The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1856-07-20

day ne eteppeu lntO the SuOeTn&tO1& CnalI, AZ
Madras, the Bengal Nabob took Calcutta. Then
came that chapter Of unheard Of cruelty, familiar to
every child who has learned to read his story books
The tragedy Of the Black Hole occurred jusr hun
dred years ago.
The dungeon was but twenty feet square. Mid
summer heat was parching India. The little garrison
thought 1t all joke, when they were ordered to 20
in; but to refuse to die for Sarajahu Dowlak's
orders must be obeyed; prolonged suffering was bet
ter than instant death; they entered, one hundred
and forty-sx in ALL The door was closed, the small
aperture admitted neither light nor air. When they
began to exchange breaths the startling truth burst
upon them. The air already was almost putrid;
they shrieked, they yelled In mortal agony; they
screamed for water and then killed each other
the cup which was passed through the grating
while the poor prisoners were biting and squeezng
each others life away gasping for air. for water
for anything to relieve them Of their agony. The
iaiers laughed and danced in pure delight. Hol
NEIL the highest in rank, offered the jailor heavy
brides; but no, the NabOb was sleeping and no one
was slept away, he ordered the dungeon door 10 be
opened, and ont staggered twenty-three swollen
distorted living corpses One hundred and twenty,
three were piled up-a putrefyng mass OF men-ail
shapes and forms were represented In the death
struggle The English woman who survived was
sent to the harem Of the Prince Of Moorshedabad.
Holmed was saved and tells the tale The dead
were buried on the spot but the narrowing picture
did not move in the least the granite disposition of
be human tiger. The horrible deed reached Give,
and the celebrated battle Of Plassey showed the
nhuman Nabob that it was fool hardy thing to
tribe with the feelings Of Engishmen. The soldiers
fought like bulldogs; revenge stimulated them on.
and the Nabob's army of SO, 900 strong was broken
like reed. Give lost but twenty-five men. The
gallant 39th still wears the proud motto, Primus IN
Indus Give WIS DOW at the zenith Of his fame, bu5
his enemies were at work at home. His successes
against the Dutch invasion from Java, his victorious
battles against Indian armies large enough to sTal-
low him, his civil and administrative abilities could
not save him. He had forged a solemn treaty. he
mt fbao xura lau lah
by Tie son ofthe Nabob Of his own creation, Nicer
9affer; he had done deeds blackening to the cha
racter OF an honest man. He went back to Eng
land, leaving everything quiet behind him, and IN
l76h JeturLed again, for the third aud last time.
Once more he became the companys benefactor
rooted out corruption and bribery among the civil
servants introduced the salt monopoly, still in
existence, instead OF increasing the pay of the mi
litary. But when he went back to England his
hbellers had made him out a villain, fend incar
nate, who had violated pubic faith, reduced pro-
vinces to beggary, deposed princes, and such men
as Mackenzie, Foote and Cooper assisted in driving
the great man mad, and goaded on past all en-
duIance, he carried at the indosncracy Of his
youth, for it is supposed that the slandered Peer
tired Of it, ended his own life.
When Give left India all went wrong. In ITO,
the crops failed-the famine was terrible-mions
perished-some say oDe-third Of the Bengal pOpula
ton were swept away. In l772, the company were
obliged to borrow from tho Bank OF England, 10
keep themselves above water. We are now under
the administration Of another Governor General anu
another instance Of rising from the ranks OF humble
life. Warren Hastings arrived In Bengal in 1850, aud
made Illicit but successful love to the Baroness
Truhof; on his passage out-her husband blind to
the infdelity. Commencing like Give, as q writer
his energy and his ability carried him steadily up
the ladder Of fame. His forte was administration,
not military tactics; great man was wanted, and
be proved equal to the emergency, and he used tn,
allselfsh and alLpowerful freemasonry Of the COM
psny to carry out bis bold and sometimes besrtless
plans. In reviewing Gleig's three youmed work Oh
warren y Hastings, IN the Edinburgh Rey'eU, OF
oaning OF an English army to Sucaj Dowlah for forty
laos, or $4,000 900, to put down the border princes
For his interruptions measures regarding the Bcgums
Of Oude-for the execution of Nuncomar--read the
paper before the House of Lords
When Sheridan made the ludicrous mistake in
speaking of the ferocious Dhooess, who savagely
rushed in and carried the wounded from the field
be bad wrought himself up to such excitement aua
virtuous Indignation in describing Nm open palan-
qun or simple contrivance for taking the poor crea
lures of TO the hospital shed, instead OF to the
slaughter. Sheidans speech, for which Burke and
Fox had furnished the material, does not make the
Governor General an angel by any means, anu
in the review alluded to, Is bitter when
touching on that inhuman war, when their villages
v ere burnt their children butchered and their
men violated. Hastings was wonderful man, VIII.
her sending dispatches IN quilts made into earrinos
70 escape detection, when At Benares (ater Cheyte
sing ran away. when his lie was In danger-ar
IreasuIy-or defending himself in nine years per.e
his fortune was spent in useless lar-
be showed the signet OF great mind. These lao,
Give and Hastings, were the earliest and the |
greatest OF the Governor Generals OF India. and
bave, therefore, dwelt longer when speaking Of
hen.
while Lord CORVALLIS was losing the empire Of
The West. Hastings preserved the empire OF the
East The one gave up America, the other saved
The Carnatics.
When England ard America were signing the
peace papers, Fox lot his India bill and with Il lie
Premiership; but bis powerful enemy Pitt, with e
entire wealth Of the East India Company TO supper
b m, the next year was more successful, and hxed
himself firmly on the government benches. This
was the bill which instituted the Board OF Control,
The President being the head OF the Indian govern
ment. The Governor General and Council OF three
one Of which was the military commandments
the King holding the power Of nominating thu
officer also OF approving recalling the Governor
General. In 1856 Lord CORVALLIS was sent on; BY
the company; and although his banner Tell before the
little army OF our first President he rose again IN
II da and showed himself an able general and go
vernon. In 1898 he returned home after defending
rippoo Saib in six years hard fighting. Sir JohI
shore succeeded, and, alter short stay, was mace
IN liish peer Lord Teigmcuth don't appear t.
nave distinguished himself, and the honorable com.
Dany made a better appointment when they gave the
esl 10 Lord MorbiDgton, Marquis OF Wellesley, the
Iron Dukes elder brother-a man who possessed
something OF the Give and Hastings styles OF &C
ion and like them, fell into the jaws Of faction when
be returned 20 England About this time Napo
con ard Tippoo we're In correspondence, but all hi-
PROT, cts failed, and wellington came within an
1f meeting Napoleon, with Sepoy troops, in the
Egyptian desert; but superior officer was appoint
d 10 the conmsnd, and Wellington was obliged To
wait for Waterloo. After Lord M0mington, there
.as another appointment Of the Shore scho0l--Sir
George Barlow; but more appropriate and clever
man succeeded in Lord Mimic, wnom will speak Of
m another page.
The Van Buren, Family.
Prom the Buffalo Express, July IL