The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1872-06-26
British Rule in India.

Since the days of Warren Hastings and
Lord Give British rule in India has at various
times commanded the attention Of the outside
world It has not been possible for those who
least admired that rule to refuse to admit that
the system pursued by British officials in India
has been attended by most wonderful success
Under Give first, and then under Hastings,
what had been but commercial settlement
swelled into On empire. The firm hold which
these young and daring spirits took Of India
they handed over to the British government
and that hold, from that day to this, the
British government has never let 60. British
India, from its vast and ever-increasing terri
tory, from its teeming population and from its
enormous wealth, is now on all hands admitted
to be the most important dependency Of the
British crown. It is the theatre in which
Young England tests and develops her
strength, and some Of the best names in Eng
land-the Wellesleys, the Cannings, the Dali
housies, the Lawrences, the Napiers and the
Campbells-have reaped on Indian soil both
fame and fortune.
It is curious fact, however, that while
England is much indebted to India for giving
her bulk and for maintaining her great name
and her prestige before the world, the British
government has seldom been just and more
seldom generous to Indian officials The
results of the labors of the officials, because
the results have always been a gain to the en-
pire, have been accepted; but the labors
have often been condemned and the officials
have not unfrequently been disgraced. Warren
Hastings founded the British empire in India;
but Warren Hastings for his so-called abuse of
authority, had to undergo q trial which, for
it's length and for the magnifcence of its SUP
roundings, must be regarded as the greatest
State criminal trial in history Give, who
established the empire which Hastings had
founded, was, ON his return to England, so
badly treated by society, SO distrusted and 80
abused, that he ultimately sought relief from q
wretched life by committing suicide. AS it
was in the beginning so has it been in these
later years. The case Of Governor Eyre, of
Jamaica, is case in point. But the case Of
Governor Eyre and the Jamaica seventies Of
British rule have been completely put in the
shade by the Kooka affair, which is now
commanding so much attention in England.
This Kooka affair illustrates the old colonial
policy Of Great Britain. In February of this
year the Kookas, q robber and fanatical tribe,
made On attack on q small Mussulman settle
ment of Mulchr Kottuh. The attack, it is not
denied, was brutal as all attacks made by such
people are brutal but the wretched creatures
were repulsed without difficulty. The Deputy
Commissioner of this petty State was Mr..
Cowan. His superior officer was Mr.. For
sythe, Commissioner of Umballa. Mr.. Cowan
notified Mr.. Forsythe of the attack and of the
result, informing him that the whole affair was
completely at on end, and that to send on
more troops was unnecessary. He made about
the same time request by telegraph that he
should be allowed to execute, by way of ex-
ample, four men without trial Mr.. Forsythe,
it appears, sent for reply that all the prisoners
should be kept until his arrival at Kottuh,
where he was coming with all despatch. If it
was not safe or convenient to keep the prison.
ers until his arrival Mr.. Cowan was to send
them on to fortress called Sherpur. In spite
of these instructions, and without waiting for
TIE hIIiVni VI WI. IoISyule, MI OoWuI, VI AAS
own responsibility, executed forty mine prison.
ers, some of them already wounded and help
less men, by blowing them from the lannon's
mouth. While the barbarous work was
in progress Mr.. Cowan received mes
sage from Mr.. Forsythe to the effect
that he should proceed only in "due course Of
law" Some six men remained to be exc
cuted; and in spite Of these orders, and with
DESIRE as Cowan said, to make an impress
sion, the horrid work was ordered to be pro-
ceeded with, and the other six were
blown from the lannon's mouth. The day
after the executions, Forsythe, having been in