The Sun.
London, England, 1804-06-14 00:00:00

THE !UNDO ba.

(From-Essays by the Students of i:ort!limn, 11l 13r1131).
WHEN writing on the progress of national rfinle;
ment, how is a standard for civility to be fixeu
It has been generally accountei.t, that those coentri,
7/
alone are civilized, where laws have been framed
for the prole lion of life. aed for the safety °ill-
perty. That country, therefore, can never be call'
ed civilized, where the priest stands before the altl
• of his idol, with his hands reeking with the blood
of the newly slaughtered vietiro; whose laws pe,r;
snit the son to expose to the flood the being w'ilt
gave. him birth, when. oppressed by years, and di;
able to labour for the support of life ; where:4a
youthful widow is compelled to finish a short " t
epsn the pile of het deceased husband, or else nnig
survive his loss in ignominy or servitude : wherrie
human sacrifices are oifered up to appease the dery
of destruction ; and where the Woman who has bebte
long barren, offers:. her first.born to her 60(1, of,
O
exposing it to the birds and beasts of preys ores ta
fering.it to be carried away by the flood' E t'
Ganges*.
The Indians at present under the British dart''
nion, particularly those near to the seats 0- hit
vernrnent, appear inclined to dismiss many cif;:„1 rfr
prejudices. _ The richer fliecloos, in part"- 10
affect to despise many of their former custoinS, ee
which the destrustive persecutions of the Nia,rbQhfiley,
clans only served to rivet their efictions• .01
however, rather copy .the follies than the virtue-os
European;, and endeavour to excel them in,R,lfox of -
and expence, rather than in knowledge.
have acquired the same freedOm behavienri iris;
out the same generosity an:'intiependei•oe 01 '4,"hes,
and they are more eager in the acquitement of ti net'
without the same enterprize and honesty of r,
pie. To over-reach the stranger by the lowest
tifices of despicable chicane and intrigue, is COP
lie
(tplayi
esesri o it
the
e influenceh mavoertse;
dered by the tradiegliindoo as his calling. If is
never to exertion U'ut' bY
Bible to every feeling of aviititule"
he is utterly
-instil._
less quick in resenting injuries,
__ tidos); and he is
in sloth is the delight of --the Hi
of neces,
vttihgeotir'veoiursstat:aennsediisiiifins;:eielirilt!cie,e,tiverd;fbiliFeai;
sits, or to gratify. his-roling.passiosi, avarice.
is dastardly in spirit, and- 'tvill seldom
test with an open toe e but is rather i.ciined St •
jute his eretny secret!)'. When transpertiltd'`
,anger, he vents
.his rage with feminine ifilOr„
in the vilest and foulest reproaches ; but this
stand a
quickly damped, if likely to be resented by foren.,/
'Tie Fltodoo has a 'strong propetisity to
in the luxury of the palate. Though proltali,"
his laws front feeding cm the flesh of anigiais'
freshfeasts luxuriously on ghee and spices; an" 'fresh
with delight the drugs, with which be give
co, ,
relit to the naturally p,iwerl'ul elftas tobaces 00
it has been the laiihion to dwell ivith raPtiir
tee humanity and 'mildness of the Hindagt;e' can
can that people be called humane or mild, °re, be'
with unmoved countenance and unfeeling he‘olling
hold the tortures of their nearest relative's Pe„t 'was
in the flames, or drowning in the Ganges ? r theft
ship indeed appears to. have little' power over
,14
hearts ; and-the tender ties which bind an off;P:.00
of the Hindoo is tm,derate, and he. bears a eta' of
to a parent are frequently forgotten.' The atria nix
his honour with great calmness, provided ise,,:rit
thereby increased his wealth. The generous Toys
of independence never warms his cold and tiftirod.,
breast ; he crouches with the most abj....a ser!rn tee
and flattery to his superiors, and is treated itakes
same manner by his dependents, over whoa; he , hag
• deco,
every opportunity to tyrannize. This, In lest
been ever so much the chara6ter of :he Hindl,:i'orne
the Mahomedans always found him the best
merit for oppressing . his own countrymc' is his
chief-consistency of conduft in the Hillary the
,lie
cal'lrsu vegetat_.
strid.observance of the tenets of his relig`.:ger 0".
daily ceremony of ablution and prayers Ile "will, tog
glens, and there is no penance which beDifferent
undergo to appease his angry gods.
rid ir, their
tribes differ much in their dispositions f. all the
superstitions superstitions : the B:ngalese, perhaps, ,Ii j
other tribes, are the leas: enterprizing .„ d
1-r 1)
4iebe'ars'
and more the slaves of prejudice. The .1 lot
the Peninsula, the Mahrattas, Noirst an 1,04
are all different classes of Hindoos, nuke
peculiar to themselves, and are resolute at"
tribes.
rratedebm
* Many of these unnatural cruelties were eerl'icii,„loo
licly, in the presence of Europeans, at the last
tivai, in the island of Saugor, Deeer0ber..........°