The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1852-04-01
The British in India.

The Albion disputes the justice of our recent
remarks on "John Bull in India" and, speak
ing in behalf of England, says:
'The whole question of our acquired sway in the
East is too vast to be here taken into views but who
ever denies that the gain to the native inhabitants
has been immense, must be singuarly i'll. read in
the records of native rule. The contrast between
the exaction and oppression common under the
rajahs and other chieains, anu the respect for ma.
tive rights, property, and religion, enforced by
British guardians should at least induce some cir
cumspection in the denunciations 30 frequently and
so unfoundedly launched against u.s."
1t happens that the company to whose ten
der mercies Britain has consigned her subjects
in India are as absolute and as dictatorial as the
worst native prince could be; and that part of
their policy has been to arrest at its outset eve
ry movement designed to weaken their domin-
ion. The tyrannous suppression of Mr.. J. S.
BUcKINGHAM's newspaper, and the forfeiture
of his printing establishment, to his utter pecu-
mary ruin, has no doubt been borne in mind by
subsequent journalists, and has served to re-
mind them that small modcum of independ-
ence is all that COMFORTS with the official at
mosphere of India.
Perhaps the native inhabitants have gained
by the change from native rule; but we are by
no means disposed to regard the change as SO
fruitful of good things as the Albion would
have us TO consider it. Semi-savage rajahs may
not be able to kill and plumber their people
with as much impunity as before; but the mass
of the people are ground down, nevertheless,
into almost hopeless misery. The .Albion's
nice discrimination may detect wide differ
ence between tyranny working with rude agen-
cies, and injustice working through rank mono
poles; but we confess our inability to appreci-
ate it. The results are pretty nearly the same;
and We are unreasonable enough to Judge by
results rather than by technicalites.
The Albion must be aware that the East In
dia Company's monopoly in the single article
of salt produces an enormous revenue, while it
is The immediate and acknowledged cause Of a
vast amount of suffering and disease on the
part of the poor natives. The ravages Of the
cholera In that country are ascribed by physi-
clans to the inability Of the natives to procure
salt, which. in such climate, and with
purely vegetable diet, is held to be indispen-
sable to health. That inability VIGOROUSLY
springs from the policy of their rulers.
This is one illustration, which we might
multiply to almost any extent, in proof Of our
view, and in refutation Of the .4lbion's re-
mark. WILLIAM HowIrr's volume on "Col-
onization and Christianity" contains chapters
on this subject that are we'll worthy of our con-
temporary's notice, before rushing to the rescue
of the India monopoly. BUcKSeHAM's writ
ings and lectures furnish material sufficient to
shake moderate mans faith in the benefioence
Of that rule and had we files Of the London
Times we could fill a paper with evidence, de-
rived from the records Of Parliament, Of the
debates at meetings of the India Company's
shareholders, and especially from statements
propounded at meeting held some years ago
in London under the presidency of Lord
BRoueHAn. We do not profess to have our
memory charged with all the facts, or even
with all the leading ones; but we recollect
quite as much as is needful to enable us TO re-
mark, that England can add nothing TO her
glory or renown by any appeal to the past or
present condition Of the hundred millions of
human beings who acknowledge her sway on
the continent of Asia.