The Sun.
London, England, 1810-10-09 00:00:00

TO THE .EDITOR- OF THE SUN.

SIR,

Tire -u rfortunate • business of the late mutiny in.
India has drawn forth many 'observations from
writers in this country, the obvious purpose of
wllich is to bring discredit upon the COnanct of the
British; Government in our Asiatic possassions,
though it is evident to all imp.-rrtial men that the
Me 'sore. a 'opted by that Govcrnment were mark-
ed by a dellree of lenity, which the chief agents
the alarming event alluded to had little right or rea-
son to expect..--It has been too mulch the practice
Of the writers in question to attack thee chaiattef of
Sir_ George Barlow, nor have they confined their
abuse to, that respectable officer, but have thrown
refleCtions upon the Governor General and she Court
of Directors. The, more, however, the conduct of
ail these authorities, upon the subject of the mutiny,
'is investigated; the more reason will be sound, to
hold ~them respect for tempering itistiLe with
mercy in their treatment of the offenders, fir the
lenity which they 'exercised towards them, 'md for
the laudable anxiety which they displayed in care-
fully dis!ingul-hing those who had__ been unwarily
ensnared 'into the mutiny by false assurances on the
'pat t of the chief instigators, promoters,- and agents,
that they were suppoqing, instead of opposing, the
Government,• against whom: they were rietually en-
gaged in rebellion. A Morning Paper of this day,
adverting to the subject, condemns in severe terms
the Letter I,vi;ieh the .Fudge Advocate General, Lieu-
tenanuiColonel Leith-, • addressed to the Deputy
Judge Alyocate, by order of 'the Commander in
Chief,, General requiting the Court Mar-
tial its sentence, and to. expunge certain
paisages from'the clef: Lice of Peut.-Colonel Bell.—
, The 'Morning Paper'Ohserves,.that the sentence of
ihe C'ourt-Martial was given on the 9th of Dkcerriber,
IEO9, and that the Letter, written by Lieut.-Col.
'Leith, was not written till the 23(.1 of February, a
period little shOrt of three.montbs,,without any sig-•
nification from the Commander in Chie whether
be approved the sentence or not., Nov,- Sir, v here
was the improi,riety in . the conduct of the Coin-
, -minder in., Chief, for not deeming it prudent to pub-
litAt his 'seritinients upon the subject till he had
' Vioroughly refleoed upon the whote of a transac- ,
ton of such importance that it threatened' the very
e of the British G verntnent in India, and
t h - -minds of men o ere somewhat cooled. alter
a• sent s.. alarming and atrocious ? • The defence,
i ,•pears by Colonel Leith's 'Letter, was made the
elude of atticks ono(' the supreme authorities of
the.conntry, and was ii possinle that such a defence •
could t e to pass without a. s»vere reproba-
tion ? The Letter propedy siatrs, that " a prisoner
has cert‘it i) a rglit to urge every topic that is neces—
sary for the clearing of ItitllSdf of the crime of u hith
be stands accused, but beyond this his situation can.
'entitle him to no privilege whatever in that way.r.-:.
Dery passage, thetefore, of that iti.port and ten-
dency, ought never to haVe been introduced in the
defence,,and waS in fact an aggravation of the de-
linquency. The sentence of the Court, for thelea-
so,,sgiven by order of General Gowdieiin
Colonel Leith's Letter, was much too lenient for
the offence,/ and therefcre the Court IA etc properly
called-onto revise it ; •and the interval which took
place between the dale of the sentence and; the re-
quis tion to the Court tor. its revisal, is a -proof that
General Gowdie, while he has resolved not to suf-
fer so reprehensible a defence to pass without due
-censure, resolved to s::ew that he was not cbsposed to
git'ei.way to any sudden impulse of passion,. but to
pause till he had revolved in his. wind' every circum-
stance Of the transaction, and to a& only according
to the nice principles of military justice, and a high
sense of milit'ry honour. It -appears by the post-
cript to Lient.-Colonel Leith's Letter, that it ought
to ha‘,e-formed aThtiriberin the general dOcumtnts
of the trill, but was omitted by a mistake' f the
D.Tuty JUdgeAdvocate ; and the Morning. Paper,
adverting to that mistake, says, that"." it ought to
s: rye rather as a beacon to warn, than as a guide to
future proceedings." • There can be no doubt, how-
ever, that all wise, just, and loyal men,. will be for-
ciblYimpressed with the firm, dignified; and upright
.conduct of Gen. Gowdie, reflecting on the awful na-
ture of the subject, and feeling the truth of the con-
cluding words of the admirable Letter written ,by his
_Order, viz. the important law which the Court
has now to administer has been especially provided '
for the protection of the cotintry against the most.
dangerous Warfare that can be waged against its
welfare, security, and happiness'; arid THE 'DISCI-
RLINE OF FUTUhE ARMIES AND THE SAFETY OF FU-
TURE GENEEATION4 most be strengthened or. im-
paired by the ULTIMATE DECISION of the Court."
CANDIDUS.
Oct. 6, iSio.
•

MAILS.
ARRIVED—I Malta, i Heligoland,. 2 ()Alin.
Dua —1 Cadiz, a Lisbon, 2 Dublin, z Waterford.

Wrocks
THIS 'DAY Ai TWaltVll O'CLODK.
Consols - - 65 Omnium -

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