Richmond daily Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1842-1861, 1846-03-24
The Great Battle.
TIE slKHs OF INDIA.

We have already given to our readers the ac-
count of this extraordinary battle, in which British
valor surpassed itself, and army of eighty thou
sand men. of great physical strength. of rcmarka-
BILE proficiency in the art Of war, Of the most de-
voted courage, and sustained by an enormous mass
Of artillery, have been sweP, like chaff before
the whirlwind, by very inferior force of British
and native troops.
To thos, who are fond of believing that Great
Britain is growing rusty in the use of arms, and
avoids war from n sense of fear, we comm this
battle as n small specimen Of the scenes we may
possibly see enacted upon our own territory. We
advise the doughty warriors who affect such con-
tempt for England, to brush up their armour, to
unsheath their ,rusty broad-swords, and prepare to
lead on our columns against the foe. III we must
have fight, the country of course will look to
them as her protectors.
Thirty thousand Silks left dead upon the field
of battle Three or four thousand Englishmen
slain Thousands more MANNED, mangled, sui
foring horrible agony, and praying for death to
deliver them from their torment A thousand
firesidcs desola,e, heart broken wives, weeping
orphans; fathers mothers brothers, sisters, wall
ing over the dead These are the fruits OF war
These are the scenes which souess dcmagogucs
would transfer TO our own peaceful shores, rather
than compromise n ptiln dispute about con-
temptible desert!
We are by no means the apologists oil British
aggression. While England has given us no
cause to complain, her course to the jewellers oi
the East hiss been far different. Below we sub
Join. from the New York Sun, an account OF the
yb., haya
British power:
THE Skis SErKs or SISsHs OF INpIA.-These uniot-
,unae people numbering nearly 2OO00OO0 OF souls, were
governed by conederacy of independent States presided
over by Sovereign whose residence at Lahore, the
c,it,l f the Puniaub Their religion mixture OF Ma
homedansm and Brahmnism, teaching the UNITY oil one
Invisible God aud the equality OF all believers IN nun" WIN
m distinction of caste or coor-Nanek tor Nan@e) Shah,
he founder OF their sect was borne at Lahore a. ~ i1o'
Having travelled through all the Asatc countries oee0-
inc ,couan,ed with the various religious systems, he
turned home and became prophet-wro'e book and
gave out new revelation Ia Joe Smith. the Mormon
Silks signifies disciples and Nsnek gave this name to his
followers Ariun Naneks successor Published his mas
,er writings and compiled the first religious book OF the
sect for which the Mahommedsns put him To death.
undoo Chief received and sheltered the little company OF
n-rs.cuted Silks who also called Singhs onsl Tor
their courage and bravery They lived very secluded ~
the mountains about two cenufles unhI iiSo' Wheh
Nadr Shah returned Persia after his invasion OF La
horr; " hicl latter they then subdued Ihay had re
ous belief like the Momons that they 10 &c occupy
all the Lands OF oppTessors and this belief or pToph"
c SO reasonable in the natural order OF human events Was
actually fulfilled In 1852 they were nearly o'ef'hro"n
bv the Afyhans Mahomcdan nation OF the Sunnte Sect
bu, their n omtabe energy surmounied every obstacle
In 1906 their sing. or King who was urn any OF Inc
British Government, had an AIRY OF io"'Voo
Al his Go H. in 1889, there was struggle ior me
throne and since then the ccniedeaey has been Torn py
d,sensons artfuy Directed By the emssares oil the b-
,i.h Cnyernment The present nominal Sovereign is
womau and All ally o England. In ar ind science the
SEEK. are eSceed BY few This shown IN their late
battles with the English in their msnmnveng IN iheir
sunaror ARTILLERY and the destruction at Brush troops by
exploding mines VIII ch had been worked before their en-
tenehmen;s They calculated the revolt OF the nanVes
IN the British army but only regiment Bengal cn'a'-
ry) refused TO attack Seks for which they have pooa
bv suffered. The Seikh territories ere TO" annexed 10
the Brush dumnions. Out OF between sihy an9 eRh
thousand Sekhs in the field thirty thousand are supposed
to have persisted ia battles OF the 18th, list and 2nd
December last. The British loss was $500"