The Sun.
London, England, 1857-08-28 00:00:00

TUE EAST INDIA COMPANY AND

THE PRESS.

To do the Government justice, nothing has I.een
wanting on their part towards a vigorous defence
of our east- rn empire. The supply. of troops has
been prompt and efficient. Not an hour has b3en
lust in despatching teinforcetnents to the scene of
action ; and the names, of Campbell, Windham,
Rose, and Mansfield are guarantees of the deter-
mination to s:lect the best men for ths must re-
sponsible posts. That the East India Company
have also a zeal befitting their responsibility, we
believe, notwithstanding the statements to
the contrary of an organ of the Government, which
we quoted in a recent number. Tne company, ho ,v-
-ever, are placed in an anomalous positron, and un-
fortunately, they do not seem to think it necessary
to relieve them elves from the odium it is daily
br.nging tiFon them. The 'last vestige of the old
official superstition -which never condescended to
r. nder explanaions to the outside world, which
treated all accusations with silent contempt, and
shut itself up in a dignified indifference to public
opinion, undoubtedly lingers in Leadenhall-stree.
In add,t;on to the ordinary difficulty of obtaining
any information as to the intentions,, or even as to
the mea'ures of the Company, until they are
actually c triied into effect., th.)re is this further
and still more embarrassing obstruct on to the for-
:nation of a jnst estitua'e of their conduct, that no
means exist by which it is po3s ble to ascertain
whether the charges constantly brought against
them are true or false. They permit an inscru-
table mSstery to hover not only over their
prweelings, but over their character. With the
most earnest desire to think favourably of them,
f .r the sake of the vast interest entrusted to their
f
hands, their b at friends are left without a shreilleoir
11 their
argument, or a fragment of a fa t, to urge i
defence. In the meanwhile tit.- prestige the
for want
India Company is slowly perishing,
hsimtheyribic t,)
of a little open communication
y with the
suffrr the
set themselves right iu
gravest itnputations to beitdspea-
:heir energy, and by
capa-
city, their judgment, an seed upon their a
e of things ine-
vitablytrust and h .stility which sucu a s
never vouchsafing au answer, theyt justify the die-
The country at once accepts the
India Company as an evidence of
silence
e oftbe generates.
East
their mat Fityto rebut the statemsuts that are made
(n 3tv tnor3 frequently than ever) to their dtsadvan •
tape ; an 1, although these sweeping conclusions must
often b 3 wrong, it cannot be demel that in suffix-
irljUi ions assertions to go forth unanswered, the
Company betray an extraordinary want of sagacity
oitres.eroWnee
instancesne not
in the maistg,metniotnoef
ttohetirheaffna
refer for illustrations
which will readily occur, to our readers ; the last,
and in reference to the present conjuncture, by far
ttie most important, is quite sufficient to show the
damage wi Lilt may be inflicted by official reticence.
It is now upwards of a month since one of the re-:
cognised organs of the Government circumstantiaily
charged the Company with delaying the transmis-
sion of troops ordered to India, and clairded exclu-
sively for Government thewhole merit of the promp-
titude and vigour with winch the emergency was
met. This charge has been since repeated in various
forms caught up by other journals, and spread into