The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1888-09-12
THE MAGNITUDE OF INDIA.
Ancient Nations, Great Cities and an Enor-
NOUS Population.
(From the Fortnightly review)


(From the For,nightly review.)
For eighty years, at least, writers have
.endea7ored to bring home to Enghshmen
the vastness of India, but, so far as can
be perceived, they have failed. The
Briton reads what they say, learns up
their figures, and understands their
descriptions, but fails, for all mis- labor
to realize what india is-a continent as
large as Europe west OF the Vistula, and
with 80, 900, 900 more people, fuller of
ancient nations, of great cities, of varle-
ties of civilization, Of armies, nobiihels,
priesthoods, organizations for every con-
ceivable purpose from the Speeding OF
great reh hgion down to systematic muir
der. There are twice IS many Bengalese
as there are Frenchmen, the Hindo-
stances, properly so called, outnumbered
the whites in the United States; the
Mahrattas fill Spain, the people Of the
Punjsb with Scinde are double the pop
lation of Turkey, and I have named but
four of the more silent divisions.
Everything is on the same bewllderlng
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
l20, OlO, 900, equal to- Gibbons calcula-
ton of the population of the Roman
empire. There are4G0, 900 trained Brown
soldiers in native service of whom We
hear perhaps once in ten years, and. st
least 100000 men who think their
proper profession is arms, who would
live by arms if they could, and of whom
we In ENGLAND never hear word. Il the
Prussian consumption were applied IN
India, We should, without counting re-
serves or landwear, or any force not
summoned in time of peace, have 2,5OO,-
600 soldiers actually in barracks, with
700, 900 recruits coming up every year
force with which not only Asia, but
the whole world might be subdued.
There are tens of millions of prosperous
peasants whose boarding make India
the grand absorbent of the precious
metals; tens OF millions of peasants be-
side whose povetry fellabs, or Sicilians,
or Connaught men are rich; millions Of
artisans, ranging from the men who
build palaces to the men, who, nearly
naked and almost without tools, do the
humblest work of the potter.
Every occupation which exists IN
Europe also exists in India. The industry
of the vast continent never ceases, for
Indis, with all her tesming multitudes,
with population IN places packed be-
yond European precedent, imports
nothing either to eat or drink, and, but
for the Europeans, would import nothing
whatever. She is sufficient to herself
for everything ssve silver. Amid these
varied masses, these 25O, 100000 whose
mere description would I'LL volumes,
the tide of life flows as vigorously as in
Europe. There is as much labor, as
much contention, as much ambition, as
much crime, as much variety Of careers,
hopes, fears and hatreds. It is still
possible to moneyless India to become
vizier OF dynasty older than history,
of finance minister Of 8 new prince whose
personal fortune in hard cash is double
that of the late Emperor William, or
abboto q monastery richer than Glsston-
bury ever was owner of an estate that
covers county, head of firm whose
transactions may vie with those of the
Barings and BGechaoders. One man,
Jute Pershard by name, fed and trans
ported the army which conquered Pun
lab,