Star.
London, England, 1826-10-04 00:00:00

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expresses his sentiments :-44" It might indeed contribute
to 'ha future tra uillity of our eastern territory, which.
bps Wets re)keit Vittorbeti by the aggressions of the
peolde of Arrai ioil to the permanent relirf of our
Government, and of our subjects, from the effects of
that arrogance and insolence to which both have been
so frequently exposed, and which may, in a great de-
gree, be ascribed to anterior forbearance and concession
on our p irt, if, by example and experience, that Govern-
ment were led to form a just estimate of the greatness
of nur power, and the weakness irflits own." And in
1813, the Government write, ~ We think it prudent to
consider the best means of 'effecttrally putting an end to
this unsettled and vexations condition of aff ars, and to
the repetition of these insults and aggressions to which,
doting so long a time, we have been exposed.' The
means were obvious, and had not the attentions of the
State been diverted to more immediate dampers, we can
scarcely doubt, that war with Ave would have then
shortly taken place. We can conceive ne grounds more le-
gitimate than insult and aggression,esperated by every
attempt to procure tedress by remonstrance and reason.
That the period which succeeded the Arracan discus-
sins, from 1814 to 1822, witnessed no alteration in the
disposition of the Court of Ava, is established by various
events. In 1817, fresh demands for the delivery of
certain natives otchittagong, were urged with insolence
by the Raj; of Ramreerand in 1818,accredited Enyoyi
arrived in Calcutta, repeating the demand, as well as
soliciting permission to visit the Punjab, to procure
religious books, a stale pretence which had previously.
covered political missions to Delhi and Lucknoer. The,
petmission was refused. In 1820, came the celebrated
letter from the Raja of Ransree to the Governor General,
demanding the cession of Ranioo, Chittagong, M 0017;•
hedabad, and Dacca, on the alleged ground of their
bung dependencies Of the Burmese Government, and
filled with extravagant and absurd menaces in the event
of a refusal to comply with the requisition. ' The letter
was treated as the unauthorised act of the Raja of Ram-
ree—not, as has been stated, as a forgery—and this
character was ostensibly correct. But no officer of the
Court of Ava, would have ventured to take such a step
without being welt assured, it was acceptable to the
King, and the letter *as, as the dispatch of this Go-
vernment designates it, 4, really a declaration of war."
The hostile intentions of the King of Ava subsided, it
is observed, without explanation. It profited us little
to suffer them so to subside, as they were presently
after unequivocally manifested on the side of Assam,
Cachar, and Chittagong. and the day of reckoning
could no longer with honour or safety be deferred.—
The Burmese compelled the war; it was their aim for
years; pity for their error withheld the expression of
our just resentment ; but our national reputation and
the integrity of our territory, the lives and property of
those we were bound to protect, could no longer be
compromised, and war took place. The Burmese have
been indulged in their determination to try our strength,
and as the result must have dissipated a delusion as
dangerous to themselves as to es, we may hope that the
angry jealousy with which they have hitherto regarded
us, will give place to respect and esteem. and that the
war, though a temporary and unavoidable evil, may be
productive of great and permanent good.