Lynchburg daily Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1852-1861, 1858-09-17
India.
Alter the lapse of one hsndrsd and ffty years

India.
Alter the lapse Of one hundrsd and ffty years
Of outrage, oppression. and per8dy-cf crime
parallel to which we shall seek in vain throughout
the annals of any other civilized nation-thas
monstrous corporation. which regarded neither
justice, mercy or truth, has ceased To exist 1t
began with infamy the foundations Of its power
were laid in fraud and it has been quenched in
violence and blood. Fit termination to the great
East India Company. whose reign Of rapine and
violeuce must ever constitute ono Of the darkest
chapters in the records Of human society II Is
known that the last Of the various charters by
which this company has held power under the
crown, expired on the first ct tho present month.
and, failing to be reacwel all Of its prcrogatves
have reverted to the source from whence they were
derived 40 that hencefor,h. India will be govern
ed like oil the other dependencies Of the British
Queen and ithout the intermediate agency Of that
monyroi concern which never ought 10 have ex-
isted
A very eursory glance at tho history Of British
misrule in that ancient home of civilization, will
satisfy any unbiased mind that there is much to
extenuate the terrible vengeance which the OPP
pressed have visited upon their plundercrs. Six
years after the discovery Of this continent by Co
lumbus began the reign Of rapne in the East;
and tho Portuguese. Dutch and English. have sue
ceesively enriched themselves with the spoils of
Indin. But the greatest freebooter OF modern
times finally ebowed out all the others. and in
l74s, the political influence of Great Britain was
fully inaugurated in that distant possession. She
planted the germ Of her power in inda by pcr-
mission obtained from the native Princes to erect
forts at their trading postsostensibly for tho pur
pose Of protecting her traders bat really with tho
design to wrap her serpent coils about the neck Of
an unsuspecting people. Under the admnistra.
ton Of her FIRST and most infamous Governor Gen
eral, Warren Hastings was perpetrAted crime
which is only equalled by one other in sacred or
profane history, and for that the Divine Arbitcr
of nations condemned Ahab to death, a. the only
proper expiation for the murder and spoa,on Of
Naboth Hastings dspossessed ail the land hold
ers in the region subject to his domination, and
put their lands up TO the highest bidder. Not
content however. with this act Of rapaci,y. he in
cited and assisted the King Of Dude, (nt that time
an independent monarch. to make war upon the
poor Rabillas and scene Of carnage, Of inlis-
criminate slaughter followed, which begcars de-
scripnon. Nor does the history Of this transaction
end here, fer afterward. an y time OF profound
peace, and without any other pretext than that
which might be furnished by plundcring Arab,
Hastings stripped his fermer co-laborer Of more
than half his i'll gotten territory, and transferred
to the Eas, Indm Company domain whose annu.
al revenue was more than seven millions of dol
lars.
And this is but cptomc Of the history Of
English misrue and robbery in lndia. under the
immediate government Of the great corporation
which has ust now expired. For secen long
years, that friend Of liberty and man; Of justice
and truu--Eduund Burke laborcd 10 bring tho
great criminal to punishment; but it had served
the Government too well. and its immense wealth
had too often saved the nation from bankruptcy,
to be punished for its high crimes, though punish.
ment were demanded by decent regard for the
sentiments Of civilized society. Having sown to
the wind and rcapnd the whirlwind whL,h has for
some time swept that Inflated country, il is
hoped that England will ncw act nbont ruling In
da with soiae better and higher motive than that
Of merely wripgng ell thu. is possible from her.
And to this end we sincerely unite in the hope
pressed by the London Times, in the following OK
tract with which conclude:
That peace shall be speedily restored and that
India may now enter on path Of improyc in
some degree comparable 10 that Of Europe aud
American, is all that we may now hope for
Room for conquest there is none, and its spirit
has now received ,chuke. But there is
no reason whatever, either in the country, or the
race, or the government, why india Shon.d not
ceive all those material Improvements which have
altered the face Of this continent and even tho
New World. 1t is chiefly fer backwariness in
these things tina, the mixed government hitherto
adopted for India has been tried and Sound want
ing. Should the simpler goceramem an TIE name
ofthe Queen be found equally ,caa,ing, patriotism
itself ~oW Acrdty regard British rule ss blessing
for India.