Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1858-04-16
From the n. Y. Courier = Enquirer, April 8.


The treatment of the Sepoys and insurgents in India
was discussed in Parliament on the 10th of the mast
month During the debate it stated that many of
the stories which have been circulated regarding tho
atrocities of the Sepoys had not the slightest fo1na
ton. 1t is but short time since that it was said
number of women and children had arrived in England
who had been cruelty mutilated but it seems that the
Committee who were appointed to seek out and relieve
these persons unable to find any traces of them
correspondent of the Times stated that when at Del
hi he did not hear of any atrocities being committed
there, but told that doubt such had been commit
ted at Cawnpore When he reached this place, the peo
pie said We've nothing of the sort here but there is
no doubt that atrocities did take place at Delhi Amid
the conflicting testimony it is somewhat difficult to get
at the true state of the case which will undoubtedly
prove to be that while women and children were some
times murdered the alleged atrocities rarely if ever
committed
In regard to the manner in which the war has been
waged against the Sepoys, it is evident that little or no
quarter has been given. A late telegram from India
stated that 1850 of the rebels had been cut down with
loss of only three while recent letter says we
are hanging them by the DOZENS every Sepoy without
his discharge hung at once and any man conceang
Sepoy is at once executed The editor of the India
Mail says in late number that he hoped against hope
that the first burst of fury would pass away and give
place to stern, impartial sense of justice. Yet British
magistrates write exutingly of the number of misguided
men whom they have executed. One SAYS that he had
already hanged 50 human beings and that he boped to
complete the round hundred on the morrow An officer
says Every village where telegraph wires or telegraph
posts are found injured, has its head man hanged" AZ
ter battle in which the Sepoys had been routed with
great slaughter an officer writes We champagned that
night, and drank confusion to the Pandies''
These accounts tend to throw some light upon the
manner in which the English troops revengng the
wrongs suffered by their countrymen The Governor
General Lord Canning, has been repeatedly denounced
by the correspondents of the English press because he
was unwilling that an indiscrimidate war should be
waged and that all the insurgents should be put to the
sword. His humanity, and the wisdom of his policy
are now being acknowledged in England, while the ri
dculous stories regarding his sympathy for the Sepoys
are found to be groundess During the recent debate
in Parliament the opinion prevailed every side that
while the provocaton had been great terrible revenge
had been taken-that not only humanity called for
change in the of dealing with the mutineers and
that justice should temper mercy, but that it not
the policy of England to widen the breach between her
and India since the latter to be governed not by
overpowering army but partly through her people
This change of feeling will crafty good men everywhere
and will rebound infinitely to the credit Of Eng
land than the vindctive sentiment which for time had
the ascendancy Clemency is Christian virtue; and
there is feeling of the human heart absolutely
heathenish than revenge.