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

tropics. Ii has population Of about fifteen mil
lions Of souls and is the least fertile Of either
British Indian possessions. IL is also poorly
watered in all respects. Give, Coote, and Law
renee the trio Of British bandits on a large scale
first acquired fame by their exploits there and it
was the region in which the French made their
only formidable show Of opposition 10 Britain in
this business Of nation-robbing in the East-and
there that great statesman and warrior, Hyder
Ali, made his struggle against the power Of Eng
land, which, for some time, led the world to sup
pose that she would be driven ignominiously out
of all India. am unable to present the reader
even with the number Of nations England rules
in lndia-as numerous, however, as they are diff
ferent in their characteristics. Thus. there are
seven distinct nations divided up into many
smaller tribes) in Hindostan alone, who sneak
each a different language, and differ in customs
and manners. Then there are Chinese, Peguans
Malays, and Arracanese, with many more outside
Of Hindostan.
Of religions, may almost write that there are
thousands; for each separate caste Of Hndoos lof
which there are hundreds have tenets not prac-
ticed nor professed by the others-from that
which believes itself to be equal to the demieod
to that which puts forth no claim to superiority
over the dog. England governs in India, also
native Christians, Roman Catholics Greek
churchmen, HISTORIANS, aud here and there
nominal Protestant community, the remains Of the
spirituality" instiled by the sword of the Dutch.
Again, England rejooes in full ten millions of
Mshomedan subjects in that quarter, Of both the
great divisions of the faithful who to this day are
just as ready to throttle each other over the oues
tion of the rightful succession to the Calepbst.
only little more than twelve hundred years ago,
as their forefahers were when that subject matter
divided the church of Mahomet into two nearly
equal parts. Confrcius too, has his millions Of
disciples there, and Jaiu his, while Buddhu's fol-
lowers are even more numerous The religion of
Buddhu, by the by, of which | venture to assert
that at this moment not one man in every hun
dred in the United States remembers to have
heard, is emphstically the prevalent religion of
the world, as it has been, certsinly for some two
thousand years The learned are equally at
fault as to the date of it's origin and its chrome
logical relation to the stupendous idolatry of
Brahma nor is it known in what region Of India
it first appeared. 1t is written down by some to
have been the great erigiCal Of DysAmsDism the
latter being its corruption, while other anti
quarians in theology reverse their order Yet
the learned world do know that it was Guilt
waited in central India centuries before the birth
of Christ. From thence il has gradually ex-
tended throughout the whole Indian continent,
and eastward until its doctrines are the prevail.
ing religion from Siberia to Siam, and from the
Pacifc's western shores to Bengaps Bay The
Indian Archipelago and Ceylon have held it for a
national religion for more than two thousand
years At this moment its votaries, real and nom-
inal number morethan oaethird Of The human race-
more than three hundred and fifty millions of
souls. Thus, there can be no questioning the fact
that it is the most widely dffused church which
now exists, or which has existed since man was
D,,JJ nod hx,; ta Lao 4
virtuous teachers, (for it has had such from its
foundation, or it could never otherwise have sur.
vived the fate Of all else existing at the date OF
its origin) denies the existence Of future state
and regards humiliation as mans blssful reward
1t holds to the absolute perfectibty of virtue in
man, and to the eternity of matter, and in keep
ing with these, its fundamental principles, it in
culcates the absolute equality Of all who aspire to
be virtuous OF necessity, therefore it denies
IN toto the Brahmincal theory, or creed Of caste
While it is the boldest system of atheism known
its code of morals are second in purity and world.
wide benevolence to that of Christianity alone
may also write that, alone of all the world, the
countries in which Buddhism is the prevalent re.
ligion, have escaped change of faith since the
birth Of Christ
Christianity has made most inconsiderable pro-
gress in India during the hundred years, In
which the most enlightened and liberal nation
in the world has had a foothold there The
history of the rise, progress, and decay of Chris
tisnity in Ceylon, for instance furnishes a faii
example of what England, with oil her profession,
of liberaity, worldwide philanthrophy, and
Righteousness over-much, is effec,ing by the cru
ell, unchristian and selfish lessons drawn by tn,
natives from her acts. Judging from what sh
rEles, the unsophisticated reader would concud
that she labors but for the benefit of the mind
and souls in her eastern vineyard. But she ha
done far less than was achieved during the tim
her Portuguese predecessors and subsequently tb,
Dutch fourished in that quarter. Indeed, il
Ceylon English influence has we'll nigh undon,
all that Roman Catholic bribery and Presbyterian
persecution had effected there, in the way o.
making the natives PROCESSING Christians. Th'
Portuguese priesthood, combining system of cor
ruption and fraud with the assimilation Of the
forms of their church to the ceremonies of Budd
hism and Brahmanism, purchased professions by
largesses to halfstarved and lazy converts.
When the Dutch subsequently conquered that
Island they went to work as though aiming To
make their peace with God for the enormities
they were committing by roofing out Roman
Catholicity. Combining coercion with cajolery
they soon brought to light the fact that Ceyonite
Romanism was mere Profession; for in trice
they turned nearly all their eastern Chris.
tans into Presbyterians
The English, on taking possession in 1896, be.
thought themselves only Of making money, leav.
ing religion to take care of itself So the natives
as soon as they found that protesting Christianity
failed to pay as heretofore and that non conform
ity was not, as before, good and sufficient reason
for Government prescription, suddenly relapsed
into atheism or idolatry. Thus in 1902 there were
1876 900 nominal Christians among the Tamils Of
Jsffna In 1906 according to the best authori-
ties) the Protestant religion was absolutely ex-
tinct among them, and the magnificent and costly
churches which the Portuguese had built there,
MS in every other quarter where they had robbed
and murdered defenceless people, had gone TO
purposes But England manages to keep up the
semblance Of a Christian church in that quarter,
by means Of her civil lew, requiring baptismal
record as evidence to regulate the descent of
property. Though rigidly practicing the forms
of Buddhism, every baifcivilized native Of that
creed Is careful TO have his children baptized ac-
cordiDg to the forms Of the religion Of the East
India Company as they now term Protestant
ism. This accounts for the grand display Of the
success of English missionary efforts TO Chris
tianize India, Of which we read in the church
publications Of the day, but which every fact
reaching Europe and meroa from other sources
disproves. The truth is, In India. as everywhere
else, the spread Of Christianity worth button
must be preceded by the diffusion of intellec-
tusl culture. Education-seeuiay teacbing-must
arouse the mind to the spirit Of practical inquiry
which begets that thirst for knowledge that alone
enables truth to displace error before any people
can become Christians in fact The true history
of Christian.makinq, everywhere, is but record
Of succession Of facts going to prove that to
work to that end on any other foundation, is
scarcely more sensible or servicssble, than the
phlsnthropc scheme Of Mr.. Aminadab Sleek,
"to present every newborn African babe with a
flannel shirt and moral tractp LIBgRALIsT.
ILLINOIS AND The CoMpRoMIsE-The resolu-
tions offered by Mr.. Edwards, Of Sangsmon, on
the subject Of slavery, passed the House Of Rep
resentatives on the 22d ultimo after short de-