Idaho news. (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1887-1891, 1888-09-29
THE MAGNITUDE OF INDIA.
Ancient Nations, Great Cities, ana
an Enormous Population.

Ancient Nations, Great Cities, and
an Enormous Population.
For eighty years. at least, says the Fort
Nighav Rcvisw writer's have endeavored 10
bring home 10 EnglIsbmen the vastuess of
India but so far as can be perceived, shey
have failed The Brlton reads what they say,
learns up their figures, aud understands their
descriptions, but falls, for all his labor, 70 re-
slize what is--a continent as large as Europe.
west of the VIsiuia. and with 80, o0O, COO more
people, fuller Of ancient nations, OF great
cities OF yaritIes OF civilization, OF srmIes,
uobIlities, priesthoods, organizations Tor every
conceivable purpose from the spreading of
great rebellion down TO systematic murder.
There are twice as many Bengalese as there
are Frenehmen, the Hindostanees, properly 30
called, outnum0ered the whites In The United
States; the Mahrattas would All Spain, the
people of the Puniab with Sclnde are double
the population OF Turkey, and / have named
but four Of the more silent divisions.
Everything Is on the same be wilderInr
scale The fighting people OF India, whose
males are as big as ourselves as brave as
ourselves and more regardless of death than
ourselves, number at least 100, 600 900, equal
10 Gibbons calculation Of the population OF
the Roman empire There are 40. 900 trained
brown soldiers ia native service, Of whom
VIC hear perhaps once In ten years, and
~ least 100000 men who think their
proper profession Is arms. who would live
BY arms u they could, aud OF whom we
10 England never hear word. II the Prus-
sian conscription we're applied In India we
could, without counting reserves or landwehr,
or any force not summoned in time of peace,
have 500 O9O soldiers actually 10 barracks,
with zoo 600 recruits coming up every year
force with which not only Asia, but the
world, might be snbdued. There are tens OF
millioGs OF prosperous peasants whose hoard
ings make India the grand absorbent Of the
precious metals; tens of millions OF peasants
beside whose poverty fellahs, or Sicilians, or
Connaught men are rich; millions of artisans,
ranging from the men who build palaces 70
the men who, nearly naked and almost With
out tools do tue humbest work OF the pot
ter.
Every occupation which exists IN Europe
also exists in India. The industry Of the
vast continent never ceases, for India, with
all her teeminE multitudes, with population
In places packed beyond European precedent
imports nothing either to cat or drink, aud,
but for the Europeans, would import nothing
whatever She is sufficient TO herself for
everything save silver Amid these varied
masses, these 251, 00O, 900 whose mere descrip.
tons would Oil volumes, the tide OF life flows
az vigorously as in Europe. There Is as much
contention, as much ambition, as much crime,
as much variety OF careers, hopes fears, and
hatreds. IL is still possible to q moneyless
Indian TO become vixier OF dynasty older than
history, or finance minster Of q new prince
whose personal fortune In hard cash Is double
that Of the late Emperor William or abbot OF
monastery richer than Glastonbury ever
was, owner OF an estate that covers
county, head of firm whose transactions
may vie with those OF this Earrings and
Bleichroders. One man, Jute Pcrshad by
name, fed and TRANSPORTED the army which
conquered Punjah