New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-06-27
WILL ENGLAND HOLD INDI17

Nothing delights EngliShmen more at the
present time than arguments demonstrating
the speed with which their country is travel
ling on the down grade When the English
reviews are not filed with ingenious articles
showing how easy it would be for some foreign
Power to invade the tight little island, capture
London, and repeat the Norman Conquest,
they are laboring to prove that the navy and
the army are alike ineffective, or that the only
use of colonial possessions is TO entangle the
mother country in all manner of difficulties
with other Governments. These topics having
been pretty thoroughly. discussed of late, the
alarmists are now turning their attention once
more to India, always a fruitful topic for those
who regard chiefly the dark side of things.
In +" The Contemporary Review for June, Mr..
Meredith Townsend treats this question, ask
lng-Will England hold India ?-and proceed
ing to demonstrate, to his own satisfaction at
least, that she will not. 1t must be admitted
that Mr.. Townsend makes out plausible case,
but when the facts Of the conquest and gov
eminent of India are cooly considered it will
hardly be conceded that the downfall of the
Indian Empire is to be regarded as a certainty
of the future.
Mr.. Townsend, of course, dwells strongly
on the apparent slightneSs of the English hold
upon Hindustan. There can be no question
that much Of what is said on this head is true.
Nothing like assimilation has taken place, or
is even in sight. Not much, perhaps. has
been done toward mitigating the hostility of
the natives toward their foreign rulers The
very maintenance Of law and order is a griev-
ance IN the eyes of that strong warriOr-caste
which in old times depended for promotion
and wealth upon The adventures and yicissi-
tudes opened up by the constant intestine
wars and revolutions that formerly followed
in swift succession. Nor can it be at all con-
fdently believed that the commercial classes
are grateful for the uniformity of law now
given them. The Oriental chicanes naturally.
What the Western people call fraud is as the
breath Of his nostrils to him. His ideal state
is one in which the subtlest craft wins. and
there is ample opportunity for intrigue His
nature revolts against settled order and the
maintenance of our standard of ethics. As
regards the agricultural classes, however the
case is different They are certainly better off
than when nobody ever knew whether those
who sowed would be allowed to reap. A
stable Government benefits them directly.
Doubtless they do not all recognize this, but
many do, and they could not be counted on
to sin against their rulers
If England should be engaged in a war for
the retention Of India and all her troops there
were called to the frontier and held there bv
powerful enemy, the danger of revolt
behind them would be serious, but even then
it does not follow that such revolt could
succeed The native States can never be
reckoned on to act in concert. They have too
many Iealouses. and thei' interests are not
identical. This was put to the test in 1857.
stronger temptation is never likely to arise
than the Sepoy mutiny offered, and there was
then no general secession by the native
princes. On the contrary, several of them
threw in their lot with England and gave
material aid against the rebels. England
moreover, would have to be in woful plight
if she could not quickly raise and dispatch
force sufficient TO make head against sucb
a rising, and if it Is a mere question Of fight
ing, the chances Of the success Of second
mutiny would be inconsiderable. Perhaps
the real danger consists in the apparent growth