Fremont journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County [Ohio]) 1853-1866, 1865-02-03
A NEW WAR IN INDIA.
Raootnu. its PeouIe. and its Offence

The English have another Indian War on their
hands. 1t is not mutiny that is to he sup
pressed this time, but an independent State,
never under British rule, that is to be conquer
ed and annexed" Bhootan, poor and isO-
lated state, hitherto exempt from the ravages Of
foreign wars, has not only turned the cold shOul-
der to an envoy from England who penetrated
its dreary wastes, but actually threatened him,
so that he conceived that his life was in danger,
and hastily retired. For this and other offences
England declares war against BhOOtan, and the
BhOoteas are to be footed down the hill of ad-
versity.
The history of this country of Bhootan is in
teresting The best authorities say it is about
two hundred and fifty miles in length by ninety
five in breadth, with an area of sixty -four thou
sand square miles, and population of seven
hundred and fifty thousand souls-having Ben
gal Proper on the south, Assam to the southeast,
and Thibet to the north. Like the highlands
of Scotland, it is place of mountain businesses
and wild glens Its people, whom few white
men have seen, are rude barbarians, whose arms
are the bow and arrow and the spear, and who
are of Tartar blood, with broad triangular fa-
ces, small oblique eyes and yellow skins. Then
religion is Buddhist of modified type, and
the country swarms with mendicant priests
The hills produce good iron; building-stOne is
abundant; dense virgin forests offer inexhausti-
bic supplies of lumber; and a narrow belt Ol
valley land yields tropical fruits. The towns
are few, but are commanded by castellated
strongholds which are said TO be formidable.
The rulers are Deb RAJ ah-who is the actual
sovereign as well as the principal merchant
and Dharma- Rajah, or nominal king, who has
no civil power, but is invested with surpris-
ing number of divine attributes
Such is the country and such the people thai
the English government has now resolved to add
to its possessions in India. The singular ex-
emptiOn from the pains and penalties of war
defeat and vassalage, which the Bhoeteas have
hitherto enioyed, is explained by the remote
ness of their territory from the centres of Brit
ish influence; and the sudden desire of possess
ion is probably attributable to the British disin
clination to endure detiance-proVlded al
ways that the offender is weak
The defiance came about in this way: Fh'
Bhooteas, being saVages, knew no better than
| to descend from their mountains, like the Scot
tish caterans of the last century for predatory
incursiuns into the territory of their neighbors
and they gathered spoil and took prisoners
| The agrieved victims being yassals OF England
| invoked aid from their rulers, and an envoy wa
sent up among the hills last summer to recOve
the booty, release the captives, and remonstrat
with the BhoOteas. He was insulted, albeit b
was ~the scion of noble English family, as
London journal phrases it; and, his negotiation
falling, was able TO save his life only by tn
compulsory signing OF treaty for the cessio
of the tea-growing region OF Assamm TO Bhoot
an. This was too much for the GOyernor-Gen
eral' S patience, and ON the 18th of Novembe
he issued proclamation declaring war agains
the Bhooteas. By the latest reports, it appear
that the whole territoryis to be annexed to Ben
gal; that the people are to be reduced and thei
forts taken Zone of these has already tallen;
and that when these things have been accom-
nIisbed. sstbere will be survey of the frontie
lands and adetermination ofthenew boundary.
l-Evsniag Post.