The Sun.
London, England, 1858-01-13 00:00:00

LONDON, WEDNESDAY, JAN. 13, 1858.

The arrival of the Overland Mails from Cal-
cutta and Bombay has furnished us with full de-
tails of the brilliant exploits by which Lucknow
was relieved, and its truly "illustrious" garrison,
and the helpless fugitives whom they so nobly
protected, rescued from the imminent perils
to which they were exposed. The thrilling nar-
rative of Brigadier INGL3S, whose conduct well
merited the applause it received from all parties
who were enabled to bear testimony thereto, will
be perused with deep interest. It states simply,
but clearly, the terrible ordeal through which
they passed, and exhibits, in a correct point of
view, the daring courage and indefatigable exer-
tions displayed by all concerned. We now under-
stand the intensity of the trial, the manner in
which every man, woman, and child behaved
during the almost unparalleled tests they so well
sustained.

The sad death of Sir HENRY LAWRENCE, one
cf the most efficient officers that ever served under
the East India Company, is explained. An
eight-inch shell had fallen into the room in which
he was sitting, and burst between him and Mr.
COUPER, but without inflicting injury on
either. He was implored to take up other
quarters, as the place wherein he was accus-
tomed to sit had been made the special
target for the round shot and shells of the enemy.
Unfortunately, he neglected the salutary caution,
and on the following day another shell inflicted a
mortal wound on one who was alike distinguished
as a soldier and civilian.

The dangers had not ceased even when the
cheerful notes of the pibroch announced that
" the CA.MPBELLS were coming," and that oue of
the most illustrious bearers of that honoured name
had actually arrived. Scarcely had the victory
been achieved, and the glad tidings of safety
given to those so greatly afflicted, before the boom-
ing of cannon in the direction of Cawnpore proved
that there was a sharp conflict in that quarter.
Although still mourning for Heymocic, who had
yielded up his gallant spirit on the 25th of Novem-
ber, Sir Court took immediate measures to meet
the new emergency, whatever it might be. On
the 26th he marched towards Cawnpore
—leaving Sir JAMES 01173/31, with 3,560
men, in the Alumbagh—and taking with
him the sick and wounded, women and chil-
dren. It was truly fortunate that they had
a guardian so efficient and thoughtful. He at
once interposed his troops between the rebels and
non-itornbatanta, and remained on the defensive—
a severe trial to one of his temperament—until
they were placed in safety. Knowing that in
military operations, "legs are no less important
than arms," he marched his gallant soldiers 43
miles in 31 hours, took the enemy by surprise,
drove them from their position, Where they were
threatening Cawnpore, and captured 16 guns.
He then waited patiently until his precious charge
were dispatched towards Allahabad, where they
arrived in perfect safety ; and although no men-
tion has been made of their further progress, there
is every reason to suppose that they have long
since reached Calcutta.

When that task bad been accomplished,
and the men rested, the gallant High-
lander took the initiative, and well and
faithfully he discharged his duty. He found

that they had taken possession of a considerable

portion of the town of Cawnpore, and were threat-
ening our entrenchments. He did not sacrifice the
valuable lives entrusted to his charge by a rash
assault, which, although it might have been suc-
cessful, must have been purchased at a heavy
price. He first shelled the rebels out of the town,
and, having driven them from the narrow, streets,
where our troops might have been embarrassed,
he attacked them with rifle and bayonet,
and achieved a brilliant victory. We are
told that the loss of the mutineers was
fearful, and that the whole army, 14,000 strong,
fled in utter confusion. Thanks to the judicious
arrangements made by Sir Com', who, with the
most daring bravery, economises the valuable
lives of his followers, our loss was comparatively
trifling. He pursued the flying enemy for
fourteen miles, and captured a great por-
tion of their guns, carts, waggons, ammu-
nition, and baggage. Brigadier Horz GRANT
ably followed suit, and completed the discomfiture
of the rebel force. What had been saved from
CAMPBELL was taken by this distinguished officer,
and the once powerful and well-organised Gwalior
contingent became a mere rabble—sauve qui peat
being the only matter thought of. The cam-
paign, so far as they are concerned, has been
virtually terminated by these well-timed exploits.
We do not wish at present to speak of General
WINDHAM. Grave charges have been preferred
against him ; and, considering the almost
universal success that has attended the British
arms against even greater odds than he
had to encounter there seems to be a prima facie
case against him. Recollecting, however, his
daring gallantryin the Crimea, and the manner in
which he distinguished himself in the
attack on the Redan, we shall not con-
demn him until conclusive evidence shall prove
him to be a fallen star. We shall truly rejoice
to hear of his complete vindication from the grave
accusations preferred.
The other tidings merely confirm what we have
already known by means of telegrams. Nothing
could have been more meritorious than
the conduct of our countrywomen at Luck-
now, and we believe that we only give expres-
sion to the general feeling of the country, in
suggesting that the labours of Colonel or rather
Brigadier INGL/S should be adequately rewarded,
and that every soldier concerned in that unparal-
leled defence should receive the Victoria Cross as
a recognition of services that have been seldom
equalled and never surpassed in the military
annals of this or any other country.

The Friend of India, with such freedom as the
Gagging Act permits, discusses the question of the
real character of the mutiny, and comes to what
appears to us a very natural conclusion. While
the most common opinion—one which we have
shared—is, that it is a purely military revolt, the
greater part of the refugees, the independent Euro-
peans in India pretty generally, and a large part of
the Indian officials speak of it as a revolt of the
natives also. The fact seems to be that there is
some truth in both opinions, or rather, we should
' say, that with certain modifications the revolt is,
substantially, a military revolt only. We have
all read in the accounts received here, from pri.
vate sources especially, of many most pleasing
acts of kindness, of self-sacrifice even, on the part
of the natives, to save refugees, or to warn those
in danger. In many cases also it was evident that
fear of the Sepoys prevented the peasantry from
showing the kindness which they would otherwise
have done. On the other hand we have had but
too many proofs that the non-military populace
have shared in the perpetration of some of the
wont of the atrocities—that indeed in some cases
they have been the chief actors. It has also been
remarked that intelligence was never spontaneously
furnished us when NANA SAHIB was hovering
almost about our outposts, while he knew all our
movements.

The Friend of India considers the explanation
to be that we have not only the mutineers to deal
with, but all the class also from which they are
drawn. " All the pensioners, durwans, nujeebs,
police, retainers, lattials, budmashes, and the
rest of the armed scum of India ; these are not
the people, but their enormous numbers, wide
diffusion, and strength of sympathy make them
appear as if they were." Some of these Glasses
are to be found in every village, and considerable
numbers in every town. They include all the
villains liberated from the gaols, and all the vil-
lains who ought to be there ; all the publicans and
sinners, in fact, of the country, whose quality we
may judge of front the disclosums, just before the
mutiny, respecting the Bengal police, and from
the tortures they could inflict on their own
countrymen. The numbers of this class—the
terror of the quiet peasantry—are estimated at
not less than three millions ; they have nothing to
lose, revolt is tkerefore no risk to them ; if it
succeed they win, if it fail they are none the
worse off. These are the classes which we shall
find most formidable when the rebellion is sup-
pressed. We may in no great time crush, destroy,
or scatter every regiment and company of Sepoys,
but the host of villains, spread all over the
country, undistinguishable from the great mass
of the people, will be more difficult to deal with
than the Sepoys themselves.

We have suggested before, on general grounds,
the necessity of disarming the population, and we
find the Editor of the journal referred to, insist-
ing that we have no other means of dealing with
this vast and dangerous class. We cannot ext3r-
minate three millions of people ; we cannot main-
tain either military force, or an honest police, if
procurable, to watch them, but we can render
them harmless. Thieves are, of course, trouble-
some ; but it is robbers, assassins, dacoits, the
violence of desperate men, which will be the
terror and danger of the peaceable natives and of
Europeans in India for many years to come.
The Editor wishes for au Act which shall render
he existence of a pistol, musket, sword, or iron-
bound club, in any but European hands, an im-
possibility, under penalty of death or transpor-
tation. This seems a very strong measure ; it
will be said that peaceable natives want arms to
defend themselves against Ethe villain class, and
that to strip them would therefore be to leave them
defenceless. This, however, depends upon the
vigour with which disarmment is enforced. By
prohibition of manufacture, by rewards for the
discovery of arms, and by heavy penalties on their
possession, it would be possible, probably, to get
them out of the hands of villains. If so, the pea-
santry would be far better protected by their
enemies' deprivation of deadly weapons, than by
their own possession of them.
There is another reason why disarmment of the
natives, which practically' means disarmment of the
rascally classes only, is of great importance. These
are just the fellows who will endanger European
life in India, who will, partly out of revenge, and
partly for plunder's sake, Tender it dangerous for
an Englishman to live or to travel in the country
without an escort. All fear of this ought to be
completely
dispelled. The first commercial, finan-
cial, and Social Want of India is a large influx of
European skill,
energy, and capital ; and the first
requisite for this
end is that an Englishman
going

thither should feel himself safe. Since the atro-
cities of the mutineers a feeling must have arisen
that Asiatics cannot be trusted as they have been.
We believe, however, the distrust is groundless
except so far as the dangerous classes indicated
above are concerned. The ryots and other pea-
santry, poor fellows, desire nothing better than
that we should locate ourselves among them, and
find them employment, or purchase their produce
for shipment. They want us there to open the coun-
try to commerce, to irrigate the land, and to create
roads, canals, and railways. One of the most pressing
necessities, therefore, we tAke to be a universal
and stringent disarmment of the natives. On that
condition alone will life, in India, be safe for us,
and for the peaceable among themselves.