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

S 117 Ng MARCH 19, 1849.

the country. I regret, however, he has not been able' to
be here. I will read to you a letter I have received from
Lord John Russell. It is dated
" Downing-street, March 14, 1849.
" Dear Sir,—lt is with much regret that I have de-
clined the invitation of the Directors of the East India
Company to meet Sir Charles Napier at dinner on Satin.-
day, the 17th instant.
" I have company at my own house on that day, and
am, therefore, compelled to be absent on an occasion
which I should gladly have taken to express my strong
sense of the military genius of Sir Charles Napier, and
my respect for the Court of Directors, who administer
with so much ability the vast territories which are con-
fided to their beneficent rule.
" I have the honour to be, dear Sir,
" Your very faithful servant,
"J. RUSSELL.
" Lieut.-General Sir James Lushington, G.C.8."
It is, however, with great pleasure I see around me seve-
ral of the Noble Lord's colleagues in the Government,
manifesting as they all have done, on every occasion,
sympathy and zeal for the prosperity of the East India
Company, and that great empire placed under their
charge. I beg leave to propose " the Health of Sir
George Grey, arid her Majesty's Ministers."
The toast was drunk with all the honours.
Sir G. Gaze—ln the name of my colleagues, and in
my own behalf, I
just conferred upon us. But in doing
so I must express my regret that this duty has devolved
upon me in consequence of the unavoidable absence of
Noble Friend at the head of the Government, who,
from the cause stated in the letter you have read, has
been prevented from accepting your invitation to be pre-
sent on this occasion, in order to renew his assurance of
the confidence which her Majesty's Ministers feel in
those who are intrusted with the administration of In-
dian affairs, and to testify the entire and cordial respect
they entertain for the gallant and distinguished officer
who is your guest this evening. In the name of
my Noble Friend and my colleagues, I beg to assure
you of the deep sense her Majesty's Government feels
of the magnitude and importance of those interests
which are connected with that vast and magnificent em-
pire in India which has been subjected by Providence to
British rule. I beg also to assure you, if such an assu-
rance can be needed, of our earnest and anxious desire
cordially to co-operate with the Board of Directors in
every measure calculated to maintain the integrity and
security of that vast empire, and at the same time to
diffuse throughout its wide extent those inestimable
blessings of peace and civilization, the fruits of a mild,
enlightened, and beneficent rule, which are the only
foundation of permanent prosperity.—(Loud cheers.)
It would ill become me, in presence of the Illustrious
Duke who has addressed you, and after what has fallen
trom him, to advert to the high military reputation
of the gallant and distinguished officer who has
been selected by his Sovereign, with the con-
currence of the Court of Directors, with the
full and entire confidence of her Majesty's Govern-
ment, and I may add, as the Gallant General has
himself said, with the entire approbation of the great
body of his fellow-countrymen, to fill the arduous and
responsible post of Commander-in-Chief of the forces
in India.—(Cheers.) He bears a name which is asso-
ciated with many a well-fought field.—(Cheers.) He
belongs to a race of which Englishmen may well be
proud—a race which, in both services, by sea and land,
when called by their Sovereign to lead her fleets or ar-
mies to battle, will furnish men possessing those quali-
ties to which you, Sir, so ably alluded, inspiring all who
'are placed under their command with that entire and un-
wavering confidence which is the surest guarantee of
victory.—(Loud cheers.) Sir Charles Napier leaves the
country with an expectation—and from what we know
of his history and services I need not say a well-
founded expectation—that if called on in India, at the
head of that gallant army which in so many a field has
won for itself imperishable renown, to resist aggression
or repel attack, he will add new lustre to his own well-
earned fame.—(Loud cheers.) He leaves this country
with the earnest aspirations of his fellow-countrymen
that the time may not be far distant when
that sword which you have placed in his hand may
be returned to its scabbard with honour and glory
—I trust it will not be returned till it can with honour
and glory be returned to its scabbard—(Loud and con-
tinued cheering)—and that the Gallant General will not
only by his skill and valour in the field, but by his wis-
dom, experience, and moderation in council, give the aid
of his great talents and powerful mind to the Noble Lord
who with so much ability fills the office of Governor-
General in India, thereby establishing a just, honour-
able, lasting peace, and thus laying the foundation
of the permanent prosperity of the British empire in
India.—(Loud cheers.)
Tho CHAIRMAN next prosed " the Health of the Pre-
sident of the India Board," which was drunk with much
applause.
Sir J. Hosuoust —I am most happy to meet you on
this auspicious occasion, and to confirm what has been
said by my Right Hon. Friend the Secretary of State.
Her Majesty's Ministers congratulate you and the coun-
try on the choice you have made of a Commander-in-
Chief. You have done your duty manfully, wisely, and
generously, in a manner which shows that you are aware
of the great position you hold, the character you have to
maintain, and the momentous destinies under your con-
trol. It remains for the Gallant General to do his duty.
That he will do it, I, in common with my colleagues,
most confidently believe.—(Loud cheers.) After
what has • been said by the Noble Duke on his right
hand, it would be idle for me to say another word on
that subject.—(Cheers.) He goes to perform no incon-
siderable task—to maintain your great empire, and,• if
another consideration may be mentioned next to that, to
maintain his own great reputation.—(Cheers.) He goes
to show that you have not formed too high an estimate
of his zeal,. of his energy, of that capacity which has
hitherto shown him equal to all duties, which you think
and I believe most justly, will prove him equal to any
emergency to -which he can possibly be called.—
(Cheers.) The Gallant General is not one of those who
commit the fatal mistake of undervaluing his opponents.
He knows well the foe with whom he may have to con-
tend. He knows that the nation, if nation it can be
called, now in arms against you is one of the most for-
midable that ever met us on the battle field of India
and this would be enough to daunt any man who be-
longed to another race, who was conscious of less virtue,
and who had not to command soldiers he had formerly
led to victory, who now wore on their breasts the
medals of Ferozeshah, Aliwal, and Sobraon.—(Cheers.)
In treating with this people he will have to make use of
that moderation which belongs to power; for the power-
ful and the great can afford to be moderate.—(Cheers.)
To my Noble Friend on my left (Viscount Hardinge)
we owe, among other things, the exhibitipn of that mo-
deration which only great and victorious nations can
afford to give to the vanquished.—(Cheers.) And if on
this occasion the Gallant General is sent to contend
against your enemies he has at least one of the best gua-
rantees of victory, namely, the justice of his cause—
(Cheers)—for from the moment of the invasion which my
Gallant Friend on my left repelled—from the moment
the Seikhs crossed the frontier and the Sutlej—from the
hour of victory, which was the hour of moderation, while
we governed them because they asked us to govern them
—from first to last we have shown them that we know
not only what were their duties as subjects, but our
duties as conquerors. The Noble Duke has told you,
with an authority which can come from nobody but him,
but a hich comes home to our business and bosoms as
Englishmen, that it would be idle to talk of what has oc-
curred in India as any great reverse. We have not
forgotten the campaigns of Mysore and Nepaul. We
have not forgotten the long struggles with the Mahrattas.
We have not forgotten the days when the Nepaulese
came to Benares—when even Bhurtpore foiled the suc-
cessful General and broke the heart of the gallant Och-
terlony. All these things have happened in my own
time and yours; but what has.been the great and general
result? It has been this—your zeal, energy, perse-
verance, skill have triumphed over all obstacles and
enemies, and we are now met here to welcome the Ge-
neral s ho, crowned with imperishable laurels, goes to.
India to take command of our armies. I have no doubt
whatever that ander Providence he will assist in accom-
plishing the great destinies of British India, and when
he does restore into your hands the command with
which you have this day invested him he,will have ap-
plied to him the words which one of your Governors
General, then Governor of•Bombay—Lord William Ben-
tinck—addressed to the great. captain, the Duke of
Wellington, "You leave this command amidst the re-
grets of all—of all, both civilians and military—of all,
both Europeans .and natives."—(Loud cheers.) This is
true fame, unmixed with any regrets, and that it will
be the result of the Gallant General's exploits I believe
from the bottom of my heart; and you who give the
impulse to it will be the best rewarded.—(Cheers.)
The CHAIRMAN—I now giie you " the Health of the
Governor- General, the Earl of Dalhousie."—(Cheers.)
It is but just to say that in the difficult and trying posi-
tion in which he has been placed, the firmness, the
vigour, and the good sense which have characterized all
his measures entitle him to our sincere gratitude, and he
has received the cordial approbation and thanks of the
home authorities.—(Cheers.) I am happy to state that
the report which has been in circulation that his Lord-
ship's health had failed is unfounded. I have myself
received a letter of a very late date, in which he says
that his trip to the northward has completely re-
stored his health, which I trust will continue unim-
paired, that we may long have the benefit of his valuable
services.—(Loud cheers.)
The next toast was " The Civil Service of India,"
which was acknowledged by Mr. W. BIRD.
" The Indian Army" was then toasted in connexion
with the name of Sir JAMES CALDWELL, who briefly ac-
knowledged the compliment.
Sir J. 110BHOUSE—I take the liberty of giving a toast
which, although it usually comes from the person in the
situation I now hold, I give with the utmost cordiality—
it is the health of our Gallant Chairman.—(Cheers.) It
has fallen to my lot to fill the office which her Majesty's
f
avourfsty:s
thatrc u rs e
whether witl i Sir
in
J. Lushington, and I can truly fiadveonutrehf has placed
Indiaplaced
Board
me
a in
rdl(ncdhi India Company, what
hel og
my very good fortune to have muchsaiynte
business of the utmost importance or in matters of trivial
e.lonDgeerrie perhapsg aatttihmaen
it anhyas P b
moment I have found him feelingly alive to your into.
rests and your honour, Without forgetting, whilst he is a
managing: t our o directoroomoofn country.—(Cheers.)

The CHAIRMAN—I have passed my whole life in the
service of the East India Company, formerly as a soldier
and latterly as a civilian; but, in whatever capacity I
served my reward has been your approbation.—(Cheers.)
I trust that the Chairman of the East India Com-
pany, and the directors generally, will never find
any difficulty in doing that which they consider for
the benefit of the country and the prosperity of our
Indian empire.—(Cheers.) With regard to the Gallant
Officer on my right, I have a perfect conviction that he
is the man that should go to India.—(Cheers.) I am
quite sure I am speaking the sentiments of the Court of
! Directors, when I say that they have the same confidence
in him that the Government has expressed through the
Secretary of State.—(Cheers.) I only hope he may
speedily return to this country, covered with fresh
honour and glory.—(Cheers.) For myself, I know my
services are drawing to a close, but while I live I shall
feel the greatest interest in the prosperity of the East
India Company.—(Cheers.)
The health of " the Duke of Norfolk and the Visitors"
was then drunk.
The CIIIRMAN—The last toast, though last not least,
was " the Heahli of the late Governor-General of India,
Viscount Hardinge," whose administration had been so
brilliant—(Cheers)—and who had shared in all the
perils of the late campaign on the banks of the Sutlej.
The toast was drunk with much cheering.
Viscount HARDINGE—I feel very grateful for the cor-
dial manner in which you have drunk my health. I never
can forget the deep debt of gratitude which I owe to the
East India Company for the manner in which my services
a ere received on my return from India. I will also say that
those services were received by her Majesty's late and
present Government with an approbation which entirely
satisfied the utmost bounds of my ambition.—(Cheers.)
I can never forget the great debt of gratitude and obli-
gation which I owe to that glorious Indian army, the
native portion of which has always emulated the services
and bravery of the British portion, and on all occasions
nobly upheld its former reputation, I will add more es-
pecially on those occasions which came under my own
observation, when the army was commanded by my
noble, brave, and intrepid friend Lord Gough.—(Loud
cheers.) I have received this evening the greatest satis-
faction from the manly, judicious speech, of my Noble
Friend the Duke of Wellington. lam of opinion with
his Grace that there is no room for gloom under existing
circumstances.—(Cheers.) I will say, from every ob-
servation of that gallant army, that it was equal to cope
with any difficulty with which it may be surrounded. I
left on the frontier in the beginning of last year, 54,000
men, 124 field guns, 100 siege guns. It has since been
reinforced by the Bombay army. Our force within the
Punjaub exceeds 60,000 men and 250'pieces of cannon.
When was there before such an army collected in
India? Never, believe—and I have the greatest
confidence in the result. There may he a momentary
depression on account of the difficulties of the ground,
but that army will be triumphant.—(Cheers.) The ap-
pointment of my Gallant Friend Sir C. Napier is the best
that could be made.—(Cheers.) He knows very well
this is no merely congratulatory speech of mine for the
occasion. He knows that when we were struggling
under much more serious difficulties on the Sutlej than
at present exist in the Punjaub. I felt it my duty to send
for him from Sinde expressly to be second in command
of the army.--(Cheers.) The Duke of Wellington is
also aware that when I was asked who, in my opinion,
should succeed Lord Gough when his term of aoramand
should expire, I named my Gallant Friend Sir Charles
Napier.—(Cheers.) He has that capacity and power of
securing the confidence of his soldiers that, waenever
he leads, and they go into action, they always feel that
with him the day of battle is sure to be the day of vic-
tory.—(Loud cheers.)
The band of the Coldstream Guards was in attend-
ance, and played appropriate military airs at intervals
during the evening.
Mr. Toole was toastmaster.

SPIRIT of the PUBLIC JOURNALS.
FROM THE MORNING PAPERS OF THIS DAY.
CHRONICLE.—Our report or the dinner given by
the Directors of the East India Company to Sir Charles
Napier, on Saturday, will be read with unmixed pleasure
by all who have the honour of their country at heart.
The whole proceedings manifest the perfect triumph of
good sense, good feeling, and good taste. Almost every
one of the leading actors in the scene was placed in a
situation of extreme delicacy. It is, and was, no secret
that the appointment of the hero of Sinde to the com-
mand of the armies of India, loudly demanded by the
voice of the nation, had been delayed solely by reason
of differences, partaking more of a private and personal
than of a public character, which, we firmly believe, all
connected with them were most anxious to bury in ob-
livion, even before the occurrence of a crisis, which
made forgetfulness of everything but the call of pa-
triotism and duty, a necessity. On these, how-
ever, it would be useless, or worse, to dwell.
Suffice it to say, that the moment the sacri-
fice, whether of wounded self-love or offended
dignity, or family ties, or health and comfort, was de-
manded, it was made—not only without reserve or he-
sitation, but with cordiality, with generosity, with grace.
The directors laid aside their resentment, the General
resumed his equanimity, and the Duke, giving time ly
and energetic expression to the popular wish, conferred
perhaps as great a boon on his conntrymen, by peace.
making, as was conferred by the brightest of his many
victories in war. Knowing this, and perfectly assured,
as we were, of the excellent understanding that prevailed
on all sides, we still looked with some degree of anxiety
to the first public manifestation of the sentiments with
which the appointment had been offered, accepted, and
confirmed. The clearest horizon might be dimmed by
the sudden appearance of a cloud; but it is not too much
to say, that every speech bearing direct reference
to the great topic of the evening, was equally
characterized by the prudenee of statesmanship, the
glow of enthusiasm, and the earnestness of truth.
In his first and more formal address, the Chair-
man expressed, in measured terms, the matured convic-
tion of the powerful body he represented, that " it was
imperative, as has been frequently inculcated in Indian
warfare, that the confidence of the troops should be ma
nifested in their Commander ;" an object which would
be at once attained by placing the command in the
hands of Sir Charles Napier, " whose former deeds, and
distinguished services, are the best security and pledge
for what may be expected of him iu future." But,
warming tram the contagious force of sympathy, the
Gallant Chairman at a later hour broke out:—" The
Right Hon. President (of the Board of Control) has
alluded to some difficulties which I have had to en-
counter. But I trust the Chairman of the East India
Company and the Directors of the Company will never
find any difficulty in doing that which they consider to
be for the honour of this country, and for the welfare of
the population of India. We welcome my Gallant
Friend Sir Charles Napier with the most perfect ,
conviction that he. is the man for the present
emergency ; and I am sure I speak the sentiments of
the Court of Directors when I say that they have the
same confidence in him that her Alajesty's Government
have exhibited, and I only hope he will return to this
country with honour and glory." Sir Charles Napier
spoke with soldierliko and emphatic brevity:—" I go to
India at the command of her Majesty, by the recommen-
dation, I believe, of his Grace the Duke of Wellington,
and I believe I go also with the approbation of my coun-
trymen," We will venture to assure the gallant officer
that he goes with someting more than their cold appro-
bation. He goes in compliance with their eager wishes;
and, coma what come may, he has earned their lasting
gratitude by his prompt and patriotic obedience to their
call. The few but pregnant sentences which fell from his
illustrious friend, will be read with the deepest
interest, and servo to dissipate the gloom which
the— we will not say reverse but non-victory,
announced in the last dispatches, has diffused. The
Duke of Wellington bids us bo of good cheer, for " the
great object of the war now existing has been obtained,"
and he reminds us, at the same time, that, if we fight
great battles we must incur groat risks, and that honour-
able victories are invariably bought with blood. Lord
Hardinge paid a high compliment to Lord Gough and
Sir John Hobhouse, who spoke for the Government,
said: "We have not forgotten the campaigns of the
Mysore, and our long struggles with the Mahrattas—we
have not forgotten the days when there were doubts that
the Nepaulese would come to Benares—we have not for-
gotten when Bhurtpore foiled the efforts of a successful
General, and almost broke the heart of the gallant
Ochterlony; all these things have happened in my own
time, and in most of yours. But what has been the ge-
neral result?" The result was, what it always will be,
so long as we have men deserving the name of Statesmen
to direct our councils, and Generals like Sir Charles
Napier to lead our armies--so long as civil prudence co-
operates cordially with military skill; and, above all, so
long as it is deemed imperative on every member of the
community, without exception, to devote himself, heart
and soul, to his country, whenever its honour, glory, or
permanent welfare is at stake.
HERALD.—In his recent pamphlet on the "Baggage
of the Indian Army," which has risen into unexpected
importance since it first issued from the press, Sir C
Napier, with reference to the condition of our forces in
India and the loss sustained at Ferozshahur and So-
braon, emphatically exhorts the nation to look to these
matters, that we'may not have to exclaim with Pyrrhus,
at Asculum, Another such victory will undo usl' "
The " victory" of the Jhelum was a mournful com-
mentary upon these memorable wars. But it will not
be without its uses. Already has it opened the eyes of
the nation to the recognition of one great wants—the
want of a General in India, and it will not be long be-
fore other wants are equally well understood. It has
been our fortune for some years past, in that country,
to beat the enemy, time after time, in a manner so dis-
astrous to ourselves that many a signal defeat has been
mere holiday -work compared with one of these mut,
derous successes. When the tidings of a "famous
victory " first reached us, we were generally too
much dazzled and too much intoxicated to see and to
think with much clearness—to calculate accurately
the cost—to scan aright the merits of the achieve-
ment. It often happened that the more slaughter there
was, the more eclat ; that whilst the general who saved
his men—who achieved great objects with little loss of
life—was overlooked and neglected, or, if considered at
all, was set down as a commonplace sort of personage;
the commander who flung his troops at the enemy,
fought a murderous battle, in the course of which the
suspended between the
balance of victory seemed equally