The Sun.
London, England, 1858-01-11 00:00:00

LONDON, MONDAY, JAN. 11, 1858.

Other telegrams have been received respecting
Indian affairs, which add materially to the infor-
mation. contained in our impression of Thursday.
The death of the lamented Sir HENRY HAVELOCK
has been confirmed. It took place at Alumbagh
on the 25th of November, where the hero, worn
out with fatigue and anxiety, surrendered the
life so dear to the British nation, at the very time
when tardy rewards were about to b© bestowed
on him. He died the very day before the notifi-
cation of his baronetcy appeared in the Gazette,
and a question has been raised whether his gal-
lant son, who was severely wounded at the relief
of Lucknow, will succeed to the title. We should
think that the patent must have been made out
previously to its publication. If so the grant
would take place from the time of its receiving

the Royal signature. But the mere f. tot that
such a point has been started, offers a deplorable
commentary on the delays that occurred before a
tribute so inadequate was offered to such bril-
liant services as the departed hero had
rendered to his QUEEN and country. Had
General HAVELOCK been a member of an aristo-
cratic family, mingling in Courtly circles, the
rewards would have been more commensurate
with his deserts, and more promptly bestowed.
But HAVELOCK was one of the People. He had
worked himself forward by his own deserts—had
spent nearly a:quarter of a century under the burn-
ing sun of India, taking a distinguished and active
part in all the fierce struggles that were waged in
that country. The purchase system had no part
in his promotion, for he had arrived at the mature
age of forty-three before he obtained a company,
and when sixty-two years of age was but a colonel,
when his extraordinary merits attracted general
attention, and the Horse Guards and the Govern-
ment only followed in the wake of public opinion !
We can now, alas, but bestow a national mo•
nument to his honoured memory, and give to his
surviving family the more substantial recompences
which he was not spared to enjoy.

We cannot for a moment doubt that his
bereaved widow and children will receive an
ample measure of justice that no technical
difficulties will be permitted to interfere
in the way of their reception of the title
and pecuniary provision intended by the
SOVEREIGN and Parliament of Great Britain.
But more, far more should be done. Never
was a peerage more nobly earned, and,
although ho cannot add lustre t) the
hereditary branch iof the Legislature, we
trust that the name of his widow may be inscribed
on the roll of the Peerage, and that an adequate
pension may be granted to herself and her two
immediate successors. Apartments in Hampton
Court Palace, and a paltry 5001. per annum, will
not satisfy the popular expectation, nor suffice for
her who has lost that for which no titular honours,
no pecuniary grants, could be regarded as an
equivalent.
He has also left sons and daughters, three of
each. The former will, of course, be afforded full
opportunities for acquiring fame and fortune.
But the latter ought to be regarded as bequests to
the nation, and provided for handsomely. There
has already been a suggestion that a guinea sub-
scription should be raised to be applied for their
benefit. We cannot approve of the proposition. They
belong to the country, and must:not be forgotten.
It would be an insult to the memory of their illus-
trious father—an insult to those so near and dear
to him—to hold them up as objects of charity.
There is a heavy debt due, and it should be liqui-
dated even to the last farthing. Should Parlia-
ment disregard its obvious duty, it will then be
time enough for the people to repair its lathes.
It appears that Lucknow, or rather the Resi-
dency, has been abandoned. There was no object
to be achieved by locking up a large body of troops
in that untoward situation, when they might be
far more beneficially employed in the open field,
crushing the rebels wherever they dared to erect
their blood-stained standards. Owing to the bad
arrangements at Calcutta, sufficient reinforce-
ments could not have arrived to crush the
city, and the Residency was:very badly situated,
inasmuch as the hotbed of revolt was situ-
ated between it and the route to Cawn-
pore, with which it was therefore almost impos-
sible to maintain communication. The Alumbagh
has, however, been retained, and is now occupied
by General OUTRAM with a strong division. From
this basis the avenging force can move forward
at any time it may be considered desirable to
commence operations against the devoted city ;
and we may be assured that Sir COLIN CAMPBELL
will not be slow to do so whenever circumstances
may render it expedient to make the attempt.
There still seems to be considerable mystery
about the alleged defeat of General WINDHAM ;
but there can be no doubt whatsoever respecting
the complete rout of the Gwalior Contingent, by
whom it was said to have been effected. The
present telegram states that General WINDHA M
gained a complete victory over them on the 26th
Nov., but that on the following day, the 27tb, the
rebels renewed the attack, and succeeded in burn-
ing his camp—that they were repelled by a sortie,
in which Brigadier WILSON of the 54th (64th)
fell. It is added that our loss was heavy, the
64th and 80th being considerably cut up ! This
is far better than the brief statement that the
64th was nearly cut up, which would imply the
almost total loss of that distinguished regiment !
We fear, however, that the victory could not have
been very decisive when the enemy could surprise
the triumphant army on the following day, drive
it into its entrenchments, and destroy its tents.
Besides, it is said that Sir Courr, having heard the
firing from the Oude side, came up and drove the
enemy from his position in Cawnpore." We must
patiently await the arrival of the Overland intelli-
gence for full information on this interesting
subject.

But whatever may have been their temporary
success, it was promptly and speedily avenged.
The tables were completely turned ; Sir COLIN
CAMPBELL came up with them on the 7th Decem-
ber. The rebels then numbered 14,000 strong.
They could not, however, stand against the
Hieland Chief and his sturdy followers.
They were driven from their position, and chased
14 miles along the Calpee-road, all their cannon
save eight (?) were taken, together with all their
carts, ammunition, and baggage. This triumph
was rapidly and efficiently followed up by Briga-
dier HOPE GRANT, who overtook the fugitives at
Sernighaut, as they were beginning to cross the
ghaut over the Ganges. The gallant General
immediately attacked them with cavalry and
artillery, and after half-an-hour's sharp firing,
took fifteen guns (more than the eight above
allnded to), and all their stores, carts, waggons,
ammunition, hackeries, &c. It seems to have
been a mere flight, for not a single British
soldier was killed in the pursuit, although
General GRANT was slightly wounded. The rebels
must have been totally crushed, for there is a con-
gratulation on " the happy finish" of this parti-
cular campaign.

JUNG BAHADOOR, better known as the Nu-
paulese Ambassador, had passed Sogowlee, with
9,000 men, and had gone to Gorrukpore to help
Sir COLIN CAMPBELL. It was said, how-
ever, that the Oude insurgents, pushing
to the southward, had compelled the Ghoor-
kas to retire from Azimghur and Jounpore
stations, about 100 and 150 miles south of Luck-
now. The troops on the march upwards were
ordered to halt at Benares to await the arrival of
Colonel FRANES, who will adopt the necessary pre-
cautions against the rebels carrying on their
nefarious proceedings to the southward !
Some patty insurrections, or rather emeutes, had
taken place, which were speedily quelled. The
Bengal 34th and 73d had mutinied, thus entirely
extinguishing the Bengal Army. Two regimentQ,
the 43d and 70th, which had been disarmcd, are
to be sent to China. This certainly seems rathtr
a rash experiment, which we trust Lord CANNING
may be enabled to justify.
Two of HOLX.III'S Regiments were dis-

armed at Indore, on the arrival of
the Mhow Column, and the' Punjaub was
so completely tranquilised under the judicious
management of Sir JOHN LAWRENCE, on whom
no honour or reward has yet been betowed, that
the railway survey was again proceeded with. A
few days will give further information, and that
we must await with as much patienca as possible,
under the circumstances.

The Exeter-hall people, to do them justice, may
teach other reformers a lesson. No sooner is it
known that the Government intends to reform the
administration of India, than they immediately
arrange for a " great meeting," to instruct the
Cabinet on the shape which the new relations be-
tween the Government and Christianity must take
in India. The meeting, as Lord SHAFTESBURY,
the chairman, said, on account of the cold weather,
was not a very " great" one ; it was however
respectably attended, and at all events two peers
and an honourable represented the class of which
the Premier constructs his Cabinet. We only
wish that the friends of domestic reform would
take the hint, and meet everywhere, to give a few
much needed instructions on the forthcoming Re-
form Bill. Whether forthcoming for any other
purpose than display, a little talk, or mere decency
after the promises of last session, time only can
show. What the people are to gain from a Re-
form Bill depends upon their following the
example of Exeter-hall—they must speak promptly
and speak firmly.
Lord SHAF'TESBURY and his friends were, how-
ever, in their own line, upon the right tack.
They put themselves in a strong and indeed im-
pregnable position. They demanded for Chris-
tianity in India the position given it by a NAPIER,
and a JACOBS. They asked only perfect _Religious
Equality. They wanted no favours for native
Christians beyond what were bestowed on Mahom-
medans and Hindoos. They did not ask that
native converts to Christianity should be em-
ployed by Government because they were Chris-
tians ; but they did demand that they should not
be rejected for that reason. The East India Com-
pany, unhappily, has pursued the opposite course;
and if a native adopted the faith of his conquerors,
he was forthwith excluded from the army, and
from every Government employment. This is
one of the perverse forms in which the Company
showed its fear of the natives, and degraded them-
selves by degrading natives who accepted their
own faith ! As Englishmen, our blood boils to
think of a soldier being extruded from the Sepoy
ranks because he became a Christian I No won-
der that the Sepoys contemned and rose against
their Christian rulers. Mahommedana at least
were wiser, though we would not go to the ex-
treme of following their wisdom ; still, did not
our creed forbid, we have no doubt that compul-
sory conversion would secure more respect from
Orientals than being ashamed of one's own faith.
Another fair demand was that Government
should renounce all connection, direct or indirect,
with Mahommedan or with Idol worship. It was
proved by detailed facts, that to this day the
East India Company administers the funds of
temples and mosques, and even makes a hand.
some profit out of them. A missionary present
asserted that repeatedly, when he had silenced all
ether objections to Christianity, his hearers would
point to the fact of our Government agents collect-
ing and disbursing the funds for the support of
heathen worship, and would say to him, and very
naturally—" No doubt what you say is very
good, but you are a private individual ; the Go-
vernment must know best, and they think Hin-
dooisna as good for us as Cluistiauity for you, for
there are their servants superintending and pro-
viding for our worship." There cannot, we appre-
hend, be two opinions respecting the absurdity, to
say the least, of such a false position for a Chris-
tian Government. It is unmanly, as well as irre-
ligious and unfair to the Christian missionary.

So long as Lord aiIAFTESBURY and his friends
take the ground we have indicated, they will
have our cordial support, and that of the country
generally. We believe that at home as well as
in India there will be. a pretty general contempt
felt for the policy which has thus dishonoured
our national faith, and a determination
that nothing of that kind shall be allowed
again. Surely the whole bearing of Go-
vernment should have indicated, as Sir CHAS.
NAPIER observed, a firm conviction of the superi-
ority of our faith, and pity for the men who could
believe in stupid superstitions. As that able and
successful administrator urged, while not a shade
of difference ought to be discerned between the
treatment of a native Christian and other natives,
provided their merits were equal, we ought yet
to let them know that we thought them fooli for
their idolatry ; and certainly no man ever gained
the good-will of the natives more than the Gover-
nor of Scinde.

The first Indian Administrator, however, now
in that country, the man who saved the Punjaub,
and enabled General WILSON to take Delhi, Sir
JOHN LAWRENCE, has indicated the course which
must be pursued. He has taught Lord CANNING,
the Legislative Council, and the Direct )rs, a les-
son under which, as we are informed, on good
authority, they wince dreadfully ; and for which
they have given him, as Lord DERBY termed it,
in the case of General HEARSEY, " a wigging ''—
for which wigging Sir JOHN LAWRENCE doubtless
cares as much as any great man does for the im-
pertinence of stupid official superiors, being quite
certain that he is the real master. Sir Jou;
through one of his subordinates, has issued a cir-
cular condemning, in plain terms, the past policy
of the Company in refusing the services of native
Christians, declaring it to be a shame to the
Government that none had yet been employed in'
Government service in the Punjaub, and asking
the missionaries for lists of trustworthy and com-
petent native Christians, specifying the physical
and mental qualifications required. He dis-
tinctly states at the same time that their promotion
must depend upon their merits, but that he
will " advance their interests e2ually with those
of Mahommedan and Hindoo candidates." What
volumes does this last sentence speak against the
mean subserviency of the Company hitherto. The
circular lays down the broad principle, " That the
system of caste can no longer be permitted to rule
in our services. Soldiers and Government ser-
vants of every class must be entertained for their
merits, irrespective of creed, class, or caste !"
Hitherto superstition and caste have ruled. They
have determined the exclusion of all who were not
superstitious and of high caste. Henceforth
every caste and every faith, Christianity included,
must be equal in the eyes of the country's go-
vernors.

We could not help being somewhat struck with
the earnest declamations of Lord SHAFTESBuRy in
favour of perfect religious equality in India, and
the necessity of ignoring caste, in future. He
claimed civil equality for Mahommedans, Hindoos,
and Christians alike. Had Baron ROTHSCHILD
or Mr. SALomoNs been present, could they have
helped exclaiming, "and for Jews too!" We trust
Lord SHAFTESBURY will give his vote for religious
equality for Jews without qualification or reserve
henceforth. And caste, too—why, what sub-
stantial difference is there between the castes of

India and the castes of England? With a House
of Lords and a Cabinet which no English Soodra
can enter, there is something in England which
needs the application of the principles demanded
for India. We have Brahmins and Sepoys at
home, in both civil and ecclesiastical matters.