The Sun.
London, England, 1858-09-15 00:00:00

OUDE.

The cessation of hostilities in Oude seems almost
to have told more powerfully upon the rebel cause
than our victories, as symptoms are now manifest
in all quarters of a thorough break-up of the
confederation. They only wanted a little
leisure to quarrel amongst themselves, and
the sending our troops into quarters has afforded
them the opportunity. We mentioned in our
last issue that Sir J. Hope Grant had marched
with a small but well appointed force from Luck-
now on the 21st ultimo for the relief of faun Sing,
besieged in his fortress at Shahgung, in the
neighbourhood of Fyzabad. The rebel army is said
to have amounted to 8,000 cavalry and 40,000
infantry, of whom 10,000 were sepoys, but these
figures are doubtless a random guess without an
authority. Grant's force could not have exceeded
3,500 in all, but the enemy showed that they had
no intention of again meeting the dreaded gory
Toque ; and while he was yet fourteen miles away,
broke up in three divisions and retreated precipi-
tately. The men flatly refused to fight. A letter
from Lucknow, in the column of a contemporary,
describes the result of the advance as follows :
"On his road Grant met with no opposition. The
rebels at Durreabad, some 10,000 strong, under
Gungadhur Panay, once one of our faithful friends,
melted into particles on our approach. The chuckle-
dar of the place addressed head quarters, that is the
Begum, that hearing of the advance of British
troops, Gungadhur's men, and those of Abed Hoosein,
felt a sudden pricking of the conscience, and were
deserting. No attraction could keep them together,
our presence and our bayonets were very repellant.
No sooner did intelligence reach Mehndee Hoosein
that we had passed Durreabad, where we have
quartered the Kuppertulla Rajah's troops, than the
vast host before Shahgung rolled with a similar
emotion. In one night 13,000 deserted, having
been seen no more."

On the 30th, Maun Sing came into Gen. Grant's
camp at Fyzabad, and whatever reason we may
have to doubt the sincerity of this man's late and
vacillating professions, his final detachment from
the rebel cause is undoubtedly an advantage of
importance. The effect of this movement is the
perfect re-establishment of order at Fyzabad. The
inhabitants are returning to their homes, and the
shops are being opened, and trade resumed as if no-
thing whatever had transpired in the district. Our
anticipations that the Begum's force at Bounree
would melt away of itself, are realised. It had
dwindled down, by last accounts, to between three
and four thousand men with four guns, and was
s t atn
at the
preparing to follow the " sorry beast" Nana into
the Nepaul territories, upon the first notice of our
advance. The latest information we have of this
monster
in the Nanparuh
d itrit, n he d s
ic s n
t C,
h t r
head of a consi-
derable body of troops, with four guns. It is hardly
c oi s thatthe2
possible that he should escape were the Nepaul
Government in earnest to arrest him, but we are
not surprised that grave doubts are expressed of
the real sentiments of that Court, although we have
delighted to honour Jung Bahadoor with the dig-
nity we confer upon our best and bravest warriors.
It wouid serve no purpose to detail the numerous
rebel gatherings left in the province, but we may
mention that a flying column, detached from
Grant's force, was to follow up the debris of the
Shahgung besiegers, who under Mahomed Hoosein
are now collected at Sultanpore, to the number, it
is said, of 18,000 men. The pursuing column con-
sists of the Ist Madras Fusiliers, 4th Punjaub
Rifles, 500 cavalry, with one troop Horse Artillery.
Our next will doubtless record their arrival at
Sultanpore, and the dispersion of the host they are
advancing against.
The state of affairs in, the province affords the.
best indicationwhich could be given of the wisdom-
of Lord Canning's policy throughout. Had an am-
nesty been decreed, it is doubtful whether it would
have been accepted, while had it proved successful,
it would have tied the Commissioner's hands in the
most mischievous and embarrassing manner, from
the host of claims which it would have been sup-
posed to guarantee. As it is, Mr. Montgomery is
unfettered. Abundant evidence has been given to
the rebels that they will be dealt with in a spirit
of justice, tempered largely with mercy, and the
settlement of Oude upon a peaceful and enduring
basis is now secured.