The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1879-10-10
THE VALE OF CASHMERE.
The Beautiful Region That Is Now Being
Desolated by Famine.
Hartford Oourant.. !

If there was paradise on earth believed In
by tho poets It was the Vale OF Cashmere.
Here was the abode OF handsome industrl-
ous and happy race. whose skill and retne-
uent was attested by the marvellous product
OF its fCJ'nB. IN tho IuUst luxurious Oriental
harem and In the boudoir NJ the Western
beauty, the possession Of the finest shawl OF
Cashmere was distinction of wealth and
favor as high as could be paid Dwelling high
NJ in the slelterlng gigantic Iimalayas In O
valley Itself over 5000 feet above the aea level,
the pc ople OF Cashmere enjoyed a fortunate
climate and possessed soil OF most un~
euuaed fertility. Fruits grew In abundance.
ana their cultivation WAS SO early il science
there that we are said to have obtained our
knowledge Of grating and budding from the
people OF Gnshmsre.
The once beautiful ard happy region Is now
the scene Of wrptrhatIneEs. During tbis yenr
a grievous faminp has stricken the land. The
intrequent travellers there report the most
heartrendtnH scenes, and the sight OF DESC
late land. Great tracts OF land ore unenlei-
vated. villages arc In decay, starvation walks
ulade their way out OF the valleys, through
tho high paasos into Afghanstan. In IL
wretched plight. and those who remain ex-
hibit every sign OF wretehedness.
Tie cause OF this famlne and decay is be-
llevad t. be simply cruel, oppressive aud bad
government, aud to this fact the attention Of
the English people Is now being urgently
called. For The English government. II not
exactly responsible for tho sud state of aifal g.
IL the titular guardian Of Cashmere. and has
tho power of oxaetiug inatice and deceit gov
ernment there. Indeed England sold Cash
mere to the oppresso1s, and received her pay
Id cash. The story Ia briefly this:
At tho tfshty Signed ut Lahore In 1916.
which concluded the first Sikh war. Lord Har-
dinge, In lieu Of a money Indemnity, obtained
n large cesson of territory, included In which
was the province of Cashmere. There was mt
that time n soldier Of fortune named Gholab
Singh, who had raised himself to the princi-
paltty of Junimoo, and in short time an
nexed important adjacent territory. BY Il
treaty subsequent to the one Just named, it
was arranged that Ghoiab should purchase
back a portion OF the territory eeded to the
English, 10 be held by him aud his heirs rs an
came owner md ruler Of Cashmere. under the
English protection. He paid Tor this in cash
eight hundred Thousand pounds, and hs-
aumad certain obligations to help the
English In war, and 10 take no other Europe
ans into his service. The English would pro-
teot him from his external enemies, aud be
paid annually IN token OF allegiance, zone
horse, twelve perfect shawl goats OF approved
breed lsix male and six female) and three
uairs of Cashmere ehawls." He had good
bargain. He ruled over 1.50n,0D0 people, had
an army of $4,000 men, and q revenue Of
Gl ,ooo,O0D, In 1887 Gholab died, and his son.
Runbeer, ruled as Maharnjnh In his stead.
Since then ths relations between Cashmere
Hu1 lnulh nave bee1 Oh IHe OEaluHTy ktnuy
aud considerable trade has sprung up, which
has lately fallen away owing to the disturbed
condition OF Eastern Tnrkestan and the suf-
ferlng In Cashmere.
It now appears by the reports Of British
officers and travellers that the famine and
suffering In Cashmere are due almost wholly
to tho rapactty. corruption and cruelty Of the
MabaraiHh. He aud bis rapaeiols tux col
lectors have literally sucked The life out Of the
fair land, AS long ago as 1879 the degrada-
tion Of the people had become almost absolute
tlnder these cruel task-masters. This was ut.
teeted by the half-desertad villages, the neg
Iected lands, and the groups OF lstless mon
and blear eyed children clustered before the
village shaWl-loom, tollng out their sptrftless
lives for the gain OF the Kajlh. 1t Is no OBJ
ject for the wretehed tilers Of the soil toraise
anything. for they are despoiled of all their
crops by the extortionate tribute collectors
The same thing happened here that happened
on the Upper Nile; the extortion WIS SO ex-
cessive that IL did not pay to raise crops-the
poor people were not allowed to retain enough
OF their own crops to sustain life.
SThis Is the state Of affairs In one Of the
fairest OF the Indian provinces, In the land OF
sentiment and song. The poor, half-starved
remnants Of the people cry for English rule.
just now the finances Of india are Ia no con-
dition to buy back Cashmert, but the interests
of humanity will not permit the English peo-
Die to be Indifferent to the misery OF this once
prosperous land The responsibilities OF
England are widening year by year 10 the
East