The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1872-03-10
Prospective Overthrow Of the English Power II
India.

1uSAouO mas now noiu Anulas ioSe 10 p
colony or province than as military and
trading post, for little more than q GEN.
tury. Macaulay has depicted in striking
colors the magnificent palaces, the stately
temples, the fabulous wealth, the tropical
fecundity and the luxurious life of India
when Give founded upon the ruins of the
native dynasties the Empire over which
vaster territory and far larger population
than ever fell to the lot of the most sue
cessfat Of Roman proconsuls he was the
English Trsjan, and greater than Trajau
in the breadth of his achievements. He
discovered in Delhi nobler palace than
splendid monarch than Louis le Grand in
the Nabobs and Marajahs and Begums sat
raps who might vie in power and state
with the rulers of Spain, Of Italy and of
Germany in Calcutta, Madras and Bengal
harbors and ports Of inestimable value to
English commerce; and throughout the in
terror of India country bearing in its
bosom incalculable mineral and vegetable
wealth, and destined, under his and sue
ceeding rules, to shower riches upon Brit.
ish traders, and to have no small share in
making England the first of commercial
nations. India was subdued after long and
frightful wars, in which that cruelty which
M. Taine declares to be ingrained in the
British nature displayed itself in ravages
and pfundering. in burnings and massacres
which make one sbudder at their peculiar
atrocity. The native princes, from the
Mogul at Delhi to the smallest southern
Viceroy were permitted to retain the tinsel
semb1ance of power, but were really re-
duced to vassalage to the English crown.
They still lived SYSTEMATICALLY in their
palaces, adorned with silks, jewels and
crowns, made their journeys of state, per-
formed gorgeous religious ceremonies and
received homage for their sounding titles
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ed, and they were, and are still, but pen
stoned puppets of a foreign master. The
French had made the attempt to conquer
and colonize India before Give appeared
upon the scene, but the French cannot
colonize, while. the English can, 80 the
French failed and Give triumphed.
The victory, however, was costly, and is
still being paid for. Untold expense in
blood and money has alone enabled Eng
land to maintain her dominion over this
country of 100000 souls. The history
of the rules of Warren Hastings, or Welles-
ley, of Dalhousie, Ellenborongh, Canning,
L Law and Mayo is crowded densely
burnings, massacres. Within twenty years
Blk great Indian conflicts, ending with that
rebellion in which the Sepoys were so re-
morselessly blown from the cannon's mouth
by Lord Strathnairn, have ragged furiously
as each one tried to shake the stability Of
SAO Lug pO"cls ~ ID Ouly very IcCout-
ly that intelligence of serious revolt of
the Wababee tribes has reached It's; and
the assassination of Lord Mayo, probably
by instigation of the disaffected Kooka
chiefs, is only the latest phase of what may
be called the chronic condition of India,
aud the habitual relations between the
natives and their Saxon lords. While In
dia has always yielded great riches and
power to England, the expenditures to keep
up the military establishment must have
been simply enormous. AT the present
moment there are about 200, 600 British
garrison is there to protect about 100, 900
English traders and the missionaries who,
despite repeated massacres, have pene-
trated porthwayd from Calcutta to Bombay.
There is a grave circumstance connected
with the relations between the dominant
and subject race which it will not do to
overlook. Most of the WARS aud revolts
which, since the definite establishment of
English rule, have shaken the country, have
been stimulated by religious fanatis!n; and
history teaches that the extinction of a
hostility 80 inspired is impossible unless
the whole race infected by it is extinguish-
ed. The Indians are divided between Hin
DOB devotees and the followers of Moham-
med. Mohammedanism has for n century
past been making rapid strides in proselyti-
ZiDg the Hindoos; Thuggism and Buddhism
seem alike to be retreating to the remote
aud savage north. Already one-sixth of the
native population acknowledge the great
prophet. 1t is the Mussulmen that the
English have most to fear from, for the
reasons that they comprise the more intel
ligent of the natives, and that they aim to
be the rivals of the English in securing the
allegiance and confidence of the Hindoo
masses. These Mussulmen have been most
persistent in their hostility to the English
breaking out now into fierce instruction,
and working in secret conspiracy and by the
terrorisniof assassination. But for them the
Hindoos might have gradually become re-
conciled to their serf-llke status; but the
disciples of Allah are implacable, and be-
cause they are religious fanatics, are ap-
parently uncomfortable. England can
scarcely spare more than a quarter of
million of men to protect even her "brikbt-
est jewel;" yet the prospect of peace in
India was never far Their off than at the
present moment, and it appears to be de-
monstrated that the present Indian army,
great as it is, is not competent to hold the
Empire in subsection. Added to these in
teInal troubles, England sees Russia casting