Brownlow's Knoxville Whig, and rebel ventilator. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1863-1866, 1866-01-10
THE KNOXVILLE WHIG
Knoxville, Tenn, January 10, 1866.
England and Her Eastern Possessions.

The Friend Of India has very properly called at
tention to the feeble manner IN which our foreign
policv is directed We seem, in fact to have no Tor
eipn nolicy. The French, the Dutch, and the Rus
seem to be well acquainted with the fact; fol
tbcv are certainly pushing matters to the
Nmost The acquisition of the COndore islands by
the French is most important, and, IN case OF war
would be most serious TO the interests OF British
India These islands, lying about nine degree
north of the equator are the direct route between
India and China and may be said TO command the
nassaOe Their proximity to CambodIa rehders
them particularly valuable to the french HsurINS
the safety of Saigon in case OF war, forming a'
once a defensive Outwork and point from "Hic"
IN attack When we recollect that only nine year
o those islands were ours that We held them years
- that we deliberately abandoned them, when
flly informed of the intentions of the French re-
arding them wesee most clearly the absence OF the
fsr-seeip vision and the directing hand IN the con-
duct of our foreign policy IL the lndo-Chlhese
seas.
progress of the Dutch in Sumatra. Unless we
awake from our supineness the town and port ol
Acheen will, in q very short space, become theirs
In fact il is quite possible that relying upon the
well known inertncss Of the present regime, they
may take possession Of 1t at once. Now 1t is DIN
cult TO exaggerate the great consequence 1t Is to
British India that Acheen should not tall into the
possession of a foreign power. In the naval con-
tests of the last year Acheen was regarded IS the
safest unchoring ground in the Indian seas. Lying
in about the same latitude Point de Gale, com
manding the route from that place to emma, as
we'll as that from Calcutta to the China seas Acheen
if occupied by an enemy, might be made very
thorn in our sides. 1t cannot be occupied without
a direct violation of our treaty with Holland; but
we have permitted such violation before now, and,
under the present Casy-gong government, we shall
probably permit it again. ct " say 1t deliberate
iv. that the Governor General who would permit
Acheen 10 be occupied by an European Power. de-
serves to be impeached.
In the olden days, when Governor Generals were
selected from the ranks Of the aristocrRcy,
sure Al least, that one member OF he Supreme
Council would possess some knowledge Of geogrs-
phv. We we're confident that the foreign policy OF
thecuuntrv would embrace wider range than pc
rusal Of the diaries of political agents could aori
But We have no such security now. Sumatra ls be-
ing gradually swallowed up, and IT cannot be doubt
cd unless the Council take timely warning, that this
nost non heFu sHd important position, AcReen wii
follow Asrluists have talked Of the bugbear OF
Rus-sr iuvasior bat re the prograss Of Russia i
Central Asia 70 imply the very utmost that the RuN
sophobsts most dread, It would net get be one quar-
ter 60 formidable as the ersiun Of Acheen 10y Nj
European Power into strongly fortified post, com
maudlng the English and India communication with
China. Suuatra once entirely in Dutch hands, the
NicUbars would assuredly follow if it were found
that they could be made habitable for Europeans
The Bay Of Bengal would then cease to be- what il
las been since l776, purely English bay.
. We should never forget what we have learned 20
often-on the last occasion in l957-that OR prt
in India is founded on the a. Once shake our
possession Of the sea, and the whole fabric Is loos
ened. The invention of plated ships and monster
common will render in the opinion of many, the re
su Of the next action at far more doubtful than
It would have been under thee old method. Still, by
preventing the occupation of any fortified positions
Of neghboring coast We could, at all events, par
alyze an enemy. But to permit two foreign Pow
ers both of whom have been allied against before
and may be so again, to forty positions against US
appears almost like inviting attack. Fortu-
nately, some portion Of the evil may yet be
rectfed. 1t may be too late to recover possession
Of the Condore islands, but a few sharp words
uttered BY Lord DAlhousie, would serve, even now
to put a stop to Dutch aggression in Sumatra.-
Calcutta EgqlislsHu Oct 30th.