The Sun.
London, England, 1857-11-05 00:00:00

Lordship has been so good as to give, and with which
you have done me the honour of coupling my name. It
is an honour which I always value and appreciate. I
have the greatest delight in saying that I love the army.
(Cheers.) I have been bred and born a soldier, and
any compliment that you pay to the army I feel a
personal compliment to myself. (Cheers.) I think
we have a right—if I may venture to eay so—to be
proud and to be satisfied with ourselves. We have
passed through a great contest which has become a
matter of history; and we are now engaged in a
serious struggle, the details of which are looked for with
the utmost interest when news arrives from our
distant possessions in the East, Ido not believe any
one in this country will say that the army have not
performed their duty nobly in our Indian posses.
sions. (Cheers.) The acts of valour and self-devotion
we bear of in India may well make this country feel
proud of her sons who are there defending her cause.
This circumstance leads me to a subject which I have on
various occasions brought under the notice of meetings
such as this in the city of London as well as elsewhere
—I mean the efficient maintenance of our military estab-
lishments. I was very much gratified to hear your
lordship say—and I am sure you only expressed the
feelings of our fellow countrymen—that the city of Lon-
don was very ready to support the authorities in any
necessary demands which they might make for this
purpose. (Cheers.) We are not an agressive country.
We do not wish to be an aggressive country. Our
army is not an aggressive army, and therefore I have no
hesitation in speaking of the efficiency of that army in
the presence of many distinguished foreigners who
might otherwise think that my observations implied a
feeling inimical to other powers. Nothing of the
sort. I only wish to impress upon the country
the necessity of keeping up an efficient army
lot -s4hossenaaeseary and legitimates service of
the '.State---(bear, hear)—such an army as a great
empire like England ought always to maintain. See,
my Lord Mayor and gentlemen, in what a position our
army has been placed. See what has occurred in India.
What certainly we had no reason to expect. No human
being could have anticipated the events which have
taken place in that quarter of the world ; but when I
look at the number of European troops in India it is a
marvel to me—it mast be a marvel to everybody—how
so small a proportion of European soldiers could have
held their own as they have done, and could have car-
ried on the extensive warlike operations in which they
have been engaged. (Cheersr) Now, are we doing
justice to our army and ourselves if we place our troops
in so important and at the same time so dangerous a
position ? (Cheers.) Surely as an act of humanity to
the troops we employ it it; only right they should be
maintained in sufficient force and efficiency to uphold
the interests of the empire. I ask whether the events
which have recently occurred in India ought not to induce
us to open our eyes and to look a little ahead, and never
again to allow the interests of the empire to be so
seriously endangered. The Lord Mayor has been good
enough to allude to my exertions as oommandeo:oi-chief,
in conjunction with ray colleagues, in despatching a large
and efficient body of troops to India. I take no credit
to myself, but I certainly flatter myself that the Govern-
ment of this country have used every means in their
power to provide for the support of our troops to India.
(Cheers.) The country has appreciated, and will con-
tiaue to appreciate, those efforts ; but I still maintain
that it is a dangerous experiment to allow our East In-
dian possessions to be placed under the guardianship of
so small a number of European troops as have hitherto
been maintained there. It is said, however, "Oh, you
1 cannot hold India by military power; you must hold it
by moral power." I certainly should never pretend, in
any society of Englishmen, that we could maintain so
vast an empire as that of India by military power ; bat
what we as military men expect is that the civil govern-
ment of the country—the moral influence that we are
legitimately exercising—shall be backed by such an
amount of military force that, when a great exigency
arises, that force shall not alone be able to defend itself,
but to defend the Government of the country. (Cheers.)
We are now holding India by military force alone, which,
in fact, is nothing more nor less than moral force backed
by a sufficiency of military force. It is said that the
question as to how the mutiny is to be put down is one
of great difficulty. A great, a fearful catastrophe has
occurred. I hope no one would suggest that we should
mow indimriminately right and left ; that we should burn
villages ; and that we should destroy their inhabitants.
Such a proceeding would be suicidal. But, on the other
bawl, I conceive that no man, whatever may be his
views of humanity, can maintain that a body of mu•
tinous goners is to be permitted to stroll from one
end of the vast empire of India to the other, and
that when the mutiny is suppressed they are to be
treated as if they bad done no wrong. ('‘ No, no.")
I am persuaded that no Englishman would entertain
such an opinion. lam convinced that there is no
humanity in such sentiments, and that some misap-
prehension must have existed with regard to the
feelings and ideas attributed to persona in authority on
this subject. I am happy to have the opportunity of
saying what I was very anxious to state, that there is no
truth whatever in a report I have seen that my excellent
and gallant friend the Commander-in-Chief in India, Sir
Colin Campbell, and the Governor-General of India are
nut on good terms. I have a letter from my friend in
which he alludes to this report having been circulated,
and he distinctly and positively denies that the slightest
difference had occurred beSieen them. But it is not for
me to enter further into this Indian business, because,
in the first place, I labour under a great disadvantage
in not having been in India myself, and the observa-
tions I have made have only been formed on what
I may venture to call common sense, and are such as
any man, whether he has been in India or not, and
whatever his position in life, might also have been led to
make. With regard to the native army, I can only
refer to the conduct of the European officers, and I feel
it a diity to say in the presence of some of my friends who
entertain strong personal feelings on this subject, that
everything I have heard has been highly to the credit of
the company's officers, whose only tault in my opinion
has been that on too many occasions they have from
their constant intercourse with the native troops, been
led to repose too much confidence in them. lam sorry
to say that one of the first victims to this fearful catas-
trophe was a very near relative of my esteemed friend
the Lord Mayor ; and it is only a just tribute to that
gallant officer and to the officers of the Indian army that
I, as Commander-in-Chief,
.showed that it appears to me
their conduct has been most excellent, and that their
only fault has been too great a confidence in their men.
What is to become of that army, and how it is in future
to be conducted is a very difficult question, and one
which it will require much time and reflection to solve.
It would evidently be improper for me to allude further
to the subject on this occasion. I think, however, there
cannot be two opinions as to whether we must have a
native army in India in addition to an European army.
It ought, certainly, to be only an auxiliary army. I
have already expressed my sentiments with regard to
the honour which has been conferred upon me to-day.
Similar honours have been conferred upon several of my
brethren in arms who are here present, for gallant and
distinguished services. Such honours are not confined
to mere social position in the country, but are open to
every officer who has had an opportunity of distinguish-
ing himself:and gaining the approbation of his fellow-
citizens. I assure you that such compliments are highly
valued by us. They are most acceptable, audit is a great
error to suppose that the recipients are ungrateful. I am
persuaded that where citizens and soldiers are united the
better it is for the country. We are not a nation of con-
scripts, but lam happy to say that we are far more of a
military nation than perhaps many of the conscript coun-
tries. (Cheers.) Whenever a necessity arises in this coun-
try a military spirit is evoked. I have on a former occasion
taken the opportunity of stating how admirably the
deficiency in the army was filled up by the voluntary
system of recruiting. That recruiting has not fallen off
since I made this observation ; on the contrary, it has
increased. How can it be said that an army so consti-
tuted can be raised in a country which is not military ?
England must and ought to thrive ; for while she regards
the arts of peace as the most valuable and the most es-
sential for the interests not of herself alone, but of
humanity and the world, she does not forget that when
occasion requires, the military spirit of her people can be
easily aroused, and is always ready to restore the equili-
brium of the world, and to bring about that happy pe-
riod when the blessings of peace may be enjoyed. Such
I believe to be the feelings of the country, and while I
have the honour to fill the high position in which my
Sovereign has placed use it will be my earnest desire to
promote not only the interests of the army, but the esta-
blishment of a cordial friendship between the military
and civil portions of the community. (Cheers.)
Sir S. LUsHIMGTON returned thanks on behalf of the
Navy.
The Loan MAYOR then gave " The Foreign Ambas-
sadors."
The TURKISEI MINISTER (M. Musarus) briefly returned
thanks, expressing the sympathy of the Sultan towards
the British nation, and his detestation of the atrocities
committed by the rebellious Sepoys in India.
The AMERICAN MINISTER said,—My Lord Mayor,
my lords, ladies, and gentlemen,—The distinguished
member of the diplomatic body who has just addressed
this meeting had discharged his duty so ably, in a lan
guage not familiar to all, that I had hoped while ha was
proceeding I should be spared the necessity of inflicting
upon you another address. At the suggestion, however,
of the Lord Mayor, and feeling desirous of explaining
two or three thoughts that have passed through my
mind in the course of the present day, I ask your
attention for a few moments. You all know that I
represent a Republic, the constitution of which forbids
to its Government the creation or adoption of kings,
princes, peers, or lords,—net that it proscribes
indivuals who may be in other lands emi-
nently entitled to those high-sounding titles. You
will perceive, therefore, that circumstances connected
with my uniform Republican rearing and education ha, e
in a measure unfitted me for what at first appeared the
interesting and appropriate ceremony of to-day. (Cheers.)
There is one role that is equally applicable to all coon-
WV, lot the system of policy be what it may, sad that