The Washington union. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1857-1859, 1857-08-01
THE CRISIS IN INDIA.

eventuate in successful revolution. Asiatic nations
have, with few exceptions, been easily conquered by
Europeans, however great the disparity in numbers.
Indeed from the days of Xerxes large Asiatic armies
have been as inefficient as small ones The one
hundred and fifty millions of population in India
be retained in subsection by such army as Eng
land can readily command. The Sepoys alone to
iee apprehcnded, and they, however well disciplined
an -eldiers, will have officers qualified to
carry ON long and regular warfare against the Eng
lish forces. England never so powerful she
now is, and never well prepared to carry
in a distant theatre Her immense steam navy aided
by rapid communications by mail and the telegraph,
makes it less difficult for her to conduct war now in
India than to have carried ON in America forty
years ago. Yet, with all these advantages, the
struggle may be protracted; and even when the
rebellion is suppressed consequences will proba-
bly, ensue seriously affecting the veal of Chris
tendon. Instead of exerting herself, as she has
Just proposed to increase the supply of sugar and
cotton, which have become alarmingly deficient the
fact sares her in the face that this deficiency must
increase, and the suffering consequent on it be
aggravated. But England is not alone concerned
In this matter. AL Chrstendom, except the slave
holders Of America, will suffer alike. Since Column
bus and vasco de CANA opened up the South to Eu-
ropean conquest, enterprise, settlement and trade
many new and artificial wants have been created
Almost third of the necessaries of modern life were
unknown unused by our ancestors a few centuries
since Sugar, cotton, coffee, tea rice, tobacco,
lasses, and many other slave and tropical products
have not only come into general use, but have be-
come even with the poor necessaries of life. 1t is
true, they might be dispensed with if other articles
of food and clothing could be produced at home to
supply their place; but that is impossible South
colonies and trade with the South have furnish
ed Europe for three centuries past largelyncreased
supplies of food and clothing. This has stimulated
the increase of population We have no accurate
census extending far back but we may safely
assert that the population of the larger portion of
Europe has trebled since the days of Columbus and
DE Cana. This population has been pinched by fire.
quently -recurring famine for than half CEN
tury despite of its supplies of food from the South
Emancipation in South America and the West Indies
has been annually diminishing these supplies, whilst
continuing increase of population has all the while
been begetting greater demands. England and France
have for years past been engaged in spasmodic
emancipation They push their conquests South,
and resort to coolies, apprentices and African imm-
grants to supply the place of slaves, and to furnish
enough Of cheap cotton and sugar to ward off famine
and prevent revolution None of their experiments
have succeeded OF promise to succeed. The future
looks more gloomy than the past. And now this
cloud Of East Indian rebellion passes athwart the
face OF that future to give it still darker and
more sombre hue. Man has interfered with ma
ture, usurped tho part of Providence, arrogated
the functions of divinity; and he is just reaping the
bitter consequences. The spread of discovery, of
conquest, of settlement and trade southwark, was
natural and providential operation. The African
slave trade which gave value and vitality to those
discoveries, was also of natural origin and growth
No man, set of men, no nation, preconceived, pre-
determined, or planned any of the mighty changes
in the common relations and subsistence of the
world consequent the discoveries of which we
have spoken All has been natural all providcntial
But just when the world has accommodated itself to
this new state of thngs-just when its subsistence
and existence had become dependent on tia narrow
sighted, intermeddling, sickly rose-water" philan
thropy steps in to disturb the scene and to mar the
work Of time, of nature and of Providence.
The nfdes of France and the fanatics of England
have by West Indian emancipation rendered famine
the normal condition of large portion ofChrstendom
and made savages pagans of the liberated negroes
II required centuries of continuous and aborious in
dusty and enterprise to reduce the tropical regions
of America to the uses of civilized man. but these
sentimental charlaans have destroyed this great work
in less than age.
The momentous consequences likely to ensue from
the rebellion in India only be Justly appreciated
when viewed in connection with the deficient sup
ply OF slave products which now "perplexes ma
TONS" Should England, as we believe she will sue
coed in suppressing the outbreak she will have no
spare capital or energy, or industry, whilst the war
lasts with which to increase her supplies Of cotton
and sugar, and to ward off that famine with which
she is immnently threatened from deficit Of those
articles Even after the rebellion is suppressed she
will have her hands full in keeping up force suffi-
cent to prevent its recurrence and will have little
time, capital, or labor to devote to the purpose of
raising increased quantities of sugar and cotton
Years viii probably elapse ere industry in India re-
turns to its wonted channels that instead of an in
creased production Of these articles she has reason
to spprehend diminished one,