The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1857-10-01
THE PACIFIO
Commercial Advertiser.
IRrom q London Psper]
Latest from the India InsurrectiOn :

IHrom a London Pape]
Latest from the India Insurrecti0n!
CALCUTTA, May 16, 1857.
Mr. DEAR FRIEND We are at this moment
in a crisis of jeopardy, such as has not occurred
since the awful catastrophe OF the Black Hole OF
Calcutta.
So long as the spirit of disaffection in the
native army, with its occasional outbreaks, was
only circulated about in whispers, / felt it better
not to allude to the subject but now that it has
broken forth into 80 many open manifestations OF
. daring character, 1 can scarcely remain silent.
Without dwelling at present on the Providen-
tial view of the case, L shall only advert to a few
Of the facts.
At Barrackpore and Burhampore, about II
and 200 miles respectively north of Calcutta, the
spirit of mutiny wildly exhibited itself. There
have been one or two executions in consequence,
while 1900 men have been disbanded in disgrace.
These, however, as might have been expected,
have betaken themselves to robbery and plumber;
only this morning the news has reached us that
Raneegunge, the important station of our furthest
railway terminus, has been attacked and plum
dered BY tbsp- The universal feeling is, that
such despair Is have been far too leniently dealt
with ; and t6at such mistaken leniency now re-
coils upon us N plumber and bloodshed.
1t Is now certain that We narrowly escaped q
general massacre in Calcutta itself. There was a
deep laid plot or eonspiracy-for which some
have undergone the penaity-to seize on Fort
W AkALnAn oAL dcs-t III LhC w..
The night chosen for the desperate attempt was
that on which the Maharajah of Gwallor, when
here, had invited the whole European community
to an exhibition Of fireworks, across the river, at
the Botanic Gardens. On that evening, how
ever, as if by a gracious interposition of Provi-
dence, we were visited with a heavy storm of
thunder, lightning and rain; so that the grand
exhibition of the Maharajah had TO be postponed.
The European officers, therefore, had not left the
Fort and the object of the conspirators being
thus defeated, was soon afterwards brought to
light, to the horror Of all, and the Astounding
,hankfulness of such as acknowledge the loving
kindness of the Lord.
IL Dude, what threatened to be a formidable
and disastrous mutiny was lately put down only
BY the prompt, decisive and energetic measures of
the Chief Commissioner Sir Henry Lawrence
one Of the bravest soldiers and most philanthropic
gentlemen in India
From all the chief stations in the North-W est,
intelligence of a mutinous spirit manifesting itself
In divers ways. has been dropping in upon US for
several weeks past.
But at this moment all interest is absorbed by
the two most prominent cases, at Meerut and
Delhi At the former place a cavalry regiment
openly mutinied: some 20 or so of the ringleaders
were tried and sentenced to many years imprison-
ment, with hard work in irons. But the whole
station has been kept In a state of fearful anxiety
and suspense-the bungalows or houses of Euro
peans being, in spite of every precauticn, almost
every night set on fire, and the European officers
of the cavalry regiments being killed.
Moreover, two troops of the said regiment
started off for Delhi, distant about f~orty-fve miles.
On their way they reused the whole pOpulace by
their Vaccinations and lies so that all order
and law being in and allegiance, that district is
now a scene of indscriminate plumber.
But what is most dismal of all, these mutinous
troops, on reaching Delhi, in which were three
native, and no European regiments, were joined
by all the native troops; the fort, in consequence,
III -
seized, and is now in the hands of the rebels
nearly the whole European community, civil and
miiitary-men, women, and children-have been
cruelty massacred, and, to crown all, the heir
apparent of the titular Emperor of Delhi, the
Eneal successor Of the great Mogul, has been pro
claimed by the triumphant mutineers as Emperor
of India Such an event-one-half so disastrous
has not yet occurred in the history of British
India. The great bulk of the population of Del
nj IS Mohammedan-notoriously fanatical-and
VIGOROUSLY hostile to our Government. Delhi
has a great name over all India, as having been
one of the greatest of the imperial cities of the
Mogul sovereigps. At present 1 cannot dwell on
the subject 1t is only this day that the last and
most fatal part of .he intelligence has reached
Calcutta. 1t looks like n summons to clothe our
selves in sackcloth. Some must mourn over
friends already gone I; and others over friends in
imminent danger.
= Nearly half the pative army is in a state of
secret or open mutiny ; and the other half known
TO be disafected. But this Is not all the popu-
lace generally is known To be more or less disaf-
fected. You see, then, how very serious is the
crisis. Nothing, nothing but some gracious and
signal interposition of the God of Providence
seems competent now to save our empire In India.
And if there is a general rising-as any day may
be-the probability Is, that not a European life
will anywhere escape the universal and indis-
eriminate massacre But my hope is in the God
of Providence. Ihavea secret, confident persuas-
ion that, though this crisis has been permitted to
humble and warn ms, our work in India has not
yet been accomplished-and that, until it be ac-
complished, our tenure of empire, however brittle,
Is SECURE
Already it is known that the Mohammedans
have had several night meetings and when the
proclamation Of the newly mutineer-installed
Emperor Of Delhi comes to be generally known,
no one can calculate the result. But as 1 said,
our trust is in the Lord And never before did /
realize as now the 4 ality and sweetness of the
Psalmist's assurance5ssI laid me down and slept;
/ awaked for the Lord sustained me. / will not
be afraid of ten thousands Of people that have set
themselves AGAINST me round about. Arise, O
Lord save me, o my Gcdt' Our son Alexander,
poor fellow, Is at Meerut-the very centre and
focus Of mutiny-and where already Europeans
have been masacred, though no names have yet
reached u.s. You may therefore imagine in what
q horrible state of suspense and anxiety Mrs. Duff
and myself now ara May the Lord have mercy
on him and ust Yours,