The Sun.
London, England, 1858-12-11 00:00:00

e xarap

Altogether the most effective and admirable
speech yet delivered within our recollection, by
Lord STANLEY, during the. ten years of his public
life, is the one he has but just now addressed to the
cadets at Addiscombe. The harangue was emi-
nently practical and to the purpose throughout.
It was stirring and inspiriting, and in every respect
worthy of falling from the lips of the First Secre-
tary of State for • the Administration of the
affairs of Hindostan. The .noble lord spoke
with a tempered and wise .discretion, strangely
beyond the years of one who only ten winters since
was himself a student at one of. the Universities-
Scarcely have ten years elapsed. when one of the
alumni, of yesterday at Cambridge is descanting
upon the great duties of life, illustrating his pre-
lection with wise saws carefully chosen, and modern
instances judiciously selected, before an assemblage
of the passed cadets at the Military College of Addis-
combo. Lord STANLEY spoke to the eager throng of
" bright and young adventurers "—in his capacity
as head of one of the great departments of the
State, and ruler over the destinies of from
100,000,000 to 200,000,000 of the human race. He
reminded his hearers, at the outset, how truly
everything in Asia—" public safety, national
honour, personal reputation "—is dependant upon
the sheer-force of individual character. And as an
anticipative encouragement in every probable future
,
interval of despondency, revived vividly to recollec-
tion the careers of General Sir W. 3.1. NOTT and of
General Sir HENRY HAVELOCK. It was surely
enough to mention those two illustrious names to
justify to the full Lord STANLEY'S authoritative
assurance that--7in India—" talent, with perseve-
rance, need never despair of an opportunity."
Both NOTT and HAVELOCK had long passed middle
life before that golden opportunity arrived for
either. It came at last, and in each instance the
man at once proved more than equal to the occa-
:lon. Years of obscure but honourable and con-
' scientieus discharge of duty were rewardcd at last,
upon a sudden with the heroic recompense- of
world-wide and enduring reputation. Frequently,
in all likelihood, had both one and the other sighed
over the monotonous and undistinguished destiny
that seemingly gave no promise whatever
of fixing .upon either the regard of their
fellow7countrymen —of rousing their sym-
pathy, much less of kindling: their admiration.
Eventually, however, we repeat, it came at last,
the all but despaired of opportunity—it came in
their declining years, when their hair was already
whitening with age. It came, moreover, that
grand reward of great historical Fame, in India
not many years ago—between the career of NOTT
and the career of HAvELOCK—to a yet more re-
markable soldier than either of those mentioned
by the Secretary of State for India. It came tar-
dily but resplendently, in the sixty-first year of his
Age, to one of the most glorious warriors in our
an nals,to Sir ertAra.EA Loms NAPIER,whose CO years
in 1843, as his gallant brother the Historian has

written of him—" had not prevented him from
defeating a great army, capturing two strong
fartreses, and marching under a Scindian sun
ibovc two hundred miles, all in sixteen days." Not
that the Conqueror of Scinde was obscure until
~ixty years had gone over his head; but th.a his
heroic career, as one of the young majors of WEL-
LINGTON in the Peninsula, and his eminent ser-
i ices as chief in command -at Cephalonia, had
given to none, perhaps, but himself and his
•
appreciative brother, auguries of his grand
ulterior reputation. Remember, however, that
when he quitted the shores of England, upon
his Indian staff appointment in 1841,
when he took his departure from this island to go
end conquer the Lien of Mccrpcor and his heroic
warriors the Amcers, he had already entered upon
old age, he was so indifferently off for money that
on paying down for his passagebefores starting he
received a guinea change as his whole worldly
wealth ; that his health was so poor and
his constitution . shattered that his life was
refused at the insurance office. Yet this
impoverished ailing man of nearly sixty went
rut the re and earned for himself a grand his tcrie
reputation in India, added a superb province to our
Asiatic possessions, routed an army of 30,000 dis-
ciplined warriors of the East with a handful of
Europeans, won a splendid dominion at the point
of h:s sword, and, thereupon, in the very midst of
the debris of battle, created and organised a Go-
I eminent. Assuredly, after this, Lord STANLEY
might, well say that, in India, none with perse-
verance need ever despair of an opportunity. Not
that every one is a NOTT -or a lIAvELooK, or
much le!,;s a NAPIER ; but that those heroic men,
that great general and conqueror, are standing
Iwc.ofs in even Anglo-Indian history, that none at
'cast need ever despair of—the opportunity. When
it con will be then to use it. But come it
may at any period of the day, in spite of (very
variety and multiplicity of disappointment. De-
vcroleney is idle at its non-appearance. Sooner
later every one may look forward in India to
hat ultimate opportunit v.
In further illustration of the real frivolity of the
temptation of despondency, Lord STANLEY re-
minded the young cadets at Addiscombe " that that
most valuable public servant, Lord METcALrE,
once wrote back from India entreating tobe allowed
o give up a service for which he felt no taste, and
in which he had no hope of success"—he who ulti-