The Express.
London, England, 1859-09-22 00:00:00

" reds kw, come from the ranks of the Sikh
"soldiery." This report was copied into
the Calcutta papers, and became the text
for severe comments. The GOVERNOR-GENERAL

ea reading it caused a
made to the Ltarreatitas-1

ntion to be
of the Pon-

jactb, in which the latter was asked whether the high
dicers named by the Umritsar correspondent had
really attended the baptism of native converts, and
whether each attendance was mail. The Lim:-
!RN

was also asked to be good
enough to state hie opinion of the conduct of
the came oa this and similar ocossioos. It ar
pared by the LIIIVTIKANT-OOVERNOR'd reply that
ne soldiers had been baptised on the occasion re.
Erred to. l'he presence of military authority im-
plied in the charge thus disappeared, but the presence
of the chief officers of the Government at the cere-
mony remained to bejust Med or explained. Mr. Cue;
the Commissioner at Unwitanr, at the officer ebtedy

Inculpated, undertook to vindicate the course of can-
duct which he and his colleagues had pursued. Hie
letter to the Secretary of the Government of the
Panjanb commences with the fullest recognition of
hie duty, ea a public officer, to abstain entirely in
his public capacity from the affairs of any sect er
religion, directly or indirectly ; and he refers to
number of passages in his official career In which he
had made a stand for tae principles on which that
obligation is founded. " But," he adds, "as a
prirate individual, I have as much right to roll-
" gime views as the Mahomedan and Hindoo em-
pie, es of Government, so long us I confine their
" display strictly to the sphere of unofficial life. I
" Lave a right to attend ►t such chapels or meetings
as may seem expedient to me, and to partake in
" the different ordinances of the Church to which
tt I belong." In a subsequent part of his letter
he describes the circumstances attending his
presence on this particular occasion. The bap-
tism of the tine converts of mature years was to take
place in the private house of the missionary who acts
as chaplain of the station at Umritsur. As a mem-
ber of the congregation, he was interested in this
event, and, accompanied by his wife, was present at
the ceremony. Among the Europeans he met
there was Mr. COOPER, the Deputy Commtieioner,
bat there was nothing official in their atten-
dance, they were not specially invited or welcomed,
but were present as private members of the congre-
gation.

Of course Lord CANNING could not condemn the
*Seem upon this statement of their conduct.
Accordingly, in the despatch written after
the facts had been correctly represented at
Calcutta, the GOVERNoa-GINERAL gave full
medic to Mr. ern for the sound judg-
mot be bad islaced in this instance. Yet his
• Lordship cannot quit the subject without adding a
word which is vacillated to embarress the conscien-
tious officer by making him doubt whether he can
in all cams rely on the support of his Government
in doing his duty. Ilia Lordship, after observing
that it ie often d•fficult to draw the line between
official and unofficial acts, and that much must be
left to the discretion of the individual officer, adds
that this discretion must be exercised not only with
the strictest regard to the spirit of the Queen's
Proclamation, but " with allowance for the difficulty
which is felt en a peculiar degree by the natives of
" India in distinguishing between the private and
official act. of the servants of Government."
Surely this is betraying a morbid sensitiveness to
native opinion. Surely if an officer acts up to the
spirit of the Quern's Proclamation with the honour
and intelligence of en English gentleman, he can do
no more. Straightforward conduct, an honest
adherence to a just standard made known by
her ILuisn's Proclamation to all, will tell
upon mm's minds, whether they are Mahone.
dais, Mindoro, or Englishmen. If the native'
ham any difficulty is distinguishing between the
official and unofficial acts of the servants of Govern-
meat, se is not improbable, throe difficulties will be
diminished as they see men acting with the die.
crimination of which Mr. CUNT Ise just given en
example; whereas any sacrifice of principle on our
part could not fail to confirm their prejudioes. But
' in feat this very point le one upon which a large
• number of the natives of India stand in urgent
need of enlightenment. Documents like the Marisa
native Memorial show that many of them do not
• comprehend that we make, and mean to make no
I sacrifice of principles and convictions in proclaiming
i and observing our neutrality sa governor' of India.
r The Quad's Proclamation guarantees the religions
liberties of the natives of India, and it will be