The Sun.
London, England, 1849-03-19 00:00:00

411 i.
:`q rn= 11- Int

LONDON, MONDAY, MARCH 19, 1849.

As a crowning homage to the military genius of
Sir CHARLES NAPIER, the hero of Meanee and Hyder-
abad, the conqueror of Sinde, and Commander-in-
Chief of the European and native forces in British
India, the splendid banquet given to him on Saturday
evening, at the London Tavern, by the Directors of
the East India Company, is worthy of more than a
passing consideration. It completes in the most ap-
propriate and significant manner possible the tributes
of respect recently paid to that illustrious warrior.
Invested with his present grand responsibilities by
the confidence of her MAJESTY, by the advice of the
Government, by the recommendation of his
Grace the Duke of WELLINGTON, with the
applause of Parliament, and with the universal
approbation of the country, Sir CHARLES NAPIER
bas now not only been formally confirmed in his ap-
pointment by the consent of the Court of Directors
in Leadenhall-street, but has received their cordial
felicitations prior to his departure for Hindostan.
Never has any General been entrusted with the
supreme command of the Indian army under circum-
stances of such marked and honourable enthusiasm ;
not even when the great Lord CLIVE was hurriedly
dispatched to Asia, to save the settlement at Bombay
from the rapacity of the Nabob of OUDE, to avenge
the atrocities perpetrated on his countrymen by
the infamous MEER Cossrm, and to crush
beneath the weight of his " iron courage and vehe-
ment wile' the portentous coalition of the Affghans
and Mahrattas. But the very earnestness of the
enthusiasm now evinced towards Sir CHARLES
NAPIER is attributable to its extraordinary tardi-
ness. And it i 3 not difficult to recognize through the
ardour of the popular admiration the consciousness of
a glaring oversight. As, however, the mere recollec-
tion of any misunderstanding has, by general consent,
been buried in the capacious grave which has closed
over the heroic men killed in the great battle of
Chillianwallah—so we are satisfied that the long
want of a proper
appreciation of his ser-
vices has been by this time altogether forgotten by the
distinguished soldier who ruled during six years
over the immense province of Sinde, in the double
capacity of its Conqueror and Governor. All that
has recently occurred must be immeasurably more
than a compensation for preceding grievances. A
great fault has been nobly expiated. England has
proved upon a remarkable occasion, that she is not
blind to the dictates of that national gratitude which
constitutes the best incentive to valour, to glory, and
to patriotism.
The eulogiums passed upon the newly-appointed
Commander-in-Chief of the British Indian army were
as little tinged with the characteristic of after-
dinner compliment, as the convivial assembly was
elevated above the level of mere ordinary festivities.
And it was in a spirit of genial frankness that those
Panegyrics were pronounced successively by the lips
of Lieutenant General Sir JAMES LAW LUSRINGTON,
the Chairman of the Board of Directors (who, from
his official rank, presided on the occasion), by those
of his Grace the veteran Commander of the Forces,
of Sir GEORGE GREY, of Sir JOHN CAM HOB HOUSE,
and of Viscount HARDINQE. When the guests were
reminded by the Right llon. the President of the
of the tremendous
B3ard of Control
campaigns
Of the Mysore, of the expected advance
of the Nepaulese upon Benares, and of
the almost insurmountable difficulties which at
13hurIty,ra- obstructed the onward progress of OCR.
"hen he called to mind, moreover, how all
W1T.,.. ..
astltgaol,,had been parried, and all thos,:_. enemies
cinii,l4, bysth" zeal, the energy, the pei veranc:,
,r4Zatil tils.iii!l, or th,. milirar.s ,erval,t' "t. '11? Corn-
-3: *s.--
' - -'
'
I.
•. pang--It cou.d not but have been felt by his hearers
\‘'.., that there is now every reason for hope rather than
•-'=-.. . for trepidation. Especially must this have been the