The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1851-02-13
THE TRANSATLANTIC WORLD.

Hindostan The religions of India-Buddhu and
his church in the East-Ihe efforts of the Portu-
guese and subsequently of the Dutch, to Christian
ize CeyIon-I The deceptive accounts OF England con-
corning the otaie of Christianity in the East
without previous intellectual culture, no people
can be successfully Christianized.
New York, February S, 1881.
To the Editor of the National Era:
By way of varying this series of papers some
what, | have determined at times to discourse
your readers on matters and things as they exist
beyond the world of Europe, and, to that end,
will devote this letter to giving some account of
the British Government in India, the most stu
pendous fraud on the rights of man known to the
history of the civilized world Many Of the hun
dreds of nations who there bend their necks to
the yoke of England (who, however vehement her
protestations of devotion to the principles of civil
liberty lords it in India well nigh as absolutely
as Nicholas in Poland have cultivated letters and
the arts and sciences for two thousand years. So
it will not answer to excuse her usurpations upon
them on the justifying plea that she is doing bet
ter for them than they would do for themselves.
But cannot here afford either time or space to
power. Nor is any such disquisition necessary to
bring your readers to my opinion, that the annals
of the world embrace the record of no more I'M
justif able national crime than that which blurs
Epgland's escutcheon on account of the measures
by which she commenced her Indian conquests,
and through which she is to this hour seeking to
extend them. My business being with things as
they are, rather than as they should be, shall
offer the reader no apology for graphing at once
with my theme.
She is practically despotic monarch in India,
over an extent of territory FIVE times as great as
that known as the United Kingdom - England,
! Ireland, and Scotland-taking in twenty-five de.
grees Of latitude, and running below land beyond)
that number in "slipesn which well nigh touch
the Equator. AS may be supposed, while over
portion of this territory torrid sun shines fierce
ly throughout all the days of the year, the SHOWS
of winter cap the mountains of her most northern
Indian possessions
Bengal is the garden of British India First
obtaining her sure foothold there, the half re-
Quilted and unrequited labor of it's forty millions
of souls it's genial cline and fruitful soil have
not only served to build up thousands of the
blosted fortunes enjoyed in this day by Eng
lishmen at home but to enable their Government
to extend its power throughout all the regions
now known as British India. Being the most i'm
portant Of these valuable Provinces II is gov.
erned Immediately by the Governor General
and his council, which consists Of four persons
chosen, one at the Horse Guards, two in Leaden.
hall street. and the fourth in Cannon Row, to
each Of whom the snug salary Of about $50 600
per annum is paid out of the sum Of which all In.
dia is Systematically and regularly robbed. From
Bengal, Give started out upon his conquests,
which in bold daring and vast conception come
up to those Of Cortez, if in point of atrocity the
circumstances attending them fell some short of
those marking the bloody career of the Spanish
world-robber to whom | refer above. Without
stopping to detail facts embraced in the history Of
these acquisitions Of Give and his successors, for
their Government | may write that at present
there are three English Governments in India
subordinate to the Governor Generalship, or las
it was formerly termed) the Presidency of Bengal,
which embraces the lower and central divisions
of the great valley of the Ganges, the territories
on the coast of Tenasserim, together with the
commercial region surrounding Straits of Malao-
ca which latter are honored with the presence of
deputy Governor, who, in turn, has three depu-
ties, each in one Of the emporiums of trade the
Straits above-named. The Agra Presidency
the northwestern Provinces-is governed by
Lieutenant Governor, whom the Governor Gen.
eral appoints, though Its army and horde of civil
officers are portions Of those belonging to the
Bengalese establishments while Bombay and
Madras have not only each separate Governor
and counsel, but also military and civil establish
ments entirely distinct from that of Bengal.
England has been about century engaged on
the work Of conquering what she now holds Of
India, expanding immense sums in 50 doing, all Of
which she has taken due care to draw from the
sweat Of native brows and the sinews of native
backs According to Parliamentary publications,
this work appears to cost more lin money! than it
comes to. But the Parliament does not bring into
its calculation the immense profits which individ-
ual Englishmen have made from trade with India
from first to last, which embraces all Of real i'm
portance and value to her.
In ls47 and ls4s, the gross revenue from all In
dia amounted to the enormous sum Of ga CTS 9s4
the net revenue being fls,74s 500. 1t cost Is
per cent Of the aforementioned sum to collect this
revenue, and some &c, 4sl sos went to the fulfil
ment Of contracts Of the Government under trea-
ty on Indian account The expenses, military and
civil of the Indian Government and its branches
however, swallowed up all but e III 900 in that
year and In the year next following ls4s and
1919, the surplus was E2,s0s,977 out Of which
the home Indian Government expenses we're to
be paid In the year last referred to, that sum
fell short Of covering them by full FL ,63l OFT
These years furnish fair sample Of the apparent
losses which the possession Of India has annually
inflicted on England. But the reader will under
stand that these figures, though correct, are de-
ceptive For as before remarked, thousands OF
English citizens have added thousands to their
wealth, for every hundred Of the overplus Of cost
which the Indian Government accounts have ex-
hibited Thus, while India has so amazingly enrich
ed English citizens, she has enabled them TO pay
the enormous expenses Of their Government having
no connection with India. This Is the working Of
the wheel within the wheel which has induced
England, year after year for full hundred, to
consent to govern India at an apparent loss to her
treasury Of millions annually The Agra Presi- |
dency embracing the northwestern provinces)
was formerly part Of the Bengal Presidency. IL
comprises the territory drained by the upper
waters OF the Cspges, being next to Bengal In Its
fruitful capabilities. The original Mahomedan
oonauerors established themselves here, and from
thence extended their conquests, as England,
subsequently,, hers from Bengal. This division
Of British India has population about as large
as that of the United Kingdom-ay thirty mil
lions of souls The Bombay division lies in the
west, and has been brought uodeHQhe dominion
Of England since the year $500 That Is, with
the single exception Of the diminutive island Of
Bombay, which Charles II obtained a. mar