The Sun.
London, England, 1857-09-22 00:00:00

THE INDIAN CRISIS.

( From the Morning Herald. )
When will tho English people be thoroughly
aroused to a sense of the gravity of the present
crisis in India ? Will they permit themselves to be
beguiled by those who invariably bolster up weak
cabinets and incapable officials until the evils pro-
duced by their lamentable want of energy and fore-
sight proclaim their presence in still more widely
extending calamities t The identical course pur-
sued during the fearful contest in the Crimea has
been adopted with reference to the Indian mutiny.
Then, as now, the Times defended the measures of
our rulers, declared that everything had been done
in the best manner, and ridiculed those who ut-
tered sagacious warnings ; until the terrible fact
of their mismanagement became evident to all, and
the nation, in loud tones of indignation, condemned
their wretched betrayal of duty. When further
deception had become impossible this variable
organ sought to occupy a foremost position on the
popular side, and denouncod the Aberdeen Cabi-
net as eloquently as it had before heaped praises
upon their policy. The coincidence between its
conduct during that crisis and the present one is
remarkable. On the 16th of July, nearly ten
weeks ago, we wrote, " Why is not every avail-
able man sent out immediately —not in slow
sailing transports, but in the fastest steamers we
possess ? A thousand soldiers would now be of
more real service than five times their number a
year hence. Must we always do these things by
halves, and can we only gain experience from disas-
ter ?" At the time those lines were written
Ministers derided the idea that the mutiny was; a
national movement, or that it could posse=s ex-
tensive ramifications. In that view they were
strongly supported by the Times, and both con-
tended that a small reinforcement was sufficient for
the emergency. By acting upon thiS short-sighted
policy our supremacy in India has beeti so rudely
assailed that it becomes a question whether we
shall not be compelled to adopt measures to re-
conquer the whole country. Everybody perceives
that Ministers were wrong, and that those who
advocated energetic measures were right, and, true
to its usual course the Times seizes the first oppor-
tunity of turning with the tide. After all this
hesitation, this contumely, this fatal delay, it
affects to believe that energy is required, and
to the astonishment of those who watched its
motions narrowly, in direct contradiction to
all its arguments and 'assertions for the last
three months, it yesterday declared,—" The
struggle in India resolves itself with terrible
simplicity into a single question—that of time ; of
time measured not by years or seasons, but by
weeks, or even days. Can our countrymen bold
out till succours reach them against the raging
fiends around ?"

This is the language of truth ; bus, like many
other good things, it comes too late. Ere any
'effects it might produce can begin to operate the
battle will have been lost or won. It is not the
fifty or hundred thousand men that may be levied
for the re-conquest of India that can turn the scale
at this moment. Three or four thousand comba-
tants sent out with all possible dispatch, when the
news of mutiny first reached our shores, was the
kind of aid imperatively demanded by the emer-
gency. Such a reinforcement would have enabled
our weakened garrisons, to hold out against the das-
tardly rebels—have strengthened Havelock's gal-
lant column, averted many heart-rending massacres,
restored confidence iu the chief cities of the three
presidencies, and above all, manifested the vigilance
of the Government, and shown that England's
spirit was thoroughly aroused. This ought to have
been done when Lord Granville was startling the
House of Lords by declaring, with a complacency
that sounded like a death-knell on the ears of those
who had relatives or friends in India, the Govern-
ment " will not give way to 'unfounded apprehen-
sions of any great calamity or disaster."
More energy, foresight, and determination at the
right moment, would have proved our salvation,
and by the last accounts it actually appears that
certain native regiments have mutinied because of
the apathy and the negligence displayed by the
home Government. They hardly believed it pos-
sible that our rulers could lull themselves into false
security in the presence of such peril ; once con-
vinced of the fact, they made common cause with
their treaeherous comrades, believing that the hour
for the extinction of British rule in India had ar-
rived.

At this juncture we are enabled to judge of the
effect produced upon the population of India, both
European and native, by the unpardonable negli-
gence of the Government. Despair has seized upon
tfie former, whilst the latter look forward to a trium-
phant issue to their base designs. All the Bengal
native troops are disbanded ; the flame of rebellion
has spread -to the Bombay Presidency, and the con-
dition of Madras is not felt to be very secure. Our
small army before Delhi is besieged, and totally
unable to act upon the offensive. The whole of
Behar is in the possession of the insurgents. Com-
munications with Benares are cut off, and it be-
comes a questiori whether reinforcements can by any
pnssibilityreach Gen. Havelock, in case men should
be found for the arduous undertaking. Every-
where the want of proper forces and material is
felt, and there is not a quarter of our immense In-
dian territories in which, proofs may not be found
of the u ter folly and incapacity of those in autho
rity. They have prepared neither for warfare nor
defence ; and though our gallant troops display
more than their wonted heroism they are in all
parts outnumbered, and even victory fails to secure,
its reward.