San Andreas independent., 1857-12-26
England and India.

L
on India has scarcely been thoroughly
understood as yet 1t is customary to
talk of her having been mistress of that
vast peninsula for hundred years, and
of her having, during that time, derived
enormous wealth from it by extorting
large revenues from its inhabitants.
The fact is, her sovereignty over the
greater part of it dates but from more
recent period. The empire, whose foun-
dation was laid by Give and Warren
Hastings, at first comprehended little
more than the province of Benares, and
scattered factories on the eastern coast
The victories of Harris and Wellesley at
the close of the last century annexed the
territories of Hyder Ali and Tippoo Sahib
to the British dominions; those of Lake
added Central Hindostan at the begin
ming of the present century-whlle it Is
not twenty years since Afghanlstan and
the Punjab, Scinde and Moultan, were
brought within the subduing influence of
the English arms in fact, it is only
within very few years that the military
abilities of Napier and Cough brought
these countries under subsection = and
Burmah has been reduced within the last
four years. The kingdom of Dude, where
the revolt began, was annexed only a
few months ago.
Thus, in by far the greater part of the
conquered territories, there has been no
time to consolidate the dominion of the
conquerors. But if there had been,
would it have bs0 done? We may turn
to southern and eastern India for an an
swer; and what do we find Millions
Of money extorted by grasping residents
and collectors from the unreslstlng ma
tives-which sums have been transferred
to England to build up the colossal for
tunes and influence of East India Direc-
tors while none, or but an insignificant
portion of them, have been expended for
the benefit of the impoverished country ;
but the ancient religious feelings and
prejudices of the people have been inter
fered with-their suttees and laws of in
heritance abolished; the rights of the ma
tive landholders have been interfered
with, and their complaints disregarded !;
and all this has been done by strangers
and intruders whose presence was unin-
vited and detested. Can we wonder at
the people of Hindostan making an at
tempt to throw off the yoke of the for
eigner?
In truth, it is not England, but COM
pany of merchants, practically irrcsponsi-
bic, that has contrived to gain possession
of these rich domains. The control
which the home government exercises
over the East India Directors, through
the medium of board, called 6 the Board
of Control" is of the most imperfect
kind. The Crown has the appointing of
the Governor General, but if he displease
the merchant-princes of Leadenhall street,
he may be recalled by them, as was the
case with Lord Ellenborough in 1S43,
on the occasion of his restoring to one of
the native temples the gates of Somnauth,
carried off by the Mahommedan con-
querors Of the country some centuries
previously. The crown also nominates
to the Presidencies, and to the chief mil
itary commands. The Queens troops
take precedence of the Company sand
host of distinguished and gallant officers
whose names have added lustre to the
military annals of Great Britain, are thus
precluded from aiding the Empire at
large by their services. During the late
Russian war, the English people called
loudly for the employment of such men
as Havelock, Herbert Edwardes, and
others, who had really seen service in the
field and understood modern warfare
but the Ministry would not move an inch
from the old routine and red-tapeism of
the preceding generation, and consequent
ly veterans more fitted to be nursed than
to lead youthful warriors were placed at
the head of the armies of England-with
what result the annals of the Crimean ex-
pedition too well attest.
x x :;
The re-conquest of India is beset with
difficulties We do not mean the mere
suppression of the mutiny amongst the
Sepoys, but we mean the re-establsh-
ment Of that prestige which has hitherto
so greatly facilitated England's progress
in India. Thousands upon thousands of
lives will be sacrificed in the struggle,
and should the entire population of Hin
dostan ultimately embark in it, the con-
tending forces will be in the proportion
of 5000 to l ! Fearful odds! which
will be materially increased should Rus
sia, overtly or covertly, Gas it has been
alleged she is doing, supply officers and
ammunition, and Persia and the tribes
on the northern frontiers join in the con-
fict
Yet the progress of civilization is iden-
titled with the success of England
Should she fall, Christianity in India will
be extirpated, and the whole country
thrown back into barbarism. A thousand
tyrants would despoil the fair land far
worse than their Anglo-Saxon masters
This rebellion once suppressed, new
policy must of necessity be adopted to-
wards the native population. 1t may be
right to make an example of fends like
Nena Sahib. who have been guilty of un-