The Sun.
London, England, 1857-08-29 00:00:00

THE WEATHER—SUN OFFICE, AUGUST 29.
THERMOMETER, IN THE SHADE.
70—highest since noon yesterday.
58—lowest this morning and during the night.
67 —this day at noon.
BAROMETER, 30.23.
WIND, North-easterly ; fresh, with dull cloudy wea•
ther.

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LONDON, SATURDAY, AUGUST 29, 1857.

The Overland Mail has just come to hand. I,

arrived by the Irectis at Marseilles, at 7 p.m., on
Thursday. Copious extracts will be found in
another part of our impression, giving the melan-
choly details of the fearful scenes enacted in the
disaffected districts. The dates are—Calcutta,
July 28th ; Bombay, July 30th ; and Hong
Kong, July 10th.

The intelligence it contains is of a truly de-
plorable character. It is not only positively as-
certained that Cawnpore had fallen into the hands
of the miscreant NBNA. SAHIB, but that after the
garrison, pressed by famine, had capitulated, un-
der the most solemn assurances of safety, these
pledges were immediately violated. Not only
were the fighting men and civilians butchered in
cold blood, but helpless women and children were
destroyed under circumstances of the most revolt-
ing cruelty. Two hundred and forty of these
innocent victims were first sold by public
auction in the town, where, after
being treated with the most terrible
barbarity and indignity, they were slaughtered by
their new masters, whose cruelty exceeded their

avarice. There is a faint hope that some may
have had a temporary respite, as it was reported
that NENA. SAHIB had retaiued about 100 hostages
in his hands in order to enable him to make terms
with the Government. We fear, however, that if
such be the case their fate is even more deplorable
than that of their companions in misery, and that
they may envy those who had previously perished.
The atrocious ruffian who had murdered the
fugitives from Futtyghur would not be likely to
leave any prospect of escape for those who had
the misfortune to fall within his power. He
would only retain them as a means of safety for
himself, and when that prospect faded, as un
doubtedly will be the case, he would before his
own downfall satiate his diabolical malevolence
to the most fearful extent.

The prospee, would be dark, indeed, but for
the brilliant conduct of the gallant HATELOCK,
and the troops under his command. He had
started from Allababad with about 2,000
Europeans, consisting of the 64th, the 78th
Highlanders, the Madras Fusiliers, and a com-
pany of the Royal Artillery. By two haras-
sing marches he had joined Major RENAUD'S
advanced column about three h)urs before day-
light on the morning of the 17th ult., and ar-
rived about eight o'clock four miles from Futteh-
pore, where he encamped. The rebels advanced
from the town which they had previously occu-
pied, assuming the initiative in the contest. The
splendid management of the Artillery (eight guns,
under Captain MAUDE, R.A.), soon destroyed
their confidence. They abandoned gun after
gun, and speedily took to flight. They were
pursued through garden enclosures and the
streets of Futtehpore. It was a complete
panic, and the most remarkable circum-
stance connected with the affair was that
there was not a single casualty amongst the Bri-
tish troops—not one killed or even wounded.
Eleven gnus were there taken, in addition to the
twenty-six that subsequently were captured on the
re-occupation of Cawnpore. Previously to the
arrival of the troops at Cawnpore two other bat-
tles had taken place, and with similar results in
each instance. The cowardly murderer who had
committed such unparalleled atrocities did not
make headlin a single instance against a force of
armed men. He had fled up the Bithoor, some
eight or ten miles from Cawnpore, and has, pro-
bably, already received the exemplary punish-
ment which his crimes so justly merited.

It is difficult to understand how any reliance
could have been placed in the promises of such a
demon. It would appear that Sir HUGH WHELER
had previously fallen, and that the garrison, em-
barrassed by the number of fugitives and women
and children, had been reduced ta a state of ab-
solute starvation. They therefore unfortunately
accepted the treacherous overtures, not being'
sufficiently strong to have the slightest prospect
of extricating themselves from their desperate
condition. We know the sad results—and
NIMA SAHIB will discover, to his cost, that they
will not be disregarded by any Englishman. He
has destroyed the chance of escape, and will ever-
more fight with a rope about his neck, as an
outlaw, with whom there can be no compromise.
It was on the 2d July that Sir H. LAWRENCE
received the wounds at Luau:tow which two clays
afterwards deprived the nation of one of its most
distinguished heroes. The garrison, however, con-
tinued firm under the command of Major BANKS,
and there was every reason to hope that they
could maintain their position until relieved by
General HAVELOCK.

At Delhi the rebels had made several softies,
but all in vain. Although there were not suffi-
cient troops to hazard a general assault, there were
sufficient to maintain their position, and repel

a

- - •

every attack of the enemy. On the 9th of July
the mutineers, left 1,000 of their numbers on the
field and must have lost many more in the sub-
sequent encounters referred to in the despatch.
Large detachments had necessarily been left to
protect Jullunder, Loodianab, Dugshaie, .Subat-
tehoo, Kossawlie, Umballa, Meerut, and Phillour.
The attack of the Neemuch mutineers, about
which so much confusion prevailed in the tele-
graphic depatches, took place before Agra. Our
side consisted chiefly of volunteers. They were,
however, overwhelmed by numbers, and being
without cavalry, were unable to follow up the
temporary advantage. Hence the loss of 49 killed
and 92 wounded out of the party of 500. The
remainder of the Europeans, however, continued
to take refuge in the fort. The cantonments were
destroyed. In our impression of yesterday we
gave the names of the officers and civilians who
had fallen in the unequal contest-500 men
against more than 10,000.

At Mhow and Indore there seems to have been
undue confidence in the fidelity of the troops.
The massacre was occasioned thereby. However,
many officers and ladies took shelter in a fortified
square at Mhow, held by Captain HUNGERFORD'S
battery of Europeans. At Indore, Col. DURAND
and his surviving officers sucoeded in effecting
their escape, protected by some faithful compa-
nies of the Bheel Corps. However, Brigadier
STUARTS'S corps, the Bombay moveable column,
was marching on the town, and would speedily
effect a prompt settlement of the question. It is
satisfactory to know that Holkar has remained
firm through every difficulty.
There has been a fearful amount of murder,
rapine, and spoliation of every description. We
trust, however, that with the blessing of Provi-
dence, we may soon be enabled to suppress the
insurrection, and inflict well-merited punishment
on the mutineers.

Madras and Bombay remain tranquil.
From the great pressure on our space we are
compelled to refer our readers to the general ac-
counts respecting other districts. We have,
however, already explained the most interesting
and important points.

England must now look India and its difficul-
ties in the face. Fearful as the present tempest
may be, nothing less, we fear, would have been
sufficient to compel the attention of the middle
classes of England to the claims of our Empire
Colony. We should have suffered our aristocracy
and the East India Company again to cheat U 3
with the juggle of a double government, con-
structed solely to veil mismanagement and keep
Indian business an impenetrable mystery. The
Premier, Mr. VERNON SMITH, and Mr. MANGLES
have now obtained indeed a six months' license ;
but if parliamentary questioning and supervision
be wanting, the profound personal interest of so
many English families, combined with the English
press, will, in some measure supply its place. It
is almost like the slaying of the first-born, for
where is the town, the village almost, or even the
family which is not interested, or anxious
about, some one in India or going thither. Letters
will be arriving in thousands by every mail, and
many of these, if of importance, will find their
way to the newspapers.
We, as journalists, owe it indeed to the public,
now, to publish freely all communications that may
reach ug, since in India itself Editors write
under a Gagging Act. Not only the native edi-
tors, whose miserable productions had been openly
disloyal, are thus placed in fetters, but English
gentlemen, who had supported vigorously England
and the English—had supported, too, the general
policy of the Government, and had only oriticied
fairly particular acts, with the measure of freedom
necessary to render th(sir criticism of any value to
the Government itself, to the Anglo-Indian com-
munity, and to us here at home—must write under
a license which may be withdrawnin an hour; with-
drawn without even one of Louts NAPOLEON'S
warnings. We certainly think a more unwise
step could hardly have been taken ; and the first
fruits of it are apparent enough. The Friend of
India was warned for an article which we have read
carefully through, an d we are confident that no
ingenuity can honestly extract from it evidence
of hostility to the Government, or of injurious
tendency on the native mind. It was, in fact, as
a whole, a manly assertion that our general course
with India and its worthless puppet rulers was
just what it ought to be. The Editor is naturally
indignant at the timiddty of a Government which
shrinks from saying boldly to the natives—Our
Acts have been right, we will not reverse them.
It is but the self-same timidity and consequent
trimming to the Bralsmin Sepoys of the Bengal
army which have em boldened them to mutiny,
that has pl iced the Anglo-Indian press
under censorship, boe3use it 'was necessary
to coerce the villainous Native pres=. The
Editor, therefore, in scathing article, takes
leave of political discussion for the next three
months. We cannot wonder at his irritation.
How should we ourselves feel, to be interdicted
by the popular party--whose measures we criti-
cise, to be sure, but on the whole vigorously sup-
port—from political di se ussion. We should be
compelled to despise friends who could not endure
friendly, even if occasionally sharp criticism, for
the sake of our general and hearty support.
The truth is we must, as we have already said,
look facts in the face. We are conquerors in
India, and we cannot gcssfern but as conquerors.
We may make our rule sss mild as we please, but
firm we must be. We !may render it attractive
to the numerous tribes and races who had been
maltreated and robbect by unprincipled con-
querors, but we must make it respected by all.
Never did a country offer a finer opportunity
than India for obtainin g all the native forces we
can need on the best possible terms. Numerous
small but warlike trib as are ready from habit,
almost from creed, to be loyal mercenaries, sin-
gular as the expression may seem to an English-
man. The Swiss, however, understand it oven
in Europe, And" throughout the Hindoo popu-
lation the army present s to the low castes, the
despised and contemned of the Brahmins, the
means of elevation to equality with his despiser,
if not of superiority over ;aim, The conquering race
is naturally the fountain of honour ; it is so
unquestionably in the, eyes of Orientals. By ac-
cepting and elevating the oppressed castes, through
admission into the army we should at once crush
our worst antagonist, the caste system, and attach
to us those who had been sufferers by it.

In the Madras and Bombay armies where this
system has been pretty much carried out we see
that tho troops continue faithful, and we only
hope that the long impunity of so many of the
Bengal Brahmin Sepoys may not at length stir up
rebellious thoughts farther south. OF the general
principle to be adopted we feel no doubt whatever.
We have the Government by conquest. The
strong hand got it and the strong hand must
keep it. In the Northern Provinces we
must rely only upon a large majority of
English forces, and -they must be lib,' rally
furnished. The castes Land races of unqueutio,i-
able fidelity
we may gm-it:tally recruitfrom ; hut we
think it very doubtful i vhethor a single' additional
native of the caste whit ai Aas proved itself disloyal