The Burlington weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington, Iowa) 1857-1858, 1857-08-12

There U no longer any uOuOS tuas s"c OssssS"
Empire in India 10 in serious peril. its author-
ity il deied in one part Of the peninsula, ana 'ss
prestige is shaken in all parts. At the last ad-
vices, which We publish this morning, the rebels
were still in possession Of Delhi, and the open
mutiny had spread to several other reginentsof
the Bengal army in the northwestern provinces,
90 that the losses were computed 70 amount 70
twenty eight thousand men, Tho disatiection
had become SO wide spread, that in the Panjau0,
all the native regiments have been disarned,
among which were some that had in times pact
done the British power as much service a. any
native regiments in the Indian army. The
home government manifestly realizes the neccs-
city OF the promptest and most energetic acton.
Not twenty iour hours elapsed after the receP-
ton OF i,s last dispatches, before Sir Colin
Campbell, o Crimean memory, was commissions
ed . new Commander in Chief, and starts for
his command. And he is to be Immediately
followed nv large force Of infantry, cavalry,
and artillery. Fourteen thousand troops are
already under orders for India; and other REIN
torcements will be sent as soon as ships and
stores can b. got ready. The public mind Of
England is greatly exercised upon the new as
pect Of affairs, and is imposing tremendous res
possibilities upon the Palmerstcn government
This rebellion is a matter which not only VI
tally interests England, but may well excite the
concern Of sll Christendom. II caanot be pre-
tended that the British administration Of india
has been in all respects what It ought TO have
been, but nevertheless it is a matter of vast con-
sequence to civilization th this region should
not revert to its ancient regime. History has
had quite enough OF the Emperors Of Delhi, the
Nabobs Of tile Carnatic, the Chiefs Of Mysore,
the Nixams of the DcccAn, the Vixers oil Dude,
the Manratta Chiefs, the Nabobs Of Bengal ef Il
H. .s.L Tc.@
delinquent as it has been in thousand respects
has yet proved itself thousand times more
worthy OF the respect and confidence OF every
friend OF human progress. The fact is certain
that less than = century of British rule has
wrought most marked change for the better
in land which had been sinking in degradation
and wretchedness since the times Of Agamemnon
and observation-disclosures. Internal warfare and
spoliation have been stopped; Thuggism has
been annihilated; the Suffice has been quench-
ed; the human sacrifices to Juggernaut have
been ended hook-swingings have been sup
pressed; infanticide has been etoppcd; the ave.
nues to education and to social influence have
been opened to woman; system OF public in.
s,rucuon has been established, system of po-
lice and criminal law, worked mainly by Asia.
tics, has been put in operation, decidedly supe-
rior to that OF any other European country, and
daily improving; simple and precise registra-
ton of landed property has been instituted;
works Of internal improvement, especially rail-
roads for transit and canals for drainage and
irrigation, have been nightly extended. A do
minion that has wrought such amelioraticns and
conferred such advantages as these, may well
be pardoned tor multitude Of their short-com-
ings and impcrfections. lfit be said that under
the British rule, the natives have no share in
making laws for themselves, little in administer
ing tbcm except in very subordinate Offices
that they can rise to no high station, civil or
military-that they are everywhere regarded as
an interior race, and often rather as vassals or
servants than as the ancient owners and masters
OF the country, it is yet to be remembered that
under the old Princes, the people had no share
in making laws for themselves, that the native
subjects there fore have not lost anything in
that respect, and that as the laws are better ad
ministered than before, the people at large
have no reason to regret the change Of agency
Althu ugh the actual Government is unavoid-
ably absolute in form, the great interests OF so
ciety are guarded by laws that are regularly AM
mpartially administered; there is neither tyr
amy nor caprice, for the spirit of the common
| law has passed over the waters and Is scarcel,
| less prevailing at Calcutta than in London
! The indignant outcry that was made IN Englant
| two or three wears since by the Parlamcntar.
commission, that torture had been used by som,
of the native tax gatherers to collect the Ian,
| taxes in the Madras Presidency, and the promp
measures that we're taken by the GOvernmen
| to put an end to the abuse, forcibly illustrate,
how emphatically British justice asserts itsel
| over the old system. The greatest charg'
| against British sway in India, is the freqnenc.
with which its conquering sword has been draw
1 from its scabbard But in the main this ha
| been the result of actual necessity. British In
dia never could be marked out on the map an,
| governed like other countries, by the ordinar
machinery Of domestic system. In the clos
neishhorhood OF numerous races who are a
once divided against themselves by antagonist
interests, and united against the rulers OF lndi
By common faith, the government is as muc
a matter OF intricate policy from without as Q
control and organization from within. To TIN
curious position of an empire won and sustaine
in the midst OF jealous and hostile tribes, rathe
than TO a voluntary policy, may be ascribed til
fac, OF its rapid and ever increasing extension
This extension seems in fact to be an inev
table condition of its existence. 1t has bee
necessary for the British TO advance their dc
minioas farther and farther, tor the mere pre-
lection Of what they already possessed. Feud
on the border must be suhjngated as safeguar
against the infection OF rebellion at home.-
When protection was repaid by injury or insul
the exaction OF punishment or compensate
was literally measure OF selfpreservation. I
have submitted to wrong or betrayed fea
would have been to invite a danger the remol
issues of which might have periled the fruits
a thousand victories. And thus, through
series of complicated transactions, in which Y
see the ally, with few exceptions become tran
formed into the foe, and the mediator into Il
master-the British Empire in India presen
} the singular spectacle OF a country deriving !
internal safety from external agitation, and
strength and unity from the compulsory exte
: sion OF its territories, elsewhere a source
weakness and disaster.
Denounced by other nations as the Britt
rule in India has been, and often with too go'
reason, yet its extinction could not fail as bell
received as a great calamity. The relapse
that portion OF the earth's surface into
thrall Of it's own dynasties, would drive it ba
I in the path of civilization thousand years.
Every friend of his race must deprecate It.
HoRRIRLE ATTEMPT AT SUIClpE-On the lr