Weekly North Carolina standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1850-1858, 1857-08-12
From the Philadelphia Press.1
ENGLAND AND HINDOSTAN.


intelligence that an extensive revolt in the Indian
army had occurred, and that the continuance, the
very existence of British sway in Hindostan was in
imminent peril. Pithily, but forcbly enough, Gid
London journal thus describe the crisis -" Our
house in India is on fire. We are not insured. To
lose that house would be to lose power, prestige,
and character-to descend in the rank of nations,
and take position more in accordance with our
size on the map of Europe than with the greatness
of our past glory and present ambition. The fire
must be extinguished at any cost. All ordinary
considerations give way before the greatness and |
suddenness of the danger" Another journal, argu.
ing that British troops should be sent to India
without delay-by the overland route, if necessary
-adds 1t will be time to inquire into the causes
of the mutiny by and-bye; we do not speculate how
fire originated, wheu the question is where to run
for the frc-engines; at all events, We procure the
fre-engines irst"
communicated to the British nation for it is the
principle and practice of the British Government to
keep back information, when its being made known
would Inconvenience the Executive So constantly
and consistently is this system of half confidence
kept up that official dispatches, political militia
ry, are usual two-fod-one story, with unpaatable
and unpopular facts glazed over, to throw dus. in
the eyes Of the people, and the other for the private
instruction of the Cabinet stating the case in more
truthful terms. Sometimes when such sly,
double-dealing person Palmerston is at the head
Of affairs, there is third and "most private" des-
patch for his own particular perusal.
Last May, two regiments of native infantry (Se-
poys) were disbanded for nsubordination. Soon
after, another regiment, quartered at Lucknow,
fused to use new description of cartridges served
out to them-decaring that pig grease, the touch of
which was prohibited by their stringent rules of
caste, used in making the cartridge paper. This
corps left the parade ground in body, carrying
their muskets with them, but Sir Henry Lawrence,
the British officer commanding the district turned
battery Of artillery against the mutineers compelled
them to lay down their arms, and confined them tn
teir quarters, disarmed and incapable Of mischief
A. Meerut and other Places the Sepoys also refused
to receive the cartridges. The first company who
showed this insubordnation were dismissed on the
spot, and handed their arrears of pay. This was,
in truth, rather encouragement. The authorities
saw their error and when another company turned
out, arrested and placed them in durance vile. A
few days after this general revolt took place The
barracks were set fire to. The wives and children
of European soldiers massacred. The Euro
pean officers were shot down. Before any step
could be taken by the authorities, dozen native
regments-artllery, cavalry, infantry, and sappers
and mners-were in rapid march for Delhi Ar.
irving there the next day, and encamping out of the
city, they induced three regiments of native infant
ry, and one of artillery, to turn out and murder
their European officers A few of these escaped,
but the rest, with their wives and daughters, were
slain. The insurgents then entered Delhi, murder
ing every European within reach, sezing the bank
and It's treasure, and would have occupied the arse
nal and magazine, if British officer loyal and self.
| sacrificing, had not blown them both up, perilng
| his own life by the explosion.
The mutineers next proceeded to proclaim the
of the late Mogul Emperor, King and Lord of
| Inda-it would seem against his will-for it was
from a communication made by him that the British
authorities at Agra first heard of what had occurred
| Immediate steps were taken to crush the revolt
British troops were collected from all quarters with
in reach Several of the native princes promised
their aid to the British, and appear to have acted
with good faith. Martial law was proclaimed in the
Meerut and Delhi districts. In order to dspel the
prevalent idea that the Government contemplated
the conversion of the natives to Christianity, notice
given disavowing any such purpose. At the
date Of the latest despaches the British troops ION
June g. had encountered the rebels outside the walls
of Delhi, driven them back into the city, taken
twenty-sx guns from them occupied all the heights
outside Delhi, and were prepared or preparing to
besiege that place. General Anson, commander-in-
chief, had died of cholera, and was succeeded pro
tem by Sir Henry Somerset As many as 80, 900
native soldiers had turned against the English The
disaffection spreading, but was chiefly confined
to the military. At Lahore. one-half the native
troops had deserted the British flag. In Dude and
the Punjaub the Sepoys continued loyal. In the
Bengal army, eight regiments had mutinied in q
month, and two had been disbanded. At Calcutta,
the seat of Government in British India, every
precauton had been taken against an anticipated
attack
To put down this revolt, the troops, returning to
Bombay and Madras from the Persian war, were
directed to proceed at once to Calcutta. Cavalry
from Bombay had been ordered to Agra Every
regiment that can be spared from Great Britain and
the Colonies had been ordered to India But here
arises the difficulty. 1t took five weeks. with
telegraphc aid to obtain intelligence of this insur
recton from Calcutta it would ake at the shortest
fortnight to prepare each regiment in England fol
embarkation for Indian service; and, even with al
the lads and appliances to boot" of the overland
route (across Egypt and down the Red Sea) occupy
six weeks more to convey the troops to Calcutta
Here, then is interval of thirteen weeks, at thu
CHI A1xra fha ~ nalns
the arrival in India of q strong force from England
But the shortest and quickest mode of transporting
1000, from England to Bengal not to b.
adopted. The "Circumlocution Office" would no
send them overland, but would take them by lonl
sea voyage round the Cape Of Good Hope, whicl
, would occupy seventy days, while by the overlan,
route it would take only forty. This would max
four months from the outbreak to the arrival of tn
troops to quell it. Within these four months, Hin
, dostan may forever be lost to England.
Such are the circumstances of this insurrectior
What the consequences may be We can only surmise
as yet But believing that Providence carries ou
the principle of retrbution with nations, with in
. dividuals, and knowing with what pertinacity q
msgovernment, what constant ingenuity Of misrult
what utter contempt for even the seeming of hu
manity and justice. England has crushed India I
the dust, arrive only at one strong conviction
that the period has arrived when British sway i
, | Hindostan will be met by hands with swords j
; them 1t is allowed, in the philosophy of politics
! to Judge of the future by the past, and we kno
that the great empires of the world fall-fall sue
denly, fall disgracefully, fall unlamented- the
r reach the summit of renown, dominion riches, an
: | pride England seems to have reached her culm