The Express.
London, England, 1858-01-15 00:00:00

THE EXPRESS, FRIDAY EVENING, JANUARY 15, 1858.

least se shrewd as anybody else ; and they see and
feel that that bit of doctrine is not true ; and the con-
sequence of putting forward conspicuously ea untrue
dogma is, that much besides is retorted with it.
The preacher should be aware that where he pro-
bably sees only one class—" the poor "—that is, all
who have no possessions, and whose living is preca-
rious, the members of that supposed class recog-
nise a gradation of ranks at lout as exten-
sive as the rich reckon over their heads.
There are fewer gradations of rank between the
Prince of the Blood and the small shopkeeper than
there are between the small shopkeeper and the
workhouse pauper. Now every shrewd man of all
these ranks but the lowest knows perfectly well that
it is human ignorance and fault that is answerable
for any distressful degree of poverty ; and that it is
impious to charge such suffering upon Providence ;
and that it is simply deceptive for the rich and com-
fortable to bid the poor and comfortless be content
with the exchange of welfare here for bliss here-
after. We speak as knowing that men think and
say so. When the religious visitor has turned his
or her back, after administering this " holy hope,"
the ordinary remark ia upon the cant of people who
come from warm firesides and plentifuldinner tables,
and bid the shivering and hungry be content, be-
cause of the good things in store after death. They
are not so ignorant but that they have
in their turn an apposite text to cite (from the
Epistle of James, chap. ii., ver. 15, 16) on such an
occasion. Moreover, they may have chanced to hear
when, how, and why that saying was uttered,
which is regularly quoted in this connexion, " For
ye have the poor always with you." It shows the
spirit of letter worship in which many of us read
the Bible, that those words are taken as a text for
a sermon or conversation with " the poor," almost
every day ; whereas, the fresh mind of the unso-
phisticated hearer perceive, at once that the saying
was not a moral generalisation, but simply a re-
buking consideration addressed to JUDAS, who ob-
..

jetted to the honour paid to CHILIST on account of the
oat, and in the name of the poor. " The poor ye
have always with you ; but Me ye have not always."
The prevalence of the distortion of this text, and the
effect it produces oa the tempers of those who are
addressed as " the poor," must be our excites for
treating an♦ thing so obvious as if it needed ex-
planation. We may add, that such hearers are also
shrewd enough to inquire what there really is about
the poor in the New Testament, and they find that
they are not told all. The only safe way is to put
the real case before them ; to tell them that poverty,
to the point of hunger and other destitution, was un-
known under the Jewish polity, se it is now in Mo-
hammedan countries, while unvisited by famine.
They are not informed, but they ought to be, how
the land reverted periodically, and what provision
was made by the law for the support and aid of the
I working classes and the helpless. They can ass for
themselves that the evil in the case of Waive was
the "sores:" and what they hear of tepees shows
them the peculiarity of that class of cases. In short,
what i needed is—the plain truth; and the plain
truth is, that the real destitution in our society is
nothing to be content with, or complacent about, and
certainly not to be held out as any title to compen-
sation hereafter. The severest sufferings from po-
verty are not felt in the ordinary pauper claw, bat in
one above it ; and in that class men have a lurking, if
not a distinct consciousness, that those sufferings might
be escaped by self-denial and prudence on their own
part, and wisdom and liberality on the part of the
employers of the poor, and more enlightenment all
round. We quite agree with those of them who
think it impious to say that the poor will be always
with us, se we see them to-day ; and certainly not
lees so to turn to another world for that rectification
of the balance of human welfare which is pre-
cisely the task appointed to us on this earth.
To preach in that way, we can confidently
warn the clergy, will not do. Their message is one
of promise to holiness, not to poverty. The god-
liness they have to recommend has the promise of
the life that now is, they must remember; while
there is nothing in the Bible which tells that
poverty—the poverty of selfishness and ignorance
on the one hand, and of recklessness and ignorance
on the other—has any good promise in regard to a
life to come. We must all take our share in the
shame and sorrow of it. Till we put mode-
rate work, innocent pleasures, and competent
instruction in the way of every member of our so-
ciety, we are answerable for the wastefulness and
perversion which make up the great sum of oar
poverty. If we countenance any attempt to throw
as air of sanctity over such poverty we shall, as the
least of the consequent evils, see the churches filled
with such cant and hypocrisy as may exist among
the classes addressed, while the honest men will turn
away, and give up a coaxing "message" for what
they will regard as sounder instruction. We cannot
too earnestly entreat the attention of our roused
clergy to a fact which we can guarantee, and in
which the Religious Census of 1851 fully bears us
out. What can it be more important to them to
know than this popular view and its practical oon-
sequences on the reception of their preaching ?

A report has reached us—we regret to add, from
a reliable source—that u soon aa Mann Sing's
adhesion to the insurgent cause in Oude became
known, all the small Talookdare, who had hitherto
stood aloof, hastened to make the beet terms
they could for themselves with the rebels. It Is
stated that, with a view to make their aeoemion the
more acceptable, such of them as had previously
oonoealed and protected European fugitives, de-
livered them up to the enemy, end that all our un-
fortunate countrymen and countrywomen thus sur-
rendered have been butahered.—Daily News.

A letter from Rome of the 9th, says :—" Amongst
the British members of this European congress are the
Ditches' of St. Albans, the Doke of St. Albans and Lady
Diana Deanelark, the Earls and Countesses of Albentaris,
Dunraven, Portarllagton, and Somers, the Earl of Lincoln,
the Earl of Coventry, Lord Vernon, Sir John Bligh, Col.
the Hon. H. Panty, Mr. David Lyon, Capt. and Lady
Swan Grant Stage, lady Sophia des Yams., Lady Grey,
Lady Margaret Beaumont, Right Hon. Sir James Stephen
and Lady Stephen, Hon. Lady and Miss Dome, Mrs.
Martin Smith, the Archdeacon of Coventry and Lady
Erskine, Hon. Mr. end Mrs. Mills, Lady Marian Alford and
Earl Browalow, Admiral the Hon. George and Mrs. Caven-
dish, Mr. end Mn Brinaley Sheridan, Lady Preakland
Lewis, Lady Charlene, Wo/bs, the Ladles Hely-Hutchinsan,
Sir Archibald Caryl:ell, Lady Julia ;Howard, Lady Proby,
Admiral Sir Henry Mertia, Lady Rolle and Miss Somerset,
Capt. and the Hoe. Mrs. Peel Davis., Sir Contts Lindsay,
Lady and Miss Heed. Lord Hood has just returned to Eng-
land, and Sir Robert and Lady Emily Peel have loft Rome
kw Naples; the Duke If Hamilton has been detained at
Nice by Illness in his may."

A pamphlet, just published at Berlin, entitled
"QMd tscissous nos ?" and which ham ncitad some ames-
tion, recommends Prods to join Austria and England in
lir fakirs policy.

The Belgian Afoniteur publishes a telegraphic
despatch from the &Seam consul at. Tearlen, Matte( that
the Emperor of Morocco hem prohibited the export of wool•
We (Post) are happy to be able to state that both
Major AUKS sad Capt. Aline, of Sir Colin Cempbell'aataf
who were Initialled beside the Commwder•ia-Chid whim
beading the desperate aesult ea Shah Najjar* mosque at
Lackatow, on the 16th November, ere deist well, though
the 'woad of the hews vu so severe that he has lost lb
lob

THE LEAGUER OF LUCKNOW : THE
MADRAS FUSILIERS.

The official Despatches eontain a broad outline of
the defence of Lucknow, a defence which will
rank in history with the defence of Malta, or
Rhodes, or Derry. The details of the picture have
been left to be filled up by personal narratives of
individuals among the besieged. The following
extracts from a private letter are full of
graphic touches, calculated to awaken the most
lively emotions of pity and admiration. They fill
up, too, a gap in the history, between the close of
Brigadier Inglis's Report and the beginning of Sir
Cohn Campbell's Despatch. The letter has assumed
the form of a diary, kept up with intermissions from
the day Havelock 's force entered the Residency till
the final Exodus under Sir Colin Campbell. It
realises to our imaginations the life endured
for months by English men, women, and children,
order incessant showers of musket and cannon balls
from above, with occasional explosions of mines
from below. Delicate ladies and tender infants
were compelled to shelter themselves in holes
in the earth ; and even there they were imperfectly
, secured from the shot and shells, and not at all from
the mines of the besiegers. The wounded were
destitute of the most necessary medicines and dietetic
comforts; even clean rags for their wounds were not
to be had. Yet amid all these horrors benevolence
triumphed over selfish terrors. When we think of
the ladies walking the hospital, tending and sooth-
ing the sick under such circumstances, it is as if the
days had indeed come back when angels walked
the earth. Where all the men were brave,
lit might appear invidious to dwell exclusively on the
deeds and sufferings of a few. Bat the diary which
we thus introduce to the reader's notice naturally
dwells most frequently on the adventures of the
writer's own regiment, the gallant and devoted
Madras Fusiliers, the regiment of Neill. It was the
proud though melancholy privilege of the writer to
stand beside his beloved leader, whose inseparable
companion he had been in Burmab, and throughout
the perilous advance on Lucknow, when he fell, and to
be the instrument of rescuing his body from the foe.
To his letter we are indebted for the only account we
have yet had of the Let days of the hero. The
tale is simply told, yet deeply affecting. Who
can forbear weeping when he thinks of the
fiery Neill thoughtfully filling his box at Cawnpore
with little luxuries for the women and children, and
having it carried with him—along the lane hedged
in by Sze which Havelock's force was a long
day in passing through—when all the baggage
was left behind. It will be a melancholy conso-
lation to his bereaved widow to learn that his last
expressed wish on going into action was, that his
friend, if he toll, would perform the task of breaking
the sad news to her. There was an almost feminine
tenderness in that daring spirit. Neill's regiment
has shown itself very worthy of its leader, and
has suffered correspondingly. According to one ao-
count, out of nearly 1,000 men who left Madras only
some six months before, only 160 survived when
Lucknow was relieved. Thirteen officers are dead
or disabled. The valour and devotedness of the 300 at
Thermopyhe does not =rpm' that of the Madras
Fusiliers. Their colours were already emblazoned
with the names of many a well•fought field—from
Plessey and Arcot to Mehidpore and Pegii—bat a
nobler blazon remains to be embroidered on them—
the Drab and Oude campaign of 1867. It will be a
privilege to be admitted to fill up the vacancies in
their ranks, that ought not to be lightly granted. It
would be affectation to suppress the name of the writer
of the letter from which we here offer a few extracts.
It Is Captain Spurgin, the tried and trusted
friend of Neill throughout his Burmese campaigns,
the military commander of the first armed steamer
which ascended the Ganges above Allahabad, the
officer whom Havelock recommended for a Majority.
These facts speak for the man better than any words
of ours could—, kindred spirit of Havelock and
Neill—a truly Christian soldier.

CITY OF LIICKNOW, Oar. Z.
It is much I have to be thankful for. It is almost
impossible to describe. God has indeed been merci-
ful to me; and your prayers and mine most have
indeed been listened to. From the 9th hour of the
morning of September 25 until 10 o'clock at night
the whole foroe was under a blaze of fire, every inch
of the road disputed ; and, as our casualties will
show, a sad loss we have sustained. Instead of
affording any great relief to this unfortunate garri-
son of Lucknow, au I am writing one week after our
entrance, we are almost as badly off as the garrison
cut off from oar baggage; no communication with
Cawnpore, and with few supplies left; daily fight-
ing daily loss.
My poor good friend General Neill fell almost tho
last shot that was fired on the 25th ult. I was close
to him. A wretched man shot him from the top of
a house. He never spoke again, and could not have
suffered a moment's pain. There was a gun between
us at the time, but I got round and saved his body
by carrying it into the entrenched camp on a gun
, and it was buried by his own regiment the
next ay. I am now attached to Brigadier Stisted,
who succeeds to the command of the Ist Brigade.
My poor friend Arnold has lost his leg and is in a
dangerous state. Poor Bailey is badly wounded,
and I fear the spine is touched, for he has lost the
use of hie arms ; and a frightful number of the men,
and sergeants—nearly one hundred. Poor Paken-
ham, too, was killed early in the day, and many many
other friends whom you did not know. When it
will be over nobody can tell. And the risks and the
chances of each day make it sad to think of.
And now I have to tell you of the loss of my poor
boy. What has become of him I know not ; but he
must have been killed on that dreadful night. I did
not want him to come, but he said yes, he would
come with me, and was afraid to stay behind when
the baggage was left. All the other Coolies, and
horsekeepers, &c., got in safely ; but the rebels fol-
lowed up our rear so closely that they cut off our
sick and wounded, and at one time our heavy guns.
The latter were recovered the next morning, but
they burnt our wounded 6B they were in their
doolies, and the bearers they either killed or pressed
into their service to give information. Picture the
horrors of that night for the poor wounded. Arnold,
Bailey, and many others, all left till the next morn-
ing, until a regiment could go back and find them.
Arnold was shot a second time in the same leg
whilst in his dooly. It is useless to tell you of my
hair-breadth escapes on that day, for everyone had
the same.

We are now living in a part of the Palace of
Lucknow, bet such a scene of Wth, mixed up
with costly things, it is impossible to imagine.
The finest china of the latest pattern from Bond-
street, or some other fashionable tradespeople, used
by the soldiers of the force, cookbor, or any
one. Cookboys sitting on damask stools cooking the
men's dinners ; shawls and ornaments all kicking
about, no one being at the trouble to carry them for
want of means ; and all this mixed up with dead bodies
of Savoys, horses, camels, until the stench is so great
we can scarcely sit—and no one to move all this
filth. The men are all fighting, clearing the town,
and the natives, with their abominable cute, refus-
ing to touch a single thing.
I went to see Mrs. the morning after I got
in, and was truly thankful to find her alive and well
with a dear little child. Her friends at Madras had
heard sfie was dead. She was so glad to see me,
and good old Neill had brought a box of all
kinds of things for the ladies, such as arrow-root,
sago, candles, Bc. Bc., and some wine, all of which
I had the great pleasure of distributing. And, fancy,
the dear old regiment had subscribed at Cawnporo
for the same good purpose : but their box has not
yet come up with the heavy baggage, and I much
fear the whole of the baggage has fallen into the
rebels' hands, for we were obliged to leave it about
four miles from Lucknow, and we have not heard of
it since. The poor ladies expected to have left for
Caweporo immediately after our arrival, and that
was the intention ; but now it is as much as we can
do to guard them here.
I have also seen the —e, or, rather, —, for
the poor woman has lag ly been confined, and her
little baby died two days ago. All the ladies are
living in little holes ; Mrs. has about six feet
square for herself, nurse, and child; and they were
all in daily fear of being blown up by these wretched
rebels, who have mined underneath the garrison in
all directions.

There seems to be no help for it now but patience,

and to wait for the English reinforcements. Our
force is so small nothing more can really be done.
Sir James Outram is here—a braver man never rode
a horse. Ile headed nearly every charge on the
26th, and was slightly wounded. What am I to
write or say to poor Mrs. Neill ? and he staked me,
before we went into action, in case he fell, to do so.
A painful duty, and I do it with a sad heart ; but it
must be done.

Oct. 6.—Thus more of our officers wounded: poor
Groom very severely, thigh-bone broken by round
shot, and I fear he will lose his leg i poor Fraser badly
hit in the shoulder; and Galway slightly in the
neck. Major Stephenson had a very narrow escape.
A bullet passed through a door first and hit him on
the stomach afterwards. Bat he will be well again
soon. Several of the men also were wounded. I
went to see poor Arnold and Bailey last night. The
first cannot live more than a few hours. The scenes
of this hospital are past belief. Two hundred and
upwards lying side by side, sick and wounded, and
our poor good ladies are walking about, bathing
the heads and soothing the dying. May God bless
them for it.

Oct. B.—A severe attack upon our position this
morning, and great loss of life. The enemy have
undermined us in all directions, blowing up several
of our men. We cannot get out of this horrid city.
It mist us 809 casualties on the 26th to get in, and to
attempt to get out with the women and children
would cost us half our force.
Oct. 18.—Well, another week has passed, and we
are still shut up in this wretched palace, and from all
accounts that reach us, no prost of getting out
for the next three weeks at the least. Fortunately,
ourprovisione, such as they are,last out well, but these
gun bullocks are rather tough. —'m brother is
here, doing duty with the 78th Highlanders, but is
badly wounded, and has lost two of his fingers. I
went to see him in the hospital yesterday, but he
was aeleep. Bailey and Fraser are doing pretty
well. Galway all right again ; Groom ve7 bad, and
I much fear will not recover. Stephenson 's hurt has
also turned out badly, and he looks very ill. No
medicines, no wine, no comforts of any kind ; no
clean rags even todremewotuida,sobut few can recover.
The enemy still being determined, mining and
throwing shells all about us.
Oct. 19.—T0-day we get the Horne New. of the
28th August sent in, and in it your arrival at South-
ampton. Judge of my delight at hearing of your
sae arrival. To-night I send off a few lines in a quill
for you, addressed to Mrs. —, for her to forward,
to tell you of my safety. How I hope it may
reach you. Three of our men have had the Vic-
toria Cross awarded them by General Sir James
Outran, and had Galway's name been sent in he
would, I am sure, have had it too, for he gallantly
threw a wounded sergeant over his shoulder and
brought him out of the most murderous fire of grape
and musketry. Grant was the first man into the
garrison of lAA:know on the 25th September, and
General Outram mentioned his name in Orders. In
fact, both officers and men have behaved most splen-
didly, but all are sadly reduced in numbers. Poor
Groom is very bad, and I fear cannot recover. Fraser
' and Bailey are doing better.
Oct. 22.—Groom died yesterday. What a blow
for his wife ! His child be had never seen. No
sooner was his body removed from the hospital than
Barclay was put in his place, badly wounded. We
have now lost six officers killed and seven wounded
—thirteen; but other regiments are equally
unfortunate, especially the 76th Highlanders.
Oar poor horses are now without grain, and
little grass : some are starving. I was so grieved
when my little note to you through Mrs. was not
sent on Sunday last. The coolie could not go, so
the third mail will leave, and no news from me.
Oat. 27.—At last we have beard of a chance of
a relief. A column from Delhi is now on its way to
join another force at Cawnpore ; and we may now
expect them here in a few days, so we are all in
high spirits. We are all looking a little thin upn
our living. I had the good hick to get about half a
glsatfull of rum, a few days ago, which did me a
world of good, for from the change of weather—not
to cold—we have all been a little seedy from
diarrhcea ; and the poor sick in hospital, those that
have lost limbs, die rapidly.
Oct. 29.—Captain Crommelin, one of our engineers,
lit; laid up with a bad ulcer on his foot, but nothing
else the matter. Stephenson sent for me yesterday ;
he is very unwell ; his wound doing badly. We ex-
'poet our relief by the 10th of November.
11 Nov. 2.—Another sad morning. My friend, Ned
Grant, is very seriously wounded. I have just re-
turned from hie side. He was shot in the stomach,
and the ball must have touched the liver. It was
eat out of the right side. I was with him soon after
he was hit, but I am very uneasy about him ; and
he thinks badly of himself. Stephenson is, I think,
much worse to-day ; and, judging from his appear-
' *no!, I don't think he can recover.

Nov. 11.—I have not added anything to this since
the 2nd. Our relief is assembling about three miles
distant, and between this and the 20th I suppose it
will take place. As you may imagine, lam very
tired of this life, and very hungry too, for we have
now been on half rations for a month, and not a
drop of beer, or wine, or spirits. The consequence is
our sick and wounded are doing very badly, and the
whole wrier looking thin and wretched. Ned
Grant is doing pretty well, though not out of
danger; Fraser, Bailey, and Bartley, doing well;
Stephenson sinking from weakness, I think; his
wound, they say, still looks healthy.
Nov. 14.--Sir Colin Campbell, and our relief, is
advancing. They commence their operations to-
day. We are to assist them to-morrow. We are
very badly provided with men, and they very weak
from living so long on half rations, and without
grog. But I trust all will be well, and that the
relief of Lacknow will be effected this time.

Nov. 213.—Three miles out of the ,i7aiii7Ld city of
Lncknow. God be praised ! We are relieved at
last, and in the open again. I must leave the ac-
count of our getting out to my next, as I peat this at
once to save your heart aching any more. Poor Ste-
phenson is gone : he died the morning after he was
taken out of the city. Grant is a trifle better. I
have not seen hint for a week. Poor Mrs. Banks!
I took her out myself, she hanging on my arm, and
her dear little baby in my arms. I was obliged to
take her under the fire of large guns nearly all the
way; but had to make her believe most of them
were our own guns. I never felt so thankful as when
she was in safety. I then returned to Lucknow,
and came out with the garrison. I have got a small
tent for her and a capital carriage. I was so jolly
at being able to do so much for her. I know not our
movements yet ; however, rumour says we are to
remain here and hold oar own. My little note sent
out in a quill was captured by the enemy.

The Governors of King Edward the Sixth's
Oratowar School, Chelmsford, we are informed, hare granted
se extra week's holiday to the scholars, in consequence of the
=untie of the Prisms Royal.— CAclnesford CArenkle.

From lists published by the Sport it appears that
thus are seventy-nina jockeys and forty-thus trainee of
me-horses now in Franca, and that the grader part of both
are English.

The Sport states that a yacht club is about to be
established in Paris for MI France by MM. de Oraniont and
de Drettfile-tieneeterre, and that some hopes are entertained
that an august patronage will be socorded to it. The Sport
remarks that, in order to give the dab a chance of mosso,
it will be necessary to modify in a liberal rpirit the maritimo
regulations of Frames.

The Grand Duke Louis, the eldest brother of the
reigning Duke of Baden, +it dangerously ill. Bulktins pub-
hated et Carlaruhe on January 9 hold oat some hope that he
may MOIST.

The Tosslonnais says :—" Intelligence has been
received hem that an expeditionary corps, composed of ma-
rines, is to be shortly despatched to China. These forces
will be sent off skooltansonely from this port and from
Brest."

A despatch from Constantinople says that most
tempsstaoss weather had prevailed to the Black Bea, and
apprehensions were entertained of disasters. The greater
number of the impels expected from that quarter had not
arrived.

Nur LIBEART or THE MIDDLE TEMPLE.—The
Bineben at the Middle Temple are preparing to 111110 t WV
binary; the It* of been le be the modes d the
river tie proposal the bWditer ea the she el the
Intrana haying been absodooed. Mr. H. R. /Anthem is
the arehitect appointed to superintend the men& ef the
beildleep.

LATEST INTELLIGENCE.

FRANCE.