The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1875-01-24

tige which 1t so long enjoyed among the Hndoo
and Mohammedan races OF Eastern Asia The
complete success OF the Abyssnian expedition for
some time secured this result, and aided by skill
| full diplomacy and a judicious employment OF the
English naval forces In overawing ana bullying
the petty pOtentates who rule along the coasts OF
the Indian seas, seemed to have secured to Great
| Britain the undisputed supremacy among Euro
pean nations in the far East; but within the last
| few years the greatly more important and more
durable nature OF the conquests achieved by Rus
sia which have brought her into such close prox-
unity to the very frontiers OF British India, and
the infinitely more tolerant and judiciOus beha-
vior OF her officials as compared to the employees
OF the Anglo-Indiau Civil Service. have more
than outweighed the military renown OF Lord
Napier of Magdala and the dubious diplomacy OF
Sir Bartle Frere. The unreasonable and blood.
thirsty clamor for revenge OF the English papers,
short time ago. when report OF the capture OF Inc
notorious Mana Sahb had been falsely circulated
shows how little the c0nquering race have for
gotten feel disposed to forgive the terrible &C.
currences OF the disastrous revolt Of the Sepoys.
while evidence enough might be cited to showthat
the bitter feeling of enmity toward their foreign
masters which years or oppression and misgov-
eminent have engendered has been crushed but
not queled, in the hearts OF the natives by the
merciless severity which the British commanders
displayed alike toward the innocent and guilty
when they had succeeded In putting down their
insurgent subjects. Before the mutny, under
the rule OF John Company, the native troops
had been commanded by officers who had
almost peen brought up in India, who
had lived among Indians from the age
OF sixteen or seventeen, and who fully
understood the prejudices OF the soldiers ana II
obliged TO act against them did SO in as gentle
and unobrusive manner as possible, striving by
all means 10 gain the good viii ana confidence oil
their men, for they well knew that soldiers, no
matter OF what nationality, have their foibes ana
prepossessions, and that he would be but bad
leader who would undertake to manage a French
soldier as he would German or an Englishman
like Russian. For more than seventy years this
old system worked admirably, the Sepoys fought
on many bloody battle field and never betrayed
the trust placed in them by their white leaders,
while many OF the latter who were called away TO
employ the experience they had gained in COM
manding and lighting native troops, to assume
the leadership in Europe OF British armies against
some of the most renowned and skill
full cheltains OF modern times, acquitted
themselves in a manner which won for
them and for their country everlasting fame.
! one atal event destroyed forever the
glory the indian army had gained IN so many
| actions and at the cost OF much blood
and suffering. In 1857 for reasons too long and
TOO various to be rehearsed here portion OF one
| OF the three President ial armies mutned. Great
! atrocities OF a kind which can never be palliated
were no doubt committed, and many officers we're
murdered by men in whom they had put their full
trust Such things will occur wherever one ma
ton ality rises against another and were seen but
too often in the various revolts OF the Hungarians
and Italians against Austria and Of the Poles
against Russia. 1t is not only natural, but just,
that they should be promptly and sterny represseu
| ad I'M In mi q IN ha IRE
care should be used not to confound
the innocent with the guilty. When Russia
employed a somewhat exaggerated severity
toward the Polish insurgents, and when
Marshal Pellssier exercised summary
reprisas upon the savage Arabs OF the desert for
the cruelties committed BY them upon the French
prs oners who fell into their hands, the whole
press OF England arose as one man to reprobate
their actions and to thank God that a free and
civilized community like that which they repre-
scented could never be stained by such deeds OF
blood; but when these Sepoys rebelled the whole
nation confounded all Indians in one universal
anathema, obivlous OF the fact that, 1.-THE mutiny
had been general and II numbers OF native regi
ments had not remained loyal, fighting bravely
against their own countrymen and co-religionists
not au Engllshman would have been lett alive In
India, and the immense empire, founded by
much genius and cemented with many noble
|
past as those OF Babylon or Nineveh.
Even when the excitement Immediately attend
ant upon the mutlny was passed, 1t was decreed
that the native troops should be not entirely
abolished. for that was impossible, but reOrgan-
Ised and put upon completely different footing;
while the European army was to be largely in
creased and always maintained in sufficient
strength to cope with any disanection the part
OF the natives. Neither Of these measures has
| nrflx,
impossible, on account OF the financial incapacity
displayed by the government, which loads Its SUBJ
jects with the most oppressive taxes to keep up
efficient state OF the European army at above 80
men; while In the native forces the old expert
enced Officers, VINO had spent their lives in the
country and were thoroughly conyersant with
the manners aud customs OF the Inhabitants were
pensloned of resigned in disgust and their places
were filed up by youths fresh from stan
colleges, who had learned the OF war from
books or maps and derived their knowledge or
Hindoo language and mode Of life from the school
room OF the crammer who had coached them
through their examination papers. No won
der with such causes for native dissatisfaction
and with such means OF resisting 1t, II the
British government feels somewhat uneasy and
resorts TO the EXTREMIST measures to prop up its
totterng power The Guicowar OF Baroda, whose
arrest Tor the attempted poisoning OF Colonel
Thayre. the English political agent at his Court.
has just been reported, Is one OF the most power
Iul OF the seml-Inde pendent sovereigns OF India.
Z His dominions embrace The greater part or the
fertile province OF Guzerat, OF the great cot
ton producing districts under the Jurisdiction OF
the Presidency Of Bombay, and many smaller
native chiefs obey him as their ieudal head
ana pay him very considerable tribute,
which ne however, can only collect through the
? medium OF Brush government agent, under the
ostensible pretext OF preventing any extortlon on
his part dis revenue may amount 10 about
f67OOO and he Is bound to furnish cOntlnge t
In time OF war to the mperai government OF 900
men, besides q body OF cavalry, ofncered by Euro
peans and styled he ''GuZerat Irregular Horse. ~
The title ''Guicowarr literally signifies the Lord
OF Cows and ne derives IL nom an ancestor Of
his, PeelaZee Guicowar, the son OF q cowherd,
| WIN Lhe lz2Q. attained nOaItiQn OF aemI-