The Sun.
London, England, 1849-11-24 00:00:00

blning nit

I ONDON, SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 1849

A document, which will be found elsewhere, is
• minently worthy of a calm and attentive perusal,
and of deep and serious consideration. Much will
depend on the tone and manner of its reception and
the results it may eventually produce. The reputa-
tion of the British Government in India is involved
n the issue. It remains to be discovered whether
they will preserve—we should, perhaps, say regain—
the character of equity and justice that is of such vital
importance to British interests in Hindostan, a cha-
racter which has been deeply injured, if not altogether
forfeited by recent transactions. It was owing to the
high estimation in which the honour, the integrity
and the moderation of the East India Company was,
formerly held, that we were enabled to achieve such
extraordinary triumphs in the East, and to consoli-
date the power of the British empire. The native
Princes had learned to repose implicit confidence in
the fidelity with which England regarded her en-
gagements, and to believe that so long as they con-
ducted themselves in a fair and straightforward man-
ner, they would be suffered to continue in.the enjoyment
of all their rights and privileges, not only without

invasion on our part, but that we would prove their
most strenuous supporters and protectors. That
confidence was indeed more valuable to England
han myriads of armed cohorts. It prevented many
formidable conspiracies, and most probably a general
combination and confederacy of the native Powers
against British supremacy. If it were supposed that
our policy would be to maintain a system of
constant aggression ; to dethrone Sovereign
Princes on the most frivolous pretexts ; to confiscate
their dominions, and annex them without scruple to
our own territories ; to look upon'solemn treaties as
so much waste paper, that might be set aside and
disregarded whenever it suited our convenience to do
eo, all parties would feel it to be their interest to
unite against the Common Enemy, and to drive from
their shores a bold and unscrupulous race, whose power
was fraught with the most pernicious consequences
—a fearful struggle would have long since com-
menced, of which it would be impossible to foresee
the final termination. But so great a calamity ha
e
hitherto been averted, because we have preserved at
least the appearance and semblance of justice. We
have ruled by good opinion, by conciliating native
prejudices, and appeasing native suspicion, and if we
should now cast aside the mask, and openly and un-
disguisedly seize upon the territories of our allies,
merely because our power enables us to do so, and
to despise the remonstrances addressed to us, we
shall deeply injure our real interests, and seriously
endanger our Indian empire.
The document to which we have alluded is an
appeal from a devoted and faithful man, who has con-
tinued to support the cause of his lawful SOVEREIGN,
through unexampled difficulties, with an abillity,
fidelity, and zeal that is beyond all praise. The case
of the unfortunate PERTAGB SINGH, late Raja of Sat-
tara, has been so fully and repeatedly brought before
the public, that it is almost a work of supeesrogation
to allude at any length thereto. It has been heard
within the walls of Parliament, at the Court of Direc-
tors in Leadenhall-street, and wafted on the wings of
the press throughout the length and breadth of the
land. Every effort has, we regret to be obliged to
say, been made to suppress investigation, and
to prevent that full and searching inquiry into all the
circumstances of the case that was so urgently de-
manded. Ridicule has been unsparingly resorted to
n order to deter the friends of justice from taking up
he cause of an oppressed and injured Prince, who
was deprived of his sovereignty, driven into exile
and detained in custody, after a mock trial, in which
his case was prejudged, and in which evidence was
rem ived and acted on that would not be considered
sufficient to justify the conviction and imprisonment
of the most contemptible pickpocket in this
country. The injured Prince, who was condemned
on such testimony, without even being heard in hit
own defence, died broken-hearted in imprisonment-
But his rights did not perish with him; they sur-
vived to one who, by the most sacred custom of the
'Endo° law, became entitled to all the privileges of
a child of the deceased Raja, who is also his nearest
surviving relative, and who, therefore, by a double
claim, must be regarded as his lawful heir and suc-
cessor, and of whose innocence there can be no doubt
or question.
When PERTAI3I3 SINGH was so unjustly and ille•
gaily deposed and incarcerated some show of jus-
tice was at least maintained ; the form of
a trial was gone through, although its result was a
foregone conclusion. But even then there was no
attempt to seize his dominions, or annex them to the
Anglo-Is dian territory. His brother, APPA Senna,
was raised to the throne, and a new treaty entered
into with him. It was distinctly stated at the time
that the British Government " had no intention of
taking the country for its use, or of increasing its
possessions by the measure." They declared that
" they had only transferred the sovereignty to the
Raja's younger brother ;" and thus the ap-
pearance of disinterestedness was maintained.
APPA Salmi has, however, since died, and the
adios Government, casting aside all disguise tad