.

ON Thursday last the annual ploughing matches of
the Thame Agricultural Association took place at
Theme, when abc.ut forty teams competed for the
prizes offered by the society. In the evening about
130 members of the association sat down to dinner
at the Spread Eagle Hotel, under the presidency of
Mr. W. H. Wykeham, of Tythorp-park.
The cloth having been drawn, and the usual loyal
toasts disposed of,
The CHAIRMAN proposed " The Health of the
Members for the County of Oxford, Mr. Henley, Mr.
Harcourt, and Colonel North," which was drunk in
a rapturous manner.
Mr. HENLEY, on rising, was loudly cheered, and,
after apologising for the absence of Mr. Harcourt
from indisposition, he proceeded to remark that
questions of a social nature, which in ordinary times
and under ordinary circumstances they were desirous
of promoting, were now, he would not say altogether
passed away, but they were entirely overshadowed by
matters of more stirring interest which had recently
occurred, for there was scarcely any class of society,
however high or low their position in life, who had
not got some friends or acquaintances in India, or
who had not, at all events, some interest in the
dreadful struggle which was going on at a distance of
14,000 miles from this country. With respect to the
complaints against our rule, he ;believed that our
rule had been productive of a great amount of
security for life and property—that there had been
much less wrong of any sort or kind during the
period of British rule in India than the history of
any preceding times could show in that country
The nations of India were accustomed to be governed by
the sword, and he ( Mr. Henley) believed that it was quite
impossible that they could be altogether governed upon
the same principle and in the same way as we governed
ourselves in this country, although the people of this
country were apt to complain that tee hand was too heavy.
But the events which had occurred in India had taken the
wisest and best men by surprise. They found the native
army of from 80,000 to 100,000 men, well paid, well cared
for, and well pensioned, drifting away without any known
reason—for he believed it was now acknowledged on all
hands that the plea of the cartridge was only a pretence.
This large body of soldiers, without he might say rhyme or
reason, had now turned against those whose salt they had
eaten and whose pay they had received, and in the most
treacherous manner had foully murdered the officers
whom it was their duty to protect, and, not content with
murdering the officers of the different regiments, they
had all heard of the cruelties and barbarities which had
been committed upon defenceless women and children,
and that, too, with a refinement of cruelty which was quite
unparalleled, for they performed them before the very eyes
of the men with whom they had been connected, and whose
pay they had been receiving, and, having in the first
instance butchered the wives and children of their officers,
they barbarously despatched them also. He believed that
the history of the world did not present within so short
a space of time such a woeful example of what wretched
creatures human beings were when they were let loose
from the restraints which kept them within the bounds of
decency and forbearance. But the day of reckoning must
come, and it was due to English women and to English
children, for it was not in the English nature to allow
parties belonging to them to be treated in that barbarous
manner without calling those to account who had been the
perpetrators of such horrid cruelties. He ventured to say
that every one throughout the length and breadth of the
land felt it was only due to their fellow-subjects in India
that if the 30,000 or 40,000 men who had been sent from
this country were found insufficient to set matters straight,
even larger numbers should be sent, and, if necessary,
100,000 inure should follow in their steps to redress the
grievous wrong that had been inflicted upon them.
A matter of that importance must throw all social ques-
tions into the shade. The question whether 101. or 81.
howleholklera or other persona shotthl have votes must

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sink into insignificance when compared to the revolt in
India, anti be hoped that question would pot be consi-
dered until they could see their way clearly through the
difficulties whieli beset them. They had a mighty wrong
which must be redressed. It was not a question whether
India was governed in the wisest and best way that human
ingenuity could suggest. But no man, in his opinion,
could pretend to say that they had any wrong or grievance
at all to complain of. It was possible that some of the
native princes might feel aggrieved, but for the men who
bad taken our pay, who had sworn allegiance year after
year to our Sovereign, to turn round and slaughter in the
most cruel manner our helpless women and children, it
was a thing which every• man with English blood in his
veins would say must be effectually put down. He (Mr.
Henley) was not one of those who was impatient to put
down the vagabonds who had joined iu this revolt; vaga-
bonds they were, for the first thing a vagabond did when
he wanted to do anything wrong was to let loose all the
thieves and cutthroats to help him, and in all revolutions
the first thing was to get the aid and assistance of those
who were as great rascals as themselves. Toe first thing
these mutineers did was to liberate 3,000 or 4,0()0 rascals
from our gaols. As he had always remarked, he was not
impatient in this matter, but he hoped the mutineers
would remain in Delhi until the month of October or
Nov., when the reinforcements had arrived, and they could
be all punished together, instead of their being allowed to
walk out of one of the three sides (for he believed it was a
three•sided city), while we walked in at the other. Ile
had no doubt, if they remained there, that when the troops
arrived they would soon be able to give a short account of
them. It would be a great misfortune if the rebels were
allowed to obtain a temporary success, and when our troops
got into Delhi for the mutineers to walk out, because they
would then be in a position to give us more trouble. He
thought it was a fortunate thing that the rebels all docket
to Delhi, instead of spreading themselves over India,
because the experience of all of them taught them that if
they wanted to kill vermin the best and most effectual
plan was to get theta into a corner. He was therefore not
at all disappointed that Delhi had not been taken, and
regarded is as a guarantee of a more permanent success.
With regard to the resources of this country, he thought
they were equal to tea times the pressure which the pre-
sent state of India would make upon them. They had
had greater difficulties than that to contend with in times
past, for such was the spirit of our countrymen, that it
was not until difficulties arose that they found out what an
Englishman was made of. During times of prosperity no
one would think that Englishmen were so capable of
" buckling to," and overcoming all hindrances ; but it was
the spirit of Englishmen at all times when they were put
upon their trial to throw all difficulties and troubles aside,
and when they saw the thing was to be done to hang toge-
ther and do it. That was the spirit which had carried
them through ten times greater difficulties than that which
existed in India. Just one hundred years had elapsed
since our countrymen won India. - England was at tie
present time three times stronger and more powerful than
site was then ; she possessed vastly increased means of
communication, and he had therefore no doubt that we
should win back that which we had lost, and keep it with
still greater security.

THE CHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHEQUER
AT AN ARCHERY FETE.
IT is refreshing'in these anxious times to see that
Ministers in the midst of their serious responsi-
bility can find time for a little relaxation ; that
they can put on their Balmorals, or their overalls,
and enjoy a week or two's shooting or fishing at
pleasure, or perchance, if, like the Chancellor of the
Exchequer, their tastes lead them to prefer milder
pursuits, to attend archery fetes, distribute the prizes,
make speeches, and even return thanks for the
ladies. It was upon such a brilliant occasion that
Sir George Lewis recently spoke in public. Ths
archers of Herefordshire held a fete, and the
Chancellor of the Exchequer, amidst the cheers of
the guests, made the wittiest and most original speech
at the banquet Among other topics handled by the
right hon. gentleman was one not only novel in its
nature, but, under the circumstances, important in
its application, We allude to " the weather ":
Before he resumed his seat he begged to be permitted
to express a feeling which be was sure' must be shared in
by every one present—his great admiration of the beauty
of the scenery by which they were surrounded, and the
pleasure which he could not fail to experience in their
being so fortunate as to have a day so much more agree-
able and propitious than those which had preceded it, but
he hoped not better than those by which it would be fol-
lowed. The weather truly had cleared up in a very
auspicious manner for their enjoyment, and perhaps a
better spot could hardly have been found in the kingdom
for the prosecution of the elegant pastime of archery.
He should only be uttering truth if he said, it almost
seemed that nature had selected that particularly lovely
spot as the scene for a bow meeting. The weather was
particularly lovely, the ground most conveniently situated
for shooting, and they were surrounded by all varieties of
scenery, diversified by nature and embellishei by art.
These feelings he could not help expressing—feelings
which he knew to be participated in by the great assembly
he had the honour of addressing.

THE DUKE OF CAMBRIDGE hai consented to lay
the foundation-stone of a Crimean monument in
Sheffield early in October, Tile day will be observed
as a general holiday.

921

fit start.

The Poems of Carolina, Baroness Nairn.
(Modern Scottish Minstrelsy.) Edited by

Charles Rogers, LL.D. Edinburgh: A. and

C. Black.

WE have received for review six octavo
volumes of a work called "Modern Scottish
Minstrelsy," in which much mediocre verse is
bound up side by side with some capital lyrics
that do honour to the Caledonian muse. A
large portion of the contents of this compiled
publication is not better than what may be
found in the corner-pieces of country journals.
Songs by Sir Walter Scott, Thomas Campbell,
Lockhart, Allan Cunningham, and many
others, are inserted, and there are short
biographical notices of the various writers.
If this were all that the publication contained,
we should only mention the fact of its being a
compilation.

But in its first volume nearly fifty pages are
devoted to a poetess who has won for herselfan
undying wreath amongst Scottish minstrels.
We allude to Carolina, Baroness Nairn, some of
whose admirable productions we must bring
before our readers. Lady Nairn was author
of some choice pieces that were ushered
anonymously into the world. The new
version of the " Laird of Cockpen," by far the
best copy of the " Lass of Gowrie," the beauti-
ful song of the " Land o' the Leal," and the
sweetly pathetic piece called " The Mitherless
Lammie, belong to Lady Nairn, along with
many other lyrics of scarcely less merit. Like
Lady Anne Barnard (the authoress of "Auld
Robin Gray") Lady Nairn was a friend of
Sir Walter Scott, and she wore her honours
with singular modesty. She was a woman of
remarkable genius and genuine simplicity of
character. She appreciated all the homely
virtues of the poor, and felt deeply with their
domestic sorrows. Her mind had a healthy
vein of true natural piety, without cant or
ostentation, and her writing was inspired by
ennobling emotions.
Of this most interesting and distinguished
Scottish lady we find the following account
here :

Carolina Oliphant was horn in the old mansion of
Gask, in the county of Perth, on the 16th of July, 1766.
She was the third daughter and fifth child of Laurence
Oliphant of Gask, who had espoused his cousin Margaret
Robertson, a daughter of Duncan Robertson of Struan,
and his wife a daughter of the fourth Lord Nairn. The
Oliphants of Gask were cadets of the formerly noble house
of Oliphant, whose ancestor, Sir William Oliphant of Aber-
dalgie, a puissant knight, acquired distinction in the
beginning of the fourteenth century by defending the
Castle of Stirling against a formidable siege by the first
Edward. The family of Gask were devoted Jacobites ; the
paternal grandfather of Carolina Oliphant had attended
Prince Charles Edward as aide•de•camp during his disas-
trous campaign of 1715 6, and his spouse had indicated her
sympathy to his cause by cutting out a lock of hia heir on
the occasion of his accepting the hospitality of the family
mansion. The portion of hair is preserved at Gask ; and
Carolina Oliphant, in her song, "The Auld House," has
thus celebrated the gentle deed of her progenitor :

The Led,ly too, sae genty,
There shelter'd ScotWO's heir,
An' clipt a lock wi' her ain hand
Free his king yellow hair.
The estate of Cask escaped forfeiture, bat the father of
Carolina did not renounce the Jacobite sentiments of his
ancestors. He named the subject of this memoir
Carolina, in honour of Prince Charles Edward ; and his
prevailing topic of conversation was the reiterated ex-
pression of his hope that " the king would get his sin."
Be would not permit the names of the reigning monarch
anti his queen to be mentioned in his presence; and
when impaired eyesight compelled him to seek the
assistance of his family in rending the newspapers, he
angrily reproved the reader if the " German lairdie and
his leddie " were designated otherwise than by the initial
letters, "K. and Q." 'this extreme Jacobitism at a period
when the crime was scarcely to he dreaded, was reported
to George 111., who is related to have confessed his respect
for a man who had so consistently maintained his political
sentiments.

This gifted person, it appears, was beautiful as
she was generous and good, and she was
happily placed for tho development of her
talents. It is said :

Tn her youth, Carolina Oliphant was aingnlarly beau-
tiful, and was known in her native district by the poetical
designation of " The Flower of Strathearn," She was as
remarkable for the precocity of her intellect, as she was
celebrated for the elegance of her person. Descended by
her mother from a family which, in one instance, at least,
had afforded some evidence of poetical talents, and
possessed of a correct musical car, she very early composed