The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1876-04-20
SOMETHING ABOUT INDIA.
Letter from Gen. George A Forsyth TO t.sn.
Sheridnn---The Army md the schools.

Letter from Gen. George A Forsyth TO Gen.
Sherldnn---The Army and the schools.
Chicago papers print o letter from
Gen. Forsyth to Gen. Sheridan, written |
from India, where he has been making
tour. He refers at length to the general
characteristics Of the country and the in
fuence of English rule, as it appears to
him, and then speaks of the railway and
canal systems, tho country's financial re-
sources, its policy in educational mat
ters, etc. We quote
"In educational matters the govern
ment is pursuing wise and liberal poll
cy, and L doubt not within reasonable
time the natives will be able to educate
their children at the public cost, as is
now done in America. A small tax is
now assessed in certain provinces for
maintaining schools, and in the province
of Bengal simple plan of primary in
struction has been started in every dis
trict. The number of these village
schools in 1873 was 10, 787, with 25S, ,728
pupils, and the total number of children
attending the primary schools in the
province of Bengal is over $3.50 In
the northwest provinces $3.50 village
schools, and 1909 unaided native verna-
cular schools. In the Punjaub there are
1,046 government schools, with an aver
age attendance of 81 900 pupils; and in
the Bombay presidency there are $3.50
schools, with an attendance of 1872, LAT
pupils. In addition to these public
primary schools, there are not less than
ten government colleges and over two
hundred high schools, to say nothing of
private academies for boys and girls of
European parentage. In all the British
provinces this matter of educating the
natives is receiving the serious attention
of the government, and although at first
it was difficult to overcome the ideas of
caste, it is slowly being done, and the
public schools, the railways, the tram
ways and the Bible will Christianize In
: dia yet. AS for the army. it is in good
working condition, well drilled, finely
: disciplined and well commanded; but
this, of course, will form part of my Off
cial report. The European army num-
bers about sixty thousand men, and the
native, commanded by English officers,
nearly one hundred and thirty thousand.
/ saw at the camp of instruction at Delhi
twelve horse batteries, thirteen regiments
of cavalry and twenty-five of infantry.
The artillery is all English, as the gov
ernment has never seen fit, since the mu-
tiny of 1857, to train native artillerists
to use the guns. The cavalry was COM
posed of four English and nine native
regiments, and the infantry of nine or
ten English andabout fifteen native regi-
ments. Some of these native regiments,
especially the Ghoorkahs and Sikhs, are
= very fine indeed, and all of them were
good, serviceable troops, who could hold
their own anywhere. The officers, both
civil and military, in this country are, as
general thing, men of great intelligence,
good executive ability, and from early
manhood accustomed to controlling large
territories and to ruling masses of men.
Their experience soon teaches them self
; reliance and selfcontrol, and their acts
3 are rarely injudicious, and very rarely
: unjust. AS for the Hindoo, with his
? ideas of caste, his habitual disregard o.
truth, and utter inability to comprehend
+ the value of time, he is study, and al
q interesting one. The Mohammedan is.
r think, of rather better stuff to work. The
e army in India is worth all that it costs
s the government to maintain it. In fact
s India is to oday the training school o
e English troops, and both men and off
g GERS are worthy representatives of th'
o power of Great Britain. Besides til,
e troops I saw at the camp of instruction
o at Delhi, L also met at various places il
s India many regiments both English ant
n native, and l have yet to see the frs
It non-effective company. India develop
Il officers of the army as it does gentlemen
l. of the civil service. 1t is responsibilit,
C that gives tone to men if they have tn
e right qualities to build upon, and shoul,
4 England become embroiled in a cont
It mental war her majesty's government
would start twelve months in advance b.
a hurrying home her Indian officers an
% putting them in command of her troops
n Not that 1 underestimate the officers sta
l. toned in England, but the officers in In
Is dia are practically in the field all tn
/, time, and in the matter of marchin
r, troops, moving supplies, and caring fo
,e men, during an active campaign, the
e. would have very little or nothing
e, learn. To me the Englishman in Indi
)" is in many respects like the Wester
a American-not so loud nor so rough, bJ
TX with the same reliance on himself, til
y? same belief in his country, the same col
&c fident self-poise; in fact, man we
worth having when his government is
a tight place."