The Sun.
London, England, 1852-08-30 00:00:00

TILE PAST AND PRESENT OF THE

BURMESE WAR.
TO THE EDITOR OF THE 'TDIES.

Sir,—lt is of little use now to inquire whether
any other plan of operations than that actually pur-
sued by the authorities charged with the conduct of
the second Burmese war would have 'oven more or
less successful: When after a melancholy expendi-
ture of life and treasure we had brought the first war
to a conclusion, we congratulated ourselves at least
on the experience that \,ve had gained. It was said
that a second Burmese war would be "an easy
affair ;" that a single vigorous campaign would bring
it to a triumphant conclusion ; that, knowing both
the temper of the court and the dangers of the
country, we should so shape our measures as to
humble the one and escape the other, by a prompt 1
attack on the chief cities of the empire—the main
movement being made from the Arracan side by way
of the Aeng Pass.
_ All this was confidently declared at the time by
the leading statesmen and soldiers of India; and up
to a certain point, doubtless, they were right. But
it Was necessary to the conclusion cf the war in a
single campaign that it should be commenced at the
right time. Unfortunately, Lord Dalhousie could
not commence the war at the right time. The rup-
ture with the Court of Amareepoora occurred at an
untoward seawe had all the cold s
o
n.lt is true, that when it occurred
—before us. l weather—all the fighting months
becoming
the blow could not be struck at
once. It was
should precede military
allowed east political negotiations
operations—that the Burmese
Court should be
by timely concession, a fair opportunity of es-
caping,we were prepared to infuser, the castigation which
op-
portunity could have been upon them. No such allowed to
commenced operations last Noy them if we had
The attempted accommodation failed But
the
attempt was not the less worthy of a '
because it was unsuccessful. We lost great nation,
loss was in itself
.a disaster—but weouhradtime—the
demon-
strated our un willingness to Plunge into hostilitieswhich seemed so likely to bear the accustomed_
—an uncoveted extension of empire. it
mrl" fruit
that we should display, this forbearance. it was ex_
pedient, too, to avoid a collision, if it could
national honour be
avoided without any loss of or any
serious injury ro our national interests. India wants
nothing so much as peace. Lord oathsh made a
an
effort to maintain it, and, in doing ,
every chance of concluding the war in a single trew awy
cam_

Paign•
The only alternative, then, left to him was to
defer operations until the commencement of the
cold season of the present year. This course seems
to have had some advocates in India, but its ad-
vocacy was clearly a mistake. To have sat down
quietly for a year under the insults which the Bur-
mese had heaped, and, under the encouragement of
such forbearance, would have continued to heap upon
UN, would have been interpreted by the nations of the
East, and perhaps of the West, into an evidence of
indecision and irresolution, of which every advantage
would have been taken by our opponents. The
1,
a'an policy is not understood by such a people
" the
tate......toßurmese.he In their eyes, to delay is to hesi-
strike, ti-e.:ita.te is to fear. Had we delayed to
known
unoi h insolence and arrogance would have
upon to 4.,:u4€181 and we should have been calld
which those gla a accumulation of injuries, beside
been mere vecinal:tldimtYnrifinesfl.icted upon us would have
Burmese was The chastisement of the
be done at all. Thal to be done at once, or not to
the commencement (le fllls' have been objections to
amilitary operations at such a
time ; but there were
postponement. Of the rtreater objections to their
him the Governor-General e'hoeQvils which lay before
paign was commenced at one,' the least. The cam-
pationaoaotte.t.heaandseilmdipeerrsfaenctd.
cold season of 1861-52 saw it iitZd the close of th,
Events had belied the anticipations
statesmen of 1826, who prophesied
Burmese war would be an ~ ears X.tr,,t,he second
single campaign. Aenbideesneutoavotlbioeetac-
complished in a
cur-
tain fell upon the first act of the drama. y,the
time, if no very striking successes have
no great harm has been done. The periodical
rvaLd,
have set in, and the troops nave been housed in Ran-
goon. At the date of the last advices the rains had
been falling for a month, but the health of the troops
bad not suffered. " The soldiers and officers," it
is said, " are as healthy as they would have been
in Fort William." In this, at least, we m63' see
the results of the experience pi
'lied in the
first war.
Ran-
goon that during o
It was not the climate of
that
lir,
place killed so ma, it was not the
first occupation of
commissariat. coney
ooftt,oeur men ;
medical profession that evern India, and
ablest members of the
asa went cut to
medical
one no less distinguishedrw,riter
topo-
graphy than as a successful
upon in 1839 by the local (IL—titiocoenr,v;hen called
n IA to record his
opinion of the climate of Lowevrerp me the 0..
bable effect upon the health of the troops
and
ad-
vancepro-
bable
by the Aeng Pass, declared' thattroops of en t
War, throughout which he had in the last
served with the .