New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1885-12-06
THE END OF 4 TYRAN1.

King Thebaw has ceased to reign or rather
he has ceased 10 misgovern. The vices and
crueltes with which his rule was stained are
such as modern writers usually style Oriental,
apparently forgetting that it is only necessary
TO 20 back far enough in Western records TO
find parallels to the very worst of Eastern DIES
notisms Ii is not in the race but III the con-
ditions that the explanation lies. Thcbaw OF
Burmah never committed as many cruelties As
Philip the Second Of Spain, or the Duke OF
Alya, or Torqucmada, or Charles the Ninth of
France Even i'll English history, and among
its most illustIiOus names, there exist remlnlS-
cences of deeds of slaughter and pcridy black
and bloody enough to have belonged to Tlppoo
Sahib or Suraja Dowlah. The fact is that there
are very few men i'll any stage of civilization
who can be trusted with unlimited, irresponsi-
BILE power In democracy like that of the
United States the whole machinery Of govern
ment is devised with special view to the pre-
vention Of such abuses but through public neg
lect slips sometimes occur, and thus, In Sat
urnalia of corruption and plumber such as the
Tweed Ring organized, we have taste OF mod
ern Western despOtsm and its tendencies.
King Thebaw plundercd his subjects as a
matter of course, and he killed them AT pleasure
also. Surprise has been expressed that any
people should have endured so CALLING
q yoke, but human patience is much
greater than is generally recognized, and II Is
apt to be specially steadfast when insubOrdlna-
ton, failing of success means death, and not
improbably death by torture Then, too, the
Burmese like most Oriental races, have not
advanced beyond the stage OF dcspOtlsm. They
are used to il-trcatment, they and their fore
fathers for generations and all their phlOsO-
ply and craft are employed in mitigation OF
the evil conditions in which they live. They
will enjoy under British rule the nearest ap-
| proach to absolute freedom and complete pro-
/ lection they have ever known. Human life
will become sacred, arbitrary confscations will
cease, caprice and lust will no longer be factors
in the government. Industry and commerce
will be unfettered. Men will be able to grow
rich without trepidaton. They will not be
obliged to affect poverty as a defence Of their
possessions. But it by no means follows that
the Burmese will be grateful to the Power that
has rid them of their tyrant. or that they will
appreciate the new freedom conferred upon
them. There are still millions in India who
unafiectcdly regret the Empire of the Moguls,
and perhaps as many who would welcome back
the Mahrattas as = relief from the intcrminabIe
law and order and exasperating ways of the
English.
King Thebaw will be taken, probably,
to Calcutta, and will there be put in
retirement, as the King Of Dude was
formerly He is weak minded voluptuary,
and when confined to n palace or two
will be very likely to kill himself in a
short time with drugs and dissipation. 1t
would have been cheaper for the Indian Gov
eminent had he fallen at the head of his troops
or had he perpetrated some crime (such as a
massacre of the Europeans at Mandalay), which
would have justified his trial and execution.
AS he surrendered, though without conditions
no doubt it will be held sound policy to treat
him much better than he deserves for your
| Oriental is apt to resent summary proceedings
against even his tyrants, and detestable as
Thebaws career has been, his subjects would
probably consider themselves insulted if a
forei ign Power undertook to do justice upon
him. So he will no doubt be allowed to eat
opium or bhang as much as he pleases, and