Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1846-05-02
NATIONAL INTELLIGENCER.
FROM OUR EUROPEAN CORRESPONDENCE
PARIS, APRIL 8, 1916.


ton for the victories in the Golden Peninsula, our
Paris chronclers, with the exception Of the two
ministerial organs, the Debafs and the Epoque, are
far from raising chorus of satisfaction. They
would question the might and prowess of the Sikhs,
and thus repel the vanns Of their neighbors if they
did not exut and exaggerate correspondenty in the
case of their Algerian war. You will find that in
the House of Commons on the I'd instant Sir j. G.
HoBHoUsE styled the Sikh forces those almost
nvincible battalions - but veteran India officer
says, in the last United Service Magazine, I" the
Sikhs are not formidable enemy in the open field"
and the correspondent of the London Times writ
ing from the camp at Dekhar, after the first battle
gives this information:
The Sikhs, outnumberng force by three one with
heavier artillery and cavalry, might have outanked General
SMITH in his advance and fought superior advantage but
we see that though their position was ably taken uP except
ing the river the they remained Inactive and
driven from il the deep ford and quicksands Under
Of their old French officers they would have been very form
dabe They at present. but have said, only in
their entertainments At Moodkee and Aewa where they
have entered into the field they have been utterly routed and
think have every to believe will the be
IN future whenever meet them toeraby equal
terms position II is possible believe, for any
native army to cope with in the field. They have
not the discipline, the celebrity and compactness Of
ment which have from regular drill and Of
military conduct The French discipline may exist de-
gree but is only that degree that could toerab
field day Lahore known ground and useless nav
only to the certain destruction when
brought into practical operation in the field In the latter
gives obstnacy when defeat evident disciplined or even
partly disciplined troops hold together better than rabbIe
but the eventual loss and discontinue has never failed
to be greater"
The Times, in its editorial columns has been
splenddly emphatic and ethical in its commemora-
ton of the victories. On the 30th ulmo it argued
against the annexation of the Punjaub; it lamented
.the fatality which has so rapidly and extensively
tba e. I'D
at the expense of their independent neighbors, the
Princes of India" In regard to the kingdom of
Lahore, it advised that there should be established
there "a strong independent Government, united to
the British power in India by the ties of gratitude
and interest, and sufficiently under British control
to release the conquerors from apprehensions Of
renewed outrage and Invasion" The London |
Sun of the lst instant observed: "The Governor
General has obtained the right Of complete con-
troll over the Punjaub, and neither the French nor
the americans, nor any other nation jealous OF |
England, can charge him and his army with the |
crime of aggression" Some of the Paris jour-
nalists, La Presse in particular do nevertheless i'm
pute aggression, considering tantamount the gra-
dual assemblage of large British army on the La
hore frontier, and presuming that the Sikhs-like
the London editors last summer-must have under
stood it as meant for invasion and conquest. They
presume that the Skhs received advces which deter.
mined them strike selfdeence before the British
preparations were completed. Touching the mo-
derdfion after perfect though costly and sangunary
success, so proudly emblazoned in the daily Jour
nails and by the parliamentary orators, it is treated
with remarkable candor by some Of the weekly ora
cies. Let me offer you two specimens Of this phe-
nomenon-one from the London Eraminer of the
4th instant, the other from the Spectator. The
first says:
.'As to Sir Henry Hardinge's moderation il will create
smile the lips of all those acquainted with gradual
with them one day. protesting .lle. i,s next merely for The
purpose Of swallowing them with facility the third In
fact Indian princes pass through three processes po
cal mill they completely and denitivey ground
powder. Dueep Singh only going through the first
Squeeze poor little fellow but he the less between the
mlstones. Sir Henry Hardnge does his sprng gently
Sir Charles Napier did the roughly. Yet we will be
bound to say that the treatment Of the will come pretty
much the result in time. We have therefore, hymn
TO sing TO moderation, yet anathema fling upon
military modesty and overorbearance. We have been the
most glorious and most successful robbers that the East
We could not help certainly And Government
is but little the gamer by it may conceive its reluctance
But the old policy perpetuaes itself in the public the
private dongs of this world and know that the thief il
he would starve, keep ,hevng end of the
chapter These, however, large considerations Of moral
y quite out Of for the present The only question is
the policy Of what Sir Henry Hardnge has done and his
the policy Of necessity He might have conquered the
Punjaub but do not how he could have governed il
without the aid Of the Skhs themselves Unless indeed the
inferior chiefs would have consented rule under do
do not see how could have organized government or
collected revenue, within any period that would have nde
ned for expenses and secured against future
We know from experience that the consequence Of sweeping
the upper classes and the smaller unconares from
conquered country in india and the replacing
Europeans, is work OF such time that requires number
OF years ere settles into any organization all and it
produces any amount Of surplus revenue Sir Henry Har
dnge is therefore, acting the wise steward well as the
brave general He stripping off few Of his auels merely
to fill his pockets with quiet and effect and he allows
pageant OF Indian sovereign remain throne where
the presence Of British force overshalow it,
possible that the Governor General influenced his
conduct by the contingencies which might in another
hemisphere with America were better not commenc-
ed I'LL that on the Indus terminated"
The Spectator holds this language:
The whole history of the British power in India shows
that protected States have been the theatres Of
upheld by British power and the them the cause Of
enlargement in adverse British As the end
must be the annexation Of all the Sikh territories msera
BILE interregnum might well be omitted The of
Indian domnions gain for this country but is in
evable, regard not than the interests of
our future subjects requires that should be effected without
nnmeamng coquetry and delays Sir Henry |
Harnge has begun the work Of absorption but has proact
ed the process, defeDg the final appropriation
saniial delicacy towards the Skhs who protected
STATE are to continue in the exercise Of msule keeping
eauons with them in hot water and wasting the of
'he country Had II been appropriated once, its revenues
nave paid the cost Of keeping, while benefcent rule
Wouo nave diminished rather than aggravated burden of
TAXATION on the real people. Now the poor people will be
LOT The means Of paying the indemnity and, to
other campaign" |
IN ms oncal report, the commander-in-chief Of