Weekly national intelligencer., 1853-03-05
THE BRITISH WAR IN INDIA.

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The London correspondent of the New York
Commercial Advertiser writes as follows, under
date Of February 18th
By the overland mail accounts have been received Of
the nominal termination Of the Burmese war, in the
nexation OF the Province of Pegu but nasmuch the
King has shown no disposition to enter into any treaty or
communication whatever the probability is that he will
still resist and by attack the occupying troops
draw down upon himself invasion of his capital OF Ava
and his ultimate deposition Occasionally in the United
States this to be quoted another instance of
the spirit Of the British Government in dspossessng the
Indian rulers Of their territory but it is hard see
long as hosttes to be tolerated at all Of
obtaining redress for national wrongs what other
was open TO them. The Burmese Government inflicted
wanton injury upon British subjects, for which redress
demanded in form of moderation adopted expressly
from the desire of the Indian Government to avoid pro-
yokng repetition of the costly campaign experienced in
the country about twenty years ago, and in which
success could lead TO nothing but increase Of response
bility and inconvenience This demand, although it
amounted to only few hundred dollars treated with
entire contempt notice whatever being taken of it
Every request for communication with the authorities
was refused and nothing remained but to establish
blockade This equally fruitess, and when atlength
vessel advanced 10 insist upon negotiations being
menced ii fred ut from the Burmese batteries and
obliged TO abstain from further approach War then
declared with the notification however, that it should
cease at any time when the King would pay the original
demand with the expenses incurred each day by the
pedition St from first to last not the slightest offer
was made TO enter into any and the question is
what other open according to the present
opinions Of the duties of nations in such matters but to
proceed in the work of subugaon and when that work
accomplished if the King still refused to treat, what
could then remain but to hold his territory?
Moreover the full strength of the does
rest here Upon the advance of the British troops it
was found that the population every where welcomed
them deiverers that they gave them information Of
the most mportant.kind which in had deci-
ye effect in the success Of the general operations that
they clustered in the neighborhood Of the army and
claimed its protection from the revenge that awaited
them from these proceedings from their native masters
Mt have q thsr
had afterwards been abandoned perfectly well known
and, in instances where sufficient force could be de-
tached for the protection of certain towns and villages
the Burmese troops returned and visited them with fire
and sword. Under these circumstances it would be
scarcely possible to conceive greater cruelty than that of
giving up the territory, while the would also
have appeared fatal act of policy since III no future
Indian could the population, after such example,
even be expected to side with the British forces
Abiding to the same subject the New York
Courier and Enquirer says
Our European advices contain the Proclamation by
which Pegu is annexed to British India. Thus the
which commenced year ago for the collection OF paltry
ne and which has been waged ofnotes than
five millions of dollars and the eusion of small amount
of blood has terminated in the way in which all such
contests of British that Of the world have been
to end-subugaton and annexation. But there is
to believe that the will not speedily be
commenced. The Court of Ava has made token of
acquiescence in the loss of this important province and
they had deadly animosty which the Burmese
harbor against the British will be to vent itself
where along the unknown line of frontier which
parates them, and lead to renewal of hostities From
Scinde to the rrawaddy the British banner floats
paramount and will be pushed from year to year
until fully planted the shores Of the Eastern Pacific
So long there is impossible barrier between the
two there must be collision and war, until they
reduced to one common sway Our own experience in
Florida is but the counterpart in this respect of English
experience in Asia and South Africa The English have
often enough been guilty of aggression and injustice
They have doubtless furnished few provocatons for
determined hostility upon the part of the natives
But still the expansion of British India has been the
sequence of the general which controls the relations
of superior and inferior race when brought into
TACT rather than of any particular occasion, The pro-
vince of Pegu, which is annexed, is decayed and
poor and the expenses of maintaining Government
will far exceed the which be derived from
it. 1t adds surface the British Empire but strength
whatever. If its annexation necessary, it WILL like
the previous annexations from Burmese territories in
yolve the necessity Of other similar acts hereafter