New Ulm weekly review. [volume] (New Ulm, Minn.) 1878-1892, 1892-01-27
ENGLAND,s AsIATIc EMPIRE.

d ENGLAND's ASIATIC EMPIRE.
For example, I have read during the
recent talk about India in connection
with the temporary trouble in the Pa
mir, articles in American papers, lightly
and caTelessl lY-but, of course, clever
penned, as if it were an indifferent
matter to civilization generally, and to
Americans in particular, whether Rus
sia should ever seriously challenge the
British possession Of India and perhaps
even some day succeed in ousting us
from the peninsula, In reality, such an
event. could it befall, would prove the
direst occurrence for human progress
and Indirectly for the United States
themselves since the overthrow of the
Roman Empire by the barbarians. 1t
would De the triumph of the Slav over
the Saxon, and would set back the de-
velopement of Asia, and the advance
ment of the human race generally, at
least thousand years. I can imagine
some of the clever young newspaper
men, whom ! have been everywhere
glad to meet, responding in familiar
local phrase to this: .'WeIl, but it
would not be our funeralr' In this re-
spect they would find out their mistake
if they should live long enough.
The loss of India to England would
mean the breaking up and decay of our
ancient empire; the eventual spread of
Slavonic and Mongolian hordes all over
the vacant places and open markets of
the. world; the worlds peace gone;
again, as in days Of Belisarius, the
march of sciences, arts, religions, arres-
ted as when Omar burned the Alexan-
drian Library; and history once more
put back to the beginning of a new eff
fort, under novel and gloomy auspices,
to effect that which is the perpetual OBJ
ject Of its course and it's combinations
the final amalgamation of all the peo-
pies of the globe under one law and one
common faith and culture.
The clear duty of England, therefore,
towards India is to legislate and admin
ister for her good, regardless of seltis h
considerations. and only careful not to
lose step with the slow progress of the
Asiatic mind by adopting the restless
PAGES of Western reform. From the
beginning until to-day that duty has
meyer been put out of mind. Seventy
years ago, when somebody found
Mountstewart Elphinstone sitting in
his tent at night and surrounded with
piles of school-books, and asked the
Governor of Bombay what he was do
ing, he-one of the most devoted of
administrators replied: tI am paving
our way out of India.
[ do not believe the English Govern
ment would hesitate at any measure,
even if it involved the eventual loss of
India, could it be made clear to them
that that measure was for the sure and
lasting benefit of the millions commit
ted to our charge in those wide regions.
But it is their opinion, and it is honest
ly mine, who love India as / love Eng
land, that the connection between the
two peoples is one ordained by Divine
Providence itself. and that the issues of
that long strife that gave the great
country to us, out of the hands and
above the heads of so many fierce clai-
mants, was happy result for India,
first, and after that for England; but
chiefly for her in the noble duties and in
majesty of the mighty and onerous
charge laid upon her.-From .sThe
Duty Of England in India" By Sir Ed
win Arnold, in North American Re
view for February.