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

us. But more than these, ty far, 'a the effect of
the college education now so widely given, to-
gether with the recent grantsin aid by Govern-
ment, and the enactment of laws permitting th
re-marriage of widows, and the suppression of
polygamy. It is no unusual thing with the natives
now to call the college alumni Christians—that is
despisers of caste and eaters of all polluted things,
for such the youth of Calcutta have become. Now
this is the only idea of Christianity which the mass
of the people have got, and as the Government
patronise these colleges, &c., the people imagine
that their object is to destroy caste. This is, then,
the instrument which the conspirators have wrought
with so effectually."
The conspirators have proceeded with consum-
mate skill, the skill of Asiatic cunning, disziplined
by European knowledge ; precisely that which is
taught and acquired so perfectly in the semi-
Asiatic capitals of the CZAR. The Bengal sepoys,
through having been petted, in all their unmilitary
superstitions, to an extent which made thorough
discipline almost impracticable, and from the mis-
sionaries being prevented from preaching to them as
to other Hindoos, are actually farbehind the general
population in knowledge and liberal sentiment.
They are an army of Hindoo Puseyites—Puseyites
of Idolatry and Brahminism. They tremble for the
fall of superstitions, which must fall, if the mere
elements of modern science are but taught in the
schools of India. Observe, then, the cunning of
laying hold of this class, at once the most sus-
ceptible, and the most potent for mischief. Let
the reader also specially note the cunning dis-
played in the translation of the word " grease" in
the cartridge business. The writer of the letter
observes—

"The Sepoys, as a class, are highly superstitious
and at the same time profoundly ignorant, and so
they have easily become their dupes. Some three
or four months since, the Government issued orders
for the use of a new kind of cartridge—,upted to
the English rifle. This cartridge it is nei.....ssary to
grease. It happened, unfortunately, that proper
care was not taken in the translation of the term
' grease,' and the translator used a word signifying
the fat of an animal (chorbhi), and this was laid
hold of to represent to the Sepoys that the Govern-
ment was about to defile them with bullock's suet,
than which nothing can be more hateful to a
Hindoo, and the idea has taken so firm a hold that
it has been impossible to eradicate it. For the
Mahommedans it was said the word meant
hog's lard, and so, with wondrous dexterity, it
was made to serve both parties ! My full im•
pression is that, whoever the conspirators may be,
it has formed a part of their plan to send emissaries
to all the regiments, probably as recruits, who would
e unsuspected, and these have wrought first upon
the native officers and then upon the men gene-
rally. It.is well known, however, that for the last
three months an extensive c nrespondence has been
going on between the Sepoy regiments horn Cal-
cutta to Lahore, some of which has been seized."
Then the time selected marks the hands of con-

spirators :
" But it is fine for me to put you in possession
of the sentiments of the best informed on the pre-
sent crisis and matters connected with it. I speak,
at least, the opinions of the Calcutta Mission Con-
f ranee, among whom, are laymen possessing the
best information. First, then, it is felt that the
conspirators have arranged admirably as to time,
for never have we been so unprepared for such an
outbreak as at the present time. We had three
European regiments fewer than before the annexation,
of Pegu, and Oude
The writer proceeds to observe and to comment
honestly on the mischievous policy of stripping the
army of half its officers, leaving the remaining
half mere lads. He notices the selfish motives of
the Company in doing this, and speaks with
decision, but without bitterness, on theldisregard
of fitness, and the unworthy regard to othi-r con-
siderations in nominating to high office. He in-
stances the appointments of General ANsoN to the
Command-in-Chief of India, and of General
ASHEURNIIIM in China, and describes the popular
feeling as having been very strong against General
ANSON. It seems likely, indeed, that the horrid
atrocities at Meerut are chiefly due to that evil
system of promotion to which we owed so many
Crimean diameters. The letter tells us that

" The system also in vogue as to the command
of stations is universally repudiated. It goes by
seniority, without reference to ability. Hence the
brigadiers are old men, some very old, with phy-
sical and mental power far on the wane. The
brigadier at Meerut is a very old man, and in-
capab!e. Whee he imprisoned the 90 mutineers in
the common jail, he had no idea of the danger he
invoked, and therefore left the jail in its ordinary
protection, a few native policemen ; and, in the
evening, when the mutiny broke out, he was so
paralysed with fear, that, for two hours, while the
infuriated soldiers were killing their officers, lac.,
and burning their houses, he did nothing, gave no
orders, and so let the Sepoys get off unpunished.
He had with him the largest force (European)
found at any station in this part of India. All
this is ascribed to the system in vogue."
The last sentences of the letter are well worthy
of general attention, we need not add to them
comments of our own.

"If India is to b 3 retained by Britain, there
must be very great changes in the system of govern-
ment and its administration. This revolt will
convulse Britain with surprise and alarm. It will
not be unreasonable ; the danger has been great,
and still is. Ido hope that the Parliament will
do the subject justice, and the nation generally be
aroused properly on the matter. The Company's
Government must be abolished, unless it grant the
reform needed. Will that be soon granted ? Will
the Court of Directors oppose all reform, and look
with displeasure upon everything that does not
emanate from themselves ? Hitherto the people
have not joined the sepoys, but I am sure their
sympathies are with them. Even the Calcutta
natives, who have most to bind them to the Go-
vernment, [sympathise strongly with the revislt4
Depend upon it there is much discontent among
all classes, and there is abundant reason for it.
More this time is wanted. More English troops—
fe wer natives. The suspension of Government
educational projects. Change in the zemindari
system, and radical changes in the administration
of the laws. Tried men for high positions, and
the diligent promotion of evangelization. No
yielding to caste prejudices."

THE DEATH OF PRINCE CfIARLES
BONAPARTE.

Prince Charles Bonaparte, Prince of Canino,
eldest son of Prince Lucien, brother of the first
Napoleon, died yesterday at his residence in the
Rue de Lille, in Paris, at the age of 54, having
been born in 1803. He bad married the Princess
Zenaide, only daughter of Joseph Bonaparte, King
of Spain. The deceased Prince has been a widower
since 1854. Be leaves eight children, of whom the
eldest, Prince Joseph Lucien Charles Bonaparte,
serves in the army, and the second, Prince Lucien
Louis Joseph, has embraced the clerical profession.
He is one of the Pope's Chamberlains, and is ex-
pected to be soon promoted to the purple. The de-
ceased Prince Charles was attended by his children
on his death-bed, and received the sacraments of
the Church from the hands of the cure of his
parish. The news of his death, caused by dropsy
of the chest, from which be has long suffered,
was at once sent by telegraph to the Em-
peror at the camp of Chalons-sur-Marne. M.
ld, Minister of the Imperial Household, was
present at the last moments of the Prince, and, in
the absence of the Emperor, caused seals to be
placed on all his papers and personal effects. The
Prince of Canino was a distinguished savant. He
was corresponding member of most of the learned
academies of Europe and America, and his works on
natural history, and particularly ornithology, at •
spoken of as some of the most valuable contribu-
tions to science.

M. Ch. Dien has announced the discovery of another
comet, in the early part of the present week, in the con-
stellation Cameleopard.
THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH,—QUEENSTOW'N, Thurs-
day.—The Agamemnon arrived this morning. The
paying-out experiments between Dover and Queenstown
have been perfectly success!ul. It is hoped the expedi.
tion will sail for Valentia late on Saturday.
SOUTHAMPTON, THURSDAY. The Peninsular and
Oriental Company's st,.am-ship Camila arrived this morn-
ing from Liverpool, having been lengthened 30 feet amid-
ships. She will proceed to India via the Cape on the
15,h pr.( ximo. The store ship Alhambra left this morn-
ing for London, to ❑ndergo repairs. The steam-ship
Umnburgh arrrived from ilamburE,,b. She will lea's-a
th-raomw for the Spariieb port:.