New-York tribune., 1890-07-16
NEW PUBLICATIONS.
LIVE.
LORD Give. By Colonel Sir Charles Wilson. 16mO.
Macmillan q 90.

with Macaulay as a biographer of Give, but no
series pretending TO give the lives of famous
English men of action could have omitted
DISTINGUISHED an example, and Sir Charles Wilson's
essay, while not in competition with that Of the
historian, has the merit of presenting in fuller
detail if not with greater eNactnesS the salient
features of Gives civil administrations. Macaulay
brought into prominence his hcro's military
achievements 1t was chiefly founder
of empire, as a bold compeller of fortune, that he
painted the man. Sir Charles Wilson, the
other hand, does more to vindicate Gives reputa-
ton, for he lays bare with an unsparing hand
the tceming abuses which grew up between Gives
first and second Indian administration, and
enables us To estimate at their full value the
difficulties against which he successfully con-
tended in establishing the radical reforms which
had become necessary. Since Macaulays time
moreover, the world has learned much of pre-
Anglican Indian polity and government that it Is
no longer possible to raise admiration love
by reference to the barbaric tinsecd splcndOrs
which poorly disguised the most corrupt, cruel
and inefficient rule any country could he sub
ject to. Sir Charles Wilson shows the cnetc and
degenerate heirs Of the Empire of the MogulS
for what they were Plunged in dehauchcry
bankruptcy and anarchy practising a reckless dcs
potism tempered by assassination, these feeble and
odious rulers We're at the mercy of any Nawab who
possessed martial capacity and ambition, and
had neither the English, French Dutch been
present 10 interfere, they must have succumhed
speedily to their own vices and Weaknesses and
given place the anarchy which for years
had threatened the land.
Sir Charles opens with lucid exposition of the
condition of Indian affairs before Give appeared
There was then no dream of an Anco-I Indian en-
pirc. The East India Company sought only the
profits of trade DupcY and La Bourdonnas drove
them into alliance with the native chiefs and
princes, and would probably have driven them
of India but for the fortune which at the most
critical moment removed DupleiX from the scene
and placed Give upon il. For it is scarcely doubt
full that the establishment of English power in
IIindustan was due directly and almost wholly to
the genius of the turbulent young writer. who
began his career with a fruitlcss attempt at sui
cidc-and was TO end il by a second and
fortunately successful recourse to the pistol Give
gave DupleiN his first check at Madras. Gives
daring and ability turned the tide of French sue
cess on the coast Give, by the Battle of Plasscy
seated the English firmly in Bengal. Give, by
seizing the Diwanee. created the Anglo-lndan en-
pire His first administration was devoted 10
consolidating the power he had organized Ihe
general situation was full of difficulties. The Last
India Company was a corporation OF mere traders,
governed clumsily and upon narrow and mean
policy The merchants who controlled 1t would
rot pay their employees living salaries. In
stead. they allowed them 10 engage in private
trade. and ont of that arrangement grew in
tolerable abuses, which came near TO destroying
all Gives work.
II was necessary result Of his eNaltotlon oi
the companys rule over all the native princl-
palites and powers, and especially of his virtual
annexation Of Bengal, Brhar and Orissa that the
orestire of all who were connected with the com
pany rose immensely. II a corollary of this
enhanced prestige that all the servants ol lie
company who traded their own account
should take advantage of the change 10 push
their opportunities. No sooner was Gives
back turned than these conditions led to the de-
velopment of great abuses. Since Nicer Jailcr Ia"
become the mere tool Of Give. since Give himself
had accepted personal gift Of 81 ,ooo,oo from
the Nawab, every writer in the service thought II
his privilege to shake the paeoda tree with all his
might. and such an era Of rapacity and corruption
followed as even amazed AsiaticS. long accustomed
10 suffer from the c0nsciencelCss greed of thcir
mlers The company'S servants plundered the
natives ptilesSly, gave themselves up I" cN-
travagance and Oriental dcbauchcry ceased to al
Tend 10 the interests of the company, made Nena!
bargains with the native princes, and were in a
state of complete and almost hopeless demorali7a-
tion when, after an absence of five years, CliNe
returned, as lie himself said, TO cleanse tie
Aunaan stable" Things had reached such pass
that the Council having charge Of the Icngal
Government no longer hcsitated TO ignore the
most positive orders from England, when such
orders intcrlcrcd in any way with their aWcsS
gains. and on landing Give quickly realized that
be stood alone with the entire Indian service, both
civil and military, arayed against hin, and
banded to resist reform TO the last.
Not many men would have entered dehbcr-
otcly, and with full knowledge OF the odds against
him. upon 50 formidable an undertaking. Give,
however never shrank from the contest. In
subordiiation in both branches 0; tie service had
rpencd almost to the pitch Of mutlnN. Dat there
was something in the conqucror Of Arcot that awcd
the most insolent Without swcryng a HAN S
breadth from his purpose he instituted the most
sweeping reforms; pat an end 10 the private
trading: swiftly reduced mutinous movement
among the officers of the army; packed the worst
tlievcs out Of The country; gave II 10 he under
stood that he meant to Use the stcIncSt measures
acainst all rebcs and enforced his DEGREES despite
all opposition. The pTopretors al home dld not
support him as they should have done. In plitln4
an end 10 private trading ChTc had sought tt
make I'D to the civil servants for their moaGTC
salaries by distributing among them the proceeds
Of the salt monopoly This arIangemc II the Lead
ruhan Street Council refused TO sanction, ana ne
results were, OF course, bolh embarrassing dho
nuscbievons Give moreover, was 10 suffer iol
lis infleXible reform administration. Every rogue
lc had stopped in mid-carecr. every thief Whos'
plundcring hc had put term 10, hurried to Eng
land full Of rage and venom, and in due time
cuballcd against him. In his second admlnlsrt
lion he made nothing for himself, bat spent some
thousands OF pounds OF bis own money lie was
il is true, by Tins time q rlcl man, Tor ihde
pcndently of the million IL cash rccclYcd IRON
Nicer Jaifcr. a iaghir," or land revenue ha'
been assigned 10 him, which brought an annila
income of 81 10000. On returning to England th'
last time he enjoyed an income OF over S!OO,ooO
Later Nicer Jaicr left him a legacy of S?30,otO
which he presented as fund for the relief OF poo
and invalid members Of the Civil service Of india
The furious attack made upon CIve IN Far
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