The Sun.
London, England, 1858-08-09 00:00:00

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personal friendships of rulers seldom, if ever, inter-
fere with questions of State policy. FRANCIS of
Austria did not seek to defend the throne of his son-
in-law NAPOLEON 1., nor to assert theinterers of his
grandson, the Duke of REICIISTADT-LOUIS rill-
LirrE, although possessing a fatherly affection for
Queen VICTORIA, could not be induced to relinquish
his schemes respecting the Spanish marriages,
which eventually deprived him of his Crown.
Nor did the friendship of our SOVEREIGN
1, maintain a dynasty, one member whereof was mar-
ried to her uncle and two to her first cousins. It is
not, then, to the effects produced on Imperial or
Royal personages that the chief advantages of such
visits are to be ascribed. No ; it is the feeling ex-
cited amongst the peoples of both countries by such
friendly demonstratiAr, that will cement, and, we
trust, perpetuate the alliance between France and
England. Let the voice of public opinion on both
sides of the Channel be favourable to peace and
mutual good-will, and there can be no disturbance
of amicable relations, were there ten or fifteen
Cherbourgs in addition.
The captious critics, echo write with pens steeped
in gall of what they are pleased to term " the pur-
poses for which Cherbourg was designed, and against
whom it is avowedly levelled," do more to disturb
the entente cordiale, to produce bitterness and ill-will
between Englishmen and Frenchmen, than can easily
be repaired. Some sneering or malevolent observa-
tions, calculated to injure the amour propre of a
highly-sensitive race, may produce incalculable mis-
chit 1, and neutralise the good effects of the Royal and
popular visit to Cherbourg on the highly-interesting
occasion tnat has just passed.
The visit was, unfortunately, but of comparatively
brief character—from the evening of Wednesday
till noon on Friday. It sufficed, however, to show
the warmth of reception accorded by the EMPEROR
and people of France to the Queen of ENGLAND and
many English visitants. There were Royal salutes
fired, on a scale which, of frequent occurrence, would
fully verify the adage, " uneasy lies the bead that
wears a crown"—an illumination on a grand scale—
a magnificent banquet on board a French man-of-
war, at which kind sentiments were very neatly ex-
pressed, and sentences well turned ; and there were
also opportunities afforded for sone friendly chat,
in which certain opinions might be expressed.
It is said that some members of the House of
Commons felt a little sore at being unable to go
through and inspect the Imperial dockyard before
the admission of the public generally. We can easily
understand the irritation that would be occasioned
by such an occurrence ; but it must be remembered
that they did not go in their legislative capacity.
They went as a private body of gentlemen, highly
respectable and distinguished, no doubt, but still not
bearing any official capacity. We are quite satisfied
that no slight or want of respect was for a moment
contemplated ; that, on the contrary, every possible
attention was paid. If the preparations nuking for
the grand inauguration excluded every person, high
and low, they could scarcely hope for any special
exception in their favour. This, however, should
not be the cause of any annoyance or bltterncss of
feeling.

India is now in our hands again, at least in the
military sense. Not a town or fortress of any note or
strength is now in the possession of the mutineers;
Gwalior, the capital of our ally SCINDIAH, with its
almost impregnable fort, has been reconquered
within twenty days after it was treacherously seized,
and we do not remember another town which the
Sepoys can call theirs. The only large band of men
in Central India is that which, driven from
Gwalior, ..was making for jeypoor ; this, how-
ever, was followed by Sir Huai' ROSE'S cavalry,
while General ROBERTS was advancing from Nus-
scerabad to meet it in the opposite direction. It must
probably, therefore, be soon dispersed. In Oude matters
must come to a crisis before long. The most able and
fanatical leader of the rebels there is dead, and the
f 1 wntcn fa MR 0 extend to those who do not sur-
render before the 30th of September, will 'probably
induce the majority to lay down their arms before
that time. It is true that no calculations founded
on prudence or reason seem applicable to our East
Indian subjects:; still the hoplessness of their cause
must force itself upon their minds, when every
stronghold is taken and every leader hanged or
killed in battle. The amnesty and victory will
surely soon send the surviving rebels home, and there
will remain but the villains liberated from gaols,
and those who will join them, hoping fur a longer or
shorter immunity for plunder.
The task with India will become almost imme-
diately one of government and administration only ;
there will, indeed, be special work in many districts,
in some almost amounting to a Pindaree war, in
others onlyto rigorous police measures for the suppres-
sion of Dacoitee, but civil, not military administration,
will resume its sway everywhere. The aid of the
military will be wanted merely for its legitimate
purposes. Now, surely, if ever, is the moment for
pressing everywhere the disarming of the natives.
They themselves will feel that we have a right to
insist on i', and it is the first condition both of our
Security and of their mutual s7cuiity against
cacti ether. Sir Joux LAWRENCE has told us that,
but for the disarming of the Sikhs, we should in
;ll probability have had the Plllli mob to recon liter,
instead of having it ai a hue of uiwation3 far the
reconquest of Delhi; while the prosperity of the pro-
vince hal ben due in great part to the fact that the
natives were deprived of the means of plunder ing
each other. The troubksome rebellion in (hide, on
the contrary, and the comparative plv2rty of one of
the most splendid provinces of India, has been owing
' to the fact that the talookdars were all little feudal
barons, in regard to their means of offence and de-
fence, and farmers of revenue, " publicans," in fact,
in respect to the Government. Oude is studded with
small armed forts, and every village is obliged to
have its clubmen. The peasant is never sure of the
reward of his toil.

In Bengal itself, Dacoitee-robbery
common,eryby
largea
nd i n
armed
and organised bands is ruinously
many other parts of India the
mhepeorscs7sionwe cannot
conceive, arms by
some, places others at their
conceive, therefore, of any good reason
If w
easonforde areelay toing
a very decided Arms Act for Il
rule them, the populace or landholdersoaungd phtrtoophearNt-ye
no inducement to rise against us; if life
are to be secure, they ought not to haveltrle.
the
means of ruthlessly plundering each other.
Ire-
land never gave a hundreth part of the occa-
sion for an Arms Bill that India has done; yet
how readily have such bills been offered to Parlia-
ment and accepted by it. What, we may ask, can
the talookdars of Oude need cannon for ? and for
what do they need bands of armed retainers? For what
honeA purposes can the peasantry reed arms ? The
pride of some of the great landlords may be touched
by having to surrender their half-dozen great guns,
but we hold it for a maxim that not a piece of artil-
lery ought to be found in India except in British
hands, or in those of an ally SCINDRIT, who
himself rill hardly need them more than the lieute-
nant of an English county, if all arouni him were
disarmed. As to the numerius little military chiefs,
a body guard, or guard of honour, is all they cm
need, just to spare their pride. The possession of
arms, then, except by a registered licence, the arms
themselves being stamped by Government, and the
manufacture of arms, except by express Government
authority, ought to be at once probib tee: ; and dis-
trict after district ought to be disarmed, as rapidly as
we have the means to do it.

It may b:,, said that disarming '%ill look like dis-
trust, and that it is desirable rather to restore con-
fidence as rapidly as possible. 'We arc afraid that
confidence must be the growth of time. After what
Hindoos and Mabornmedans have proved themselves
capakh—of, Europeans will be long before they can
regain the confidence of pass years. They have
proved themselves more like to the ferocious animals
of their own jungles than to the mighty and useful
auimal, clistinguished alike for big ,a2acity and bid