The Sun.
London, England, 1857-12-25 00:00:00

WHAT SHOULD BE DONE IN INDIA

The following ie an extract from a letter written from
Calcutta to a merchant in Liverpool :
We are in daily expectation of the old fortress of Agra
being closely besieged by the troopelof the Gwalior Mah-
ratta. If so, then God help them fur a time I We only
hope they will be able to hold their own until relieved,
as the small section of Europeans and Christian inhabi-
tants of that large section of India are congregated with-
in the walls of Agra.
There is no such thing as a native army, or a native
army of the Bengal Presidency. It is gone, and, we hope
never to return. The next native army must be composed
of different races ; at least there must not be a Brahmin
(a priest), and as few Mussulnians as possible. There is
plenty of other good material at hand.
The first are the Nepaulese, whom we call Ghoorkas,
the next, Sikhs; of the Punjaub; then the East India de-
scendants of Europeans : and, lastly, the whole of the
native Christian population. The latter ought all to be
enrolled and instructed in the use of arms. It would
raise them in the eyes of the other natives of the country;
and, as a state, put them in a prop,r position. And last
of all, every European resident in India ought to be com
polled to learn the use of arms, and be obliged to assem-
ble at certain seasons—four times a year—for drill and
practice of arms, and be registered and keep their arms
and ammunition in their houses. Had this been the case,
hundreds who have been butchered in cold blood with
the most fearful atrocities might have been now alive.
And last, not least, the future government of this
country, be it Queen's or be it Company's, must form
military colonies all along our eastern, northern, and
western frontier, where the time-expired or wounded
European veteran could be located, and rear his family
and be ready, at a moment's notice, to come down from
the hills, and do the bard fighting work when needed.
On these frontier hills the climate is far before any
European climate—even the south of England. The
land could be held on military tenure; the children would
be accustomed to the country, and thoroughly versed in
the languages.
And in the garrisons or fortresses, especially those
where there are large arsenals or magazines within them
no native ought to be allowed to put his foot ; but we
should have all the writing, accounts, and details of stores,
&c., drawn out, and entirely done by Europeans and the
poor Christian., of whom many hundreds do not know
wbero to get bread. This would help many a deserving
poor Christian family : it is now entirely done by native
writers, who will give a correct account of the strength
of every fort in India, and its means of defence, thereby
giving the means to mutiny to the scoundrels by in-
structing them where arms and ammunition are to be
bad, and the number of people in it to defend
it. By this means, we shall keep all information from
traitors, which now they can get for the asking. India,
you wilt ima, can no longer be governed by the old
absurd system of red tape. Civilians, as a body, are
talented men, but utterly unfit, from previous train-
ing, to rule or govern. When the soldier's work is re-
luired, the stern, prompt decision of the soldier must
never be haupered with red tape, like such we meet
with.

The sword and the strong arm must now win India
back, and keep it. No more twaddle about caste and its
prejudices. The present rebellion has settled that ques-
tion—that those who would obey caste and its absurdi-
ties must make up their minds either to be master of
cote or the servant of caste-men. Henceforth the army
of British India must be an army of soldiers, founded
upon the principle that tells our sovereign who she will
confer the order of valour upon. The poorest private
can win it. The highest nobleman cannot pass him—
simply because his brother-in-arms only can recommend
him. Long may that star retain its lustre, and never
be dimmed by purchase ! Such ought to be the ground-
work of the army of India—the affair to be settled by
the men, and confirmed by a commission from the
Crown. Then the men who can do the work will be
selected. No purchase or seniority ought to be allowed.
Then, with such an army, British India can, at any
time, lend a hand to the old country, by sending her a
section of the Indian army, which might always be
ready. The European army of the country must bs
gradually brought up to 100,000 fighting men—not less,
and these properly located—on the hills, in the north,
the east, and the west, and the central mountains of
Southern India, the Nelgherries ; proper barracks and
military villves at all these different places, with schools
and factories for all sorts of work, especially those con-
nected with arms. The army commissariat, with carts,
waggons, gun carriages, cannon-foundry, &c., must be
on these hills, on which is all the material depo ited by
nature with a lavish band. You recollect lam an old re-
sident, and know practically the materials that are there,
and the splendid water to be had. Give rent-free lands
in al! these hills to every soldier that lands in India, and
the means to build houses and break ground to com-
mence with ; and have the whole of the male youth born
in these colonies bound to the military service, trained
from their youth to the use of arms, and compelled to
attend the Government schools for English and the ver-
nacular languages—both must be learned, to read, speak,
and write—and at the end of 15 years the old mother
country will not require to send out a man to recruit

her Anglo-Asiatic army. The sons of the armywill, at
the end of 15 years, fill up more than can be required
in the casualty list ; and the second 15 years that army
will be able to lend Great Britain 50,000 men for lend,
and 10,000 for sea service. And then, when the time
comes that Great Britain must take possession of Egypt,
as one of the legitimate highways to her eastern posses-
sions—as take possession of Egypt Britain must, sooner
or later, or make way for less scrupulous nations—who
will take possession—(whaever rules the destinies of
Great Britain, I hope, will never allow that)—it will be
the highway for her armies when her children come
from the East to help her, among whom there will be no
prejudice of caste or colour, to either sea or land, both
being open ; the old road by the Euphrates to Damascus,
and the terminus on the Island of Cyprus, or by sea to
Suez and to Alexandria.

Such, depend upon it, is Britain's destiny, sooner or
later ; and we must make military tactics rather the
groundwork of a miitary education, which ought to be
made as much part and parcel of every youngster's edu-
cation in Britain as the Geraian or the French languages
for the future.

We observe that the Israelites wish to be members of
the British Senate, on account of their being born on
the soil of Great Britain, and to enjoy all the rights of
citizens. They wish to have ail the rights of Britons.
There can be no particular objection, provided they give
a material guarantee—namely, to pass a private order
through all their synagogues, and let their priests give
the private inAructions, that their countrymen in Poland
Proper and Germany commence to emigrate and settle
down in Syria, the whole line of road from Damascus to
Alexandria, and keep possession under the British rule
as their material guarantee for their rights of British
subjects. I again repeat it, if Britain does not do the
same, other European Powers will.
To say twat Britain cannot spare the people, would be
simply nonsense. See Australia now, and what it was
ten years ago.

L©t the Government give the land free from military
servitudo, and for other colonists the same terms as the
most favoured colonies, and, depend upon it, the rich
stores of iron, leal, copper, gold, and coal—the produce
of all the hill districts of India (see Kurnool], Ghurwall),
besides the immense tract for cotton, tea, and coffee

plantations, that actually are running again into jungle
for want of European enterprise, sk.ll, and perseverance
—which woull Le brought out in this land, where nature

has been lavish in all her richest productions—only want

a firm, and event anded, and stern government to bring
forth ; and, no duubt, C-reat Britain's second centenary
in India will be a very different one from the last,
though neither ytu nor I will see it.
The idea of the present rebellion in India being a
purely military insurrection is the greatest fallacy that
ever was put forth. It is a determined pull-together of
the Mahometans, who have humbugged the Ilindoos to
joiu them to thrust us out, root and branch, and become,
what they were before, the rulers of India. We have
shown the Mahometans what they never could do—that
one nation can rule India, from the Himalaya to Cape
Comorin, and from the head of the Bay of Bengal to the
Bolan Pass. They never could do this. We have solved 1
the prof lem ; and they never dare to take the pains that 1