The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1863-08-29
From the London Times
The Capture of Mana Sahib.

lively as TO be almost DeyOn1 COubt that
Mana Sahib, OF Bithoor, the pefJetrator of
the massacres of Cawnpore, has been cap
tured at Ajmeer, in the Rajpootana coun-
try, and is now prisoner awaiting his
trial. Although there seems a strange
difficulty in recognizing these Asiaticss par
ticularly after lapse OF time: Nana.5ahib
must be so well known a man that re can
hardly believe that mistake has been
made. -.- ...r a.-..-
1t might be possible to hang pseudo
Tantia Topee, since that daring warrior
suddenly appeared in the field and was per-
sonally unknown to his captors. But Mana
Sahib, the master of Bithoor, the adopted
son Of the ex-Peishwah of Poonah, the
perseverIng s:ltigant against the East India
Company for the continuance OF his adopt
ers pension, and in former days the guest
and host of many Englishmen, is person
whose identity it must be possible TO es-
tablish beyond doubt. At any rate, of
this we may be sure-that at the present
time OF profound quiet, care will be duly
taken to make no mistake, and that u
wrong man will not suffer in the place OF
one whose face must be well known to
hundreds
Assuming then, that this man is really
Mana Sahib, his career, as described by the
Indian press, is most extraordinary. 1t
appears that, instead OF being a fugitive IN
the kingdom Of Nepaul, or wearing out
life Of Obscurty and misery in some pleblan
disguise, he has been intriguing in various
parts Of India, is III the possession OF large
sums of mohey, and has been harbored 10y
persons who are his friends, i! not his ac~
complies lie has been, it Is said, q guest
of the Rajah Of Bikaneer, and has even
venlured to Poonah, thus daring the fui!
power OF the British government. hat
his designs have been must be 4 mystery,
for who can penetrate the thoughts OF an
Asiatic, or understand the motives Of men
who unite the most elaborate cunning and
a restless energy of purpose with profound
ignorance and ideas Of politics anG war
which are like the tancics of a mailman
In the SIX years wanderiHss which are
said TO have bianched his outlawed head,
Mama Sahib has no doubt been continually
urged forward by the belief that it is m
possible to renew the work which failed in
1897, and by a second insurrection TO drive
the English from India. \ man whose
whole life has been passed in Irooding
over supposed wrongs, and has for Few
weeks tasted the sweets Of revenge, only
TO De driven into exile or concealment, is
refu gee, even though he may have saved
enough from the wreck of his fortune to
place him above poverty. Mana Sahib,
who had once seen TIE yellow faced, mar
row minded people at his mercy, AID Is
sued joyous pFcclamations about their
being sen, to hell ssems to have been
driven by an irresistible impulse 10 at
tempt the renewal Of his exploits.
As the muIde.er Is SAID 10 lie drawn 70
the scene OF his crime, 80 the author Of
the n.assacres of Cawupore has been fit
ting about British India, though secure
asylum was open TO him beyond the
northern frontier, or even in some secluded
part of the indepenaant States with the
Jewels and money that lie mnst have car
sied oil with him when he fled from Have
lock- victorious forces, he las been, doubt
less, ever since intriguing and brIb!ns; ana
this ill-cotten wealih--rart Of il, no doubt,
the p!uuder OF the treasury IA Iawnpofe-
has p!Ubabiy attached TO lam certain
hum Der OF followers, who have huIaoIod
his notions and encouraged him te te!l@Te
that new mutiny OF the native TROOPS, II
supported by the native Princes. might
yet overthrow the British covernment.-
We cannot regret this haiIucinatiou. since
it has been tie means Of bringing to justice
Although SIX years have passed, and
that tale OF CawnpCre has been so often
told that nothing new can te added, it l.
impossible to call to mind that event with
out feeling that .or no, tniuness and hor-
ror it stands a.one in British histoly. Abe
Black Il ole of Calcutta Is nothing com
pared with the massacres on The river and
around CawnuQre. Il is ius. possible that
the former crime was not premedliated
and that the miserable Prince who eXpI>
ated it with his life did not intend 10 put
a nEu giIsh community to death by sutio-
cation. But the Atrocities OF Mana Sahio
were vi.iul; and marked by every cIrcum-
stance of cruelty and treachery.
1t Is probable .bat he seduced The Gavin
pore regiments 10 mutiny; il Is certain
that immediately on their mutiny he took
the command of them and kept it till he
was driven from Cawnpore and Bithoor by
lie handful of English under Gen. Lave
lock. For fortnight he fired in-o the
little garrison of English, and when, in the
latter part Of June, lac found tina. he could
not overcome their resistance, he had re-
course to the yilest tfeachery. Employing
| as his AGENT man named AZimoolab, q
Mohammodan, whom many people will re-
member as his agent in London, and who
! at the time Of the Crmean disasters, con-
| ceiyed the idea that tie last hour OF Eng
| land had come, \; NJ Sahib treated with
| the garrison merely TO get them IN BIS
! power.
| Although the agreement was made III
writing and sworn to by the Mana, lie did
not scruple 10 order the massacre on the
| o6th of June, when the able bodied men
| of the garrison were murdered IN the
| boats to which they had been entlced 10y
| the solemL assurance that they we're &c
| proceed unmolested to Ailahatad. ha'
| this massacre was deliberately planned by
| Mana Sahib and Azimoelah, his contdant
there can be no kind of doubt, Tor moi
only did he do nothing to prevent 1t, but
| n few days after he issued the well>knowr
nroc,.naticn congraiulating both Mahom
| n,edans and Hindocs on the destruction o.
the English Nor is the still more he,nou:
| massacre of the women and children after
| his lefeat by Gen Havelock less certainly
his own act.
1t is positively asserted that the order
came from the Mana, who Immediately or
the completion of the massacre retreateo
to Rithoor. OF this second crime we can
hardly bring ourselves to speak. The woe:
inflicted on so many families are still fresh
even after the lapse of six years. The in
cidents we're such that the friends have
suffered, and still suffer far more than il
the common lot Of surviving relatives
We could almost wish that whenall thos'
engaged i'm the commission of it are brough
10 Justice the remembrance of. it coald b
blotted out But, dreadful as was th'
crime, it cannot be attributed to any sud
den impulse of a defeated soldiery. AL
the circumstances show that it was thu
deliberate work of Mana Sahib himself
who thus filled up the measure OF hi:
guilt.
The ORIGIN OF IIAND-SHAKING.-Ihe 10
mans had goddess whose name was fiae'
or Fidelity, goddess Of faith ard hones'y
to whom Numa was the first to pay own. !,