Semi-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1853-18??, 1857-09-12

TIN GAUSS Or rHr IkDIANnEvuLT.

formed circles u Eneand ihat the revolt IN Bengal
wu inst.gated by Nohammeaan intrigue. and that
the story Of the cartridges was cunningiy devised
scheme TO excite tle fnaaical Preadees Of the high
caste (Brahmin) soldiers, and by thus causing the
oaly class with arms in ther hands and capable OF
making . stand to fossake their enloEs, to effect
temporary junction between the Aohammedan2, and
Rindoos the avoued object of vhieh . 70 bssak The
yoke Of the foreigner, while the real object is to re-
store the ancient domisioo If the Nogul EmperorA
Apart from the mutiny Of the soldiers and the ex-
eesses Of which they were guilty. there has been NO
act Of tie Hiadoos which indicates and settled pur-
pose, SO far IS they arc concerned; while the only
really revolutionary acts that have been committed
denote attempt to restore the Aogul dynasty, IN
the person of the King of Delhi, and avenge the
wrongs Of the King Of Dude and other Aosem princes
whose Territory has been annexed BY the British
government Next to Delhi, the ancient seat Of the
Mogul empire, the rallylng point Of the rebels IS
Lucknow, the capital Of Dude, the most recently
annexed Mohammedan territory The time chosen
for this attempted restoration Of the Aoslen rule IS
the hundreth anniversary Of Gives great victory at
Passy; and if these leading facts viewed in con-
nexon with the tradition which is said to prevail III
Bengal, that the EoonPaanis SaAib shall reign for
one hundred years and then be OverthrOwn, and
with the mysterious distribution of cakes and the
lotus-fowers among the villagers and the native
soldiers, and the suspected completely Of the de-
throned King of Dude and his minister As well as
that Of other Mohammendan princes, and the Mus
suman conspiracy at Calcutta and Allahabad it does
not appear violent presumption to suppose that the
Molammedans the chief ins.gators Of the revolt,
although the Hindoo soldiers have been the most
prominent actors in it.
II this view of the question be accepted, it would
also explain in great measure the cartridge excite
mens, and how so apparently tritng pretext has
produced such mighty results. Among people so
notOrioasv exc;iable and anatica the high caste
Hindoos in all that relates to their social distinctions
and religious observarces more effectual means
to excite them to revolt could have been taken than
to convince them that it the design OF the Brit
ish government to force them to become Christians
by making them violate one Of the most sacred OF
their religious obseryances, and thus reduce them
from their high social position priests to the
xretched condition of Parahs or outcas.s- To COM
prehend the terror with which high caste HindooS
regard this degradation, it should be known that,
from the moment Hindoo becomes Pariah, he is
denied the common rights of humanity he is de
serted and ioatned by his wife, parents, children,
and friends his property is forfeited he is excluded
from all the charities and social connexions Of life
and his very touch considered contamination. 1t
matters not that the offence was voluntary or the
reverse, the punishment is the same, and no subse
auent act of the offender, amount of consrition,
ever restore him to his former position To
for vile purpose any part Of the revered idol Of
Hindoo worshp-the cox-would be visited with
this feai full punishment, and be considered one OF
the greatest acts Of sacrilege that Hindoo could
commit twould appear almost incredible that this
reported attack on their religious belief by the Brit
ism Officials should obtain such universal credenee
among the Sspoys; but the impression that it was
the design Of the British to overthrow their faith
does not date from the alleged discovery of the Of
fensive substance in the cartridges The abolition
Of the State, self immolzton of widows, the per-
mission of widows to remarry, the establishment Of
English schools for native children, and the rapid
spread Of European ideas and institutions which have
taken place within a few years, have generated
deep dstrust of the designs of the government
and rendered much easy for interested intri
guers to persuade the Sepoys, who brought most
Immediately in connexion with the government that
it the intention of the latter them into
breach of the laws of caste, preliminary step
to the total overthrow Of their idols and religious
Institutions To make the rumor more credible, and
at the same time establish community Of feeling
between the Hindoos and their Nussnlman comrades
the latter pretended that pigs fat, which they hold
in religious adherence, was mixed with their car
trdges, for the same purpose as bul!ock's fat was
mixed with those of the Hindoos.
In the absence Of positive evidence, therefore, rs
to the real cause Of the revolt it is probable thai it
originated with the MohamRedans the former mas
tiers Of India until dispossessed by the British If
such prove to be tie it may add to the difficulty
the British army will have in subduing the outbreak
but it will by means add to the danger to the
British dominion in India The MOhammedans con-
sttute but small portion Of the population of Ben
GAL Inc non-milt2ry otnooos Oh that presidency
continue well affected, and when once the Sepoy
rebels have been brought 10 justice and punished
there is little chance that the Hndoo population Will
be induced to aid in their own subsection to their
most grievous and tyrannical foes, that they will
forget what they had to suffer under the Moham-
medan dominion, when they were constantly prey
to every lawess Mahratta Chief or Mussulman lieu
tenant Of the Mogul tyrant- Their present lot may
be hard and oppressive but it is incomparably bet
ter than that which they had to endure before the
establishment of British dominion
DELHI, IN IxD1A-The seat of the new rebellion
against the British authority in India has melan
choly history attached to it. certainly for the last
six hundred years. The Philadelphia Ledger says:
1t is supposed to have been a capital of some i'm
portance for more than 600 years But it was not
till about the year 900 that first read of it as
the capital Of Hindostan- Situated on the Jumna,
the most important branch Of the Gsnges IS high