Marshall County Democrat. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1855-1859, 1857-10-01
British India.

u Is possible that there is no country on
the globe of equal importance. that is so
little understood by the general reader as
India. The name has been vaguely ap-
piled to indeEiil portions of the world IN
all ages. The name is unknown to the ma
tives of the country designated by it, and
was derived by us from the Greeks, who
borrowed it from the Persians. The Greek
writer's first used it to signify an indefinite
extent of country lying beyond the Indus.
Darius crossed the Indus and conquered a
portion of the country as early as $50 3.
Z. Alexander extended the Greek con-
quests sill further, two hundred years af-
forwards. No definite idea of the country,
however, was known to the Greeks until
the time Of P;olemy, who divided India
into lneia within, and India beyond the
Ganges.
The decline of the Roman empire added
new confusion TO the geography of this
country The rise of the Parthian empire
did not improve the indefinite knowledge
which existed in relation to il. The extern
sion Of the Mahomedan power over western
Asia cut off all communication with Eu-
rope, and India was destined to remain
country of doubtful extent, until a CON-
paratively recent period. Religious big
otry and commercial jealousy contributed
no little to shutting cut India from the
chart of the geographer.
The Portuguese doubled the Cape Of
Good Hope in 1893, aud then-India was
again opened to Europe In 1000, Queen
Elizabeth granted to the merchants of Lon
don the exclusive privilege of tradlag with
the Indies for the period of fifteen years.
This was the real starting poin. of the
British power in India. The Portuguese.
the French and the Dutch powers. in turn,
passed away, until England became mis-
tress of the whole country. The first Eng
lish foot once planted upon the soil OF In
dia, there We're no hopes for the Dutch.
the Portuguese, the French, or the natives
Their empire commenced when the world
was in a condition to insure success. There
was no nation streng enough to drive Eng
land away, while England had the power
in these times of disaster to drive others
away. as well as to keep down the natives
Their power increased from year 20 year,
until the East India Company were mas
tiers of the vast peninsula of Hindosiau.
The British possessions in India now
consist of the Presidency Of Bengal, in
GLIDING the Punjaub and Northwest Prov
inces, and the Presidencies of Madras and
Bombay. These three Presidencies en-
brace an area equal to Al, 541 square
miles. md contain a population of 1885,
524, 86I. The area OF the country is.
therefore. equal to thirty-eight States as
large as KENTUCKY. Wire rne population is
about one hundred and ffiy-six times
greater than that Of our little State. Such
Is the vast extent of country and the num-
Der Of human souls over which the domin-
ion Of the East India Company mav be
said to extend. OF this vast population,
not more than &C. 1000 are Europeans, while
all the rest, except about 10, 100000 Me-
homedans of Arab, Persian, and other de-
scent, are Hindoos.
The trouble to be apprehended from the
war that England is nov waging, is there
fore evident There are only 10000 En-
ropeans among these 80, 600, 900 Hindoos!
A formidable odds when rebellion is busy
in the landi The States dependent on til
Presidency of Bombay. sc far as heard
from, have not engaged in the rebellion.
Neither have the States dependent upon
Madras shown any fearful signs of discon-
tent. The rebellion is chiefly confined to
the districts surrounding tie cities of Del
hi, Agra, Lucknow and Cawnpore, all in
the Northeastern portion of the Presidency
of Bengal
1t is plain, however, that this Indian
war might becomc unmanageable even TO
England. Over such a territory 1t would
be next to impossible to suppress general
instruction. One hundred and fifty mil
lion of souls scattered over near million
and half of square miles of territory.
cannot be easily kept in subsection. II
they are weary of the English yoke, they
: will not be easily made to wear 1t. Their
country is not their own, and they are, no
doubt, beginning to feel it. They have
had different masters during the progress
of centuries, and they are no doubt begin
ming to feel like being their OWL masters
for season. The pensioned Princes wEo
have been dethroned will add no little =
this feeling of discomfort. Indeed, all
things iu that region incline US to think
that England has her hands full. 1t Will
cost her as much to keep the natives IN
subsection as she has made since she has
conquered and took their country from
them. The East India Company may,
therefore. become a source of expense to
England equal to the wealth 1t has diiiused
over the kingdom There is no telling
when this war is going to end, nor what Is
to be its result with regard to the possess
ions of England.-L9uis. Courier.
~ Rva steamboat explosion on west