The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1866-11-03

efficiency which has its source in LOYALTY
and content. We trust that the more liberal
view, which has bben taken by the present
Government, OF the equitable claims of the
agerteved officers, may have some effect In
allaying the very natural and excusable irrita
ton winch for some years has disturbed the
minds OF the officers OF the old Companys army; ;
but we are afraid that those miserable worde
'too late,n are inscribed upon these acts Of
tardy justice. "The beautiful has vanished
and returns not"
Nothing can bring back the hour
OF glory TO the grass-of splendor TO the hower'-
And nothing. can bring back the confidence and
affection which has once been banished by the
ac.s OF grievous injustice and wrong-dolng.
But even apart IRON tins, if the old Indian
Army had been left in its normal state, still
society would have been subjected to baneful
change by the influences of the Great Rebellion
of l867-tS. This great historical event has
doubtless shaken to It's very foundation the
security which Anglo-Indian residents once
felt, and has enReDdered a bitter feud between
the two races which years Of peace will not be
potent to allay. The atrocities which were COM
m1tted during the season of convulsiOn has
forced those who before loyed,to hate India and
her people. Time may mitigate this evils but
until II has brought "healing on It's wingsn the
wounds will be open wounds and our people
will writhe and gnash their teeth under the
infiiction OF these running sores. Whilst this
1eenng exists, even our old Indian officers
cannot take the interest which they once took
IN their work. There is, naturally, an increased
tendency to send the family TO England; and 10
there is more and more WEAKNESS, and tnsouoi-
dnce, and Incidence, amongst those who were
once interested and active, and who seldom or
never hankered after home
Assuming, then, that it is want OF interest in
the environments of Indian life, and general
incidence and discomfort, which, more than all
else, are the provocatives of the ''scandalsn
which have lately obtained such unfortunate
nIotoriety in India, 1t is easy 70 perceive that
tnere u one remedy, or none. II a
doing 1t, we may be sure that he will not much
concern himself about those paltry personalities
which fructify into scandals Much has been
written lately about the character of the Euro
pean soldier Especially In India), and of the
efforts made to lmproyeit, but as the officer is so
will be the soldier. If the officer thinks that his
duties are limited to parade duties, there is
email hope for the moral character of the men.
More than twenty years ago an afecti0nate ex-
hortation on this subject was anonymously ad-
dressed to the officers of the European army in
India. 1t has since been published in the col
lected Essays of Sir Henry Lawrence, than
whom no grander example of an Indian officer
OF the best school has ever shone out from the
history OF our Indian empire. We need make
no apology for quoting them here for nothing
can possibly be more germane to the question
under consideration:-
1T would be wonder of wonders, II, neglected
as he ls the European soldier were to occupy
higher place in the scale of Christian morality;
but whatever he may have to answer for, it is
almost beyond denial that the responsibilities
OF the officer are far greater than his own. The
soldiers sins OF commission are not so heavy as
the officers sins of omission, from which they
are the direct emanations. The moral character
Of a regiment, be it good or bad, fairly reflects
the amount Of interest taken by the officers in
the well-being of their men, The soldier wanders
out OF garrison or cantonment, and commits ex-
cesses abroad, because he has no inducements
to remain within the precincts of the barrack
square. He goes abroad in search of amuse-
ment-and he finds not amusement but excite
snop or to the punch-house; he seeks other
haunts of vice; and when both money and credit
are are gone, perhaps he takes to the high road.
This would not happen if regimental officers
really did their duty to their men. 1t is not
merely the duty of an officer to attend parade
10 maneuvre company or regiment to mount
issued, to sign monthly returns, and to wear a
coat with standing collar. The officer has
higher duties to Performs duty to bis sovereign;
a duty to his neighbor; duty to his God, not
10 be discharged by the simple observance of
these military formalities he stands In loco
PARENTS; he is the father of his men; his treat
ment OF them should be such as to call forth
their reverence and affection, and mcite IN them
strong feeling OF shame on being detected by
blm in the commission of unworthy actions.
1t is his duty to study their characters; to in
terest himself in their pursuits; to enhance their
com,oe,s ga 70 assist and to encourage, with
DIS sympathy to them in distress; to console
them in affiiction-to show by every means in
his power, that though exlles from home and
aliens rom their kindred, they have vet a friend
upon earth, who will not desert them. These are
the duties of the office--and duties, too which
cannot be performed without an abundant re-
compense. There are many idle, good hearted,
do-nothng officers, who find the day too long,
complain OF the country and the climate, are
devoured with eYanui, and living between ex-
citement and reaction, perhaps in time sink
into hypochondriasis-b who would, if they
we're to follow our advice, tenoered not AFRO.
eantly but affectienately, find that they had dis
covered new pleasure; that glory had
sprung up in shady place; that the day was
never too long, the climate never too oppres-
slve; that at their uprising and ther;down-sittng
serenity and cbeerfulness were ever present:
that in short, ,tthey had begun new lite, as dit,
ferent from that out of which they had lust
emerged, as the sunshine on the hilltop from
the gloom in the abyss. Some may smile
some may sneer-some may acknowledge the
truth dimly and forget it. To all we have one
answer to give, couched in two very short
words-Iry a."
We need add nothing 70 this. We heartily
echo these words, "1Ty I'm