The Sun.
London, England, 1857-07-31 00:00:00

AMERICAN nEw OF THE INDIAN

MUTINY.

If, with all its many faults and shortcoming
the East India Company had achieved no other
work displaying either tact or talent, the creation
and maintenance of the native army would entitle
it, if net to the esteem, at least to the respect of the
world; that a territory of such an extent, so
acquired, should be so defended through 80 years,
embracing vicissitudes of every imaginable kind, is
a wonder greater than any ever achieved either by
the arms of Tamerlauce or the munificence of the
Great Mogul. The administrative talent which
has enlisted a force of 250,000 men from .a
conquered population, differing from their rulers
so widely in language, manners, religion, and
modes of thought, and at such a distance from
home, and has converted a feeble andpusillanimous
race, debased by ages of slavery and of caste
into brave and hardy soldiers, is clearly of no
mean order. The chains which have retained the
sepoy steadfast in his allegiance to the Company
" wlecs:e salt he eats," in all changes of war and
time, from Plassey to Gujarat, and nerved him
into victory over the master races of the continent
on a thousand bloody fields, are clearly not forged
by fear. One of the chief causes of the mutiny is
unquestionably to be found in the suicidal policy
pursued of late in reference to staff appointments,
and which has kept the present generation of
European officers of the native regiments apart
from their men. Twenty years ago cadets left
the military school at Addiscombe with no hope
either of fame or advancement apart from the
regiment in which they were given their commis-
sion. They made it their home, were interested in
its efficiency, and were interested in the men who
composed it. They made it their business to know
the sepoy, hear his story, redress his grievances,
dissipate his delusions, enlighten his ignorance,
and were—as far as young, gay men entering on
life can be—educators as well as officers. The
ambition of such was a step in promotion in the
regiment, and the command of it eventually, nor
looked they beyond it for anything. Nowadays,
all is changed. There is hardly one of the frolic-
some young gentlemen whom Sir James Hogg
sends from Addiscombe over the Isthmus of Suez
each year, with the blessings of their country,
to lead the sable armies of the "Kompanee
Sahib," who does not carry a letter to somebody
from somebody, securing him somebody's influence
to get an appointment on somebody's staff, or spe-
ciel service of some sort, in which he "may have
an opportunity of distinguishires himself." Or
his father sends to Lord So-and-50,6 who writes
to Sir So-and-so, and mamma is delighted by the
thought that " dear George" will not have to be
long in obscurity, in a sweltering station, but will
speedily be place 1 in such a position that he
may regenerate irreclaimable tribes, like Mac-
donald, or get up a tidy war oa his own respon-
sibility, like Edwards. The great demand there
has been, of late years, for special agents of all
sorts to aid in carrying out the reforms and im-
provements mentioned. and others recently set on
foo', have unhappily entailed upon the authorities
the necessity of complying with too many of
these demands. Officers have been draughted away
from their regiments by the score, and sent right
and left, surveying, engineering, negotiating, re-
forming, edifying, judging. The remainder feel
the regiment to be but a stepping-stone to some-
thing else, or, in aristocratic jargon, "a bore."
The Sepoys are left to their devices, and are yearly
getting more and more firm under the moral in-
fluence of their European superiors. A foolish re-
port about beef fat being put on the cartridges gets
abroad, and inflames their ignorance and isolation
into mutiny. There is no man who knows any-
thing of the Indian service who does not feel that
twenty years ago the deplorable delusions which
have led to the Delhi massacre could not have
existed for one week.-11 etv York Times.

SOUTHAMPTON, THURSDAY. - The Peninsular and
Orienta,lCompany'ssteatn-ship Candia arrived this morn-
ing from Liverpool, having besn lengthened 30 feet amid-
ships. She will proceed to India via the Cape on the
15th proximo. The store ship Alhambra left this morn-
ing for London, to undergo repairs. Tile steam-ship
Hamburgh arrrived from Harnburgh. She will leave
to-morrow for the Spanish ports.
NARROW ESCAPE.—As the wife of S:r W. E. C. Cooke,
of Wheatl,y-ball, near Doncaster, was going out for a
drive in her brougham, with a floe pair of horses, on
Wednesday last, one of the animals, it is supposed from
being struck by a gadfly, began kicking, and, having got
its leg over the pole, frightened the other horse, on which
both started off at a furious rate in the direction of a
sunk fence in front of the hall. The coachman, how-
ever, managed to pu'l the animals round a little, when
they rushed to wards a group of trees, which they threaded
safely, and then made for the coach-yard, in passing
through the gate of which the off-wheel of the carriage
came in contact with the post on that side with great
force, and one of the lamps, together with the ironwork
in which it was suspended, was torn off and dashed
into the carriage, just missing the head of
Lady Cooke, and falling into her lap. The coachman
was pitched off the box several yards in front of the
carriage, and rendered insensible by the fall. A foot-
man, who was also on the bux, continued to keep his
seat by clinging to the carriage. The horses then dashed
on towards a stone wall, against which they ran madly,
breaking the carriage poll to shivers, and smashing
the carriage. Several of the servants from the hall im-
mediately ran up to taericato their mistress from her
perilous position, when they found she had quietly kept
her seat all the time, and bad not sustained the slightest
injury. The footman on the box also escaped injury,
but was taken down in a terrible fright, his hair literally
standing on end. Lady Cooke at once ran to the coach-
roan, and directed him t 3 he removed into the house,
where surgical assistance was soon obtained for him,
and he has since gone ou wel. The horses %ere greatly
injured about the loins and hips, but not eo much as
m'glit have been expected.

LAW INTELLIGENCE.—(Thii Day.)

COURT OF BANKRUFTCT.
(Before Mr. Commissioner Fane.)

It WI LOIIIII P. P. DE PORQUICT.
To-day was appointed for the last examination of this
bankrupt, who was described as of Fenchurch-street,
dealer in agricultural implements, trading as M. Viredlake
and M.

An adjournment was taken by consent for returns is
respect of consignments, on which the bankrupt claims
a balance on acc3unt of 5701, to be carried as an addi•
tional asset,

tN RE H. BROWN.
This bankrupt formally surrendered last night, wider
the bankruptcy on his own petition. Last evening be
had an interview with Mr. Tucker and his solicitor wilt
ragpect to his property. It is understood that the al
sets, estimated at between 8,0001. and 9,0001. were
claimed by the assignees of the Royal British Bank.
The choice of assignees is appointed for August 14th,
and for last examination, September 19th, at 12, And
will be forthwith gazetted.