The Washington union. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1857-1859, 1857-08-08

have had against the gigantic monopoly, nrsl oi uo
East India Company, and then of the whole body OF
the merchants of EnglandG
1t is said that as compensation for all this Eng
land has put an end to among the native princes
II is true to a certain extent, she has done ths-hat
is, by taking into her own hands the monopoly OF
war, in addition to the monopoly of agriculture the
monopoly ofcommerce, and the monopoly Of manufac-
lures She has substituted British war in the place
of Mohammedan war and Hindu war. But, after all,
when the native princes of India were fighting among
themselves the productions and the revenues of the
country at least consumed in India and if an
Indian state city pundered still the plunder
was distributed among the people of India. But now
the plumber of India like its revenue and its pro-
ductons is continually drawn away from India itself
to build up that stupendous structure of opuence
which we see in England. The wealth of England is
the impoverishment of India.
We thus perceive how it is that English conquest
and English power in India operate with respect to
the condition of the titled and the educated classes
and also how they operate with respect to the mate
rial interests of India There remains another set of
facts, concerning which the people of India more
sensitive than on tho question either of power or
wealtll--and that is their religion. Throughout all
vicsstudes England has maintained herself by skill
fully avoiding any act calculated to give the least
umbrage to the religious prejudices either of the Mo
hammedans Hindus. But the jealousy OF the peo-
pie of India is at length aroused upon this point
Thus lever is afforded to the discomfort of tho
tive mobiles and of the ryots alike, by means Of
which to attack the very citadel of the power
of England for that power consists in the native
troops, called Spahis, levied by England in In
dia--nercenares- Mohammedans and partly
high-caste Hindus. With her own troops alone
England could neither have conquered nor can she
hold India. With well-appointed body of infantry
cavalry, and artillery of her own, she might overrun
India as Alexander and as Nadir Shah had done be-
fore; but she could not hold it she could only hold
the spot upon which her troops might encamp
the millions of the population would close up behind
her march as the sea does behind the track of ship.
She could waste and burn but she could not con-
quer, subjugate and govern. It is only by adding,
to the twenty or thirty thousand of her own
soldiers, the two, three, or four hundred thou
sand Of soldiers whom she levies in India that she
can fight battles maintain police in that vast
region of country, including, with the whole OF India,
nearly half Of IndoChina. And it is with this great
difficulty, the disafection and mutny of the native
troops, the chief agents of her conquests and her
power that England now has to struggle.
But how, it may be asked does it happen that just
now, when the power of England is apparently
preme, she has to resume, it were, the conquest
of India Why have the Sipahis mutined in body
throughout the northern and northwestern provinces
of India
The immediate cause for this is in the fact of the
issue the troops of CREASED rifle cartridges, which
have to be bitten by the soldiers when loading The
Mohammedans say that the cartridges are creased
with hogs fat to bite which violates their religious
convictions. The Hindus say the cartridges are
creased with tallow to bite which is act of sacri
lege in Them and deprives them of caste. This fact is
obviously the pretext merely, the occasion rather,
of the universal nutny pervadng the presidency of
Bengal, and threatening to spread into Madras and
Bombay. Accordingly, every careful observer looks
behind this ostensible, for some more real cause or
inducement of instruction.
The war against Persia and that against China are
spoken of as being the immediate occasion OF the
outbreak for say the Hindu Siaphis, when we have
been marched or transported from India to Persia
and China we shall not only be subject to the i'm
mediate cause of loss of CASTE the creased cartridges
but to other necessary incidents affecting caste on
foreign service and under circumstances dcpriving
us of all power of sclf-defence Independent ac
ton But this, again, does not wholly account for
what has happened for Spahi troops were employed
in Egypt against Napoleon, and more recently in
China.
The English themselves, who are half insane on the
subject of Russia, ascribe the outbreak to Russian
intrigue. That is quite ridiculous The Illustrated
News repeats, with appreciation, the remark OF the
Russians on this point to the effect that, where add
mitted misgovenment and neglect suffice to account
for the mutiny it is quite unreasonable to seek for its
orginin imputed ntrgues of Russia there has been
any foreign interference the subject it has been
that Of Persia. The Persian language is the Ian
guage of diplomacy and of government in India. 1t
has the same relation to public affairs in India that
French has to public affairs in Europe II is quite
likely that Persia attacked, she conceived herself
njuriousy by England, invaded and threatened with
conquest, should have sought to raise diversion
against England by exciting discomfort in India.
The agents through whom to do this were at hand;
and in the character of these persons shall find the
true explanation of the particular time OF the pres
emit great nsurrectonary movement in India