The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1894-05-25

enjoyed his hospitality. Yet when the
little fort at Cawnpore was besieged
and his promised aid was invoked
he laughed at them and the guns
from his own castle of Bithoor
were trained on the little garrison
When Sir Hugh died from his wounds
after gallant resistance the garrison
made terms with Nena Sahib, only to
be cruelty betrayed, the men shot and
the women reserved to worse fate.
until on the approach of General Have
lock from Calcutta 400 of the women
and children were put TO death after
enduring the most frightful indignities
and atrocities. Little children, girls,
ladies, whom this man had entertained,
were horribly treated and abused before
death gave them welcome release. And
the whole story of the Sepoy mutiny is
Of similar character, outrages so fiendish
that descriptions fail to portray their
infamous brutality and atrocity.
Now in regard to the present situation
England, growing reckless as her appar-
ent power has increased decided to
interfere with the religious beliefs of
the natives. Child wives were abolished,
the sacrifice Of the widow on her hus-
bands funeral pyre made crime, and
other reforms were instituted and the
Hindoos have never forgotten or for
given it. The Mohametans have been
allowed to kill cows even before the
doors of the Hindoos who, however, are
inclined to attribute this to the English
rulers and if the mere dread Of defile-
ment by biting cartridges covered with
grease was sufficient to plunge all India
into revolt in 80 how much stronger is
the cause today?
The natives are uneasy and the unrest
has spread to the lowest ranks of the
people. to dwellers in distant jungles
VINO have never been interested in mat
ters political and who could not have
become aware of what is going on unless
informed by some special agency more
or less organized for the purpose.
The Mussulmans deeply resent the
lukewarmness of the support which the
Government accorded them in the de-
fense of. their rights to kill cows
for food; they are disploased with
the idea Of interference with their mar
riage customs under the Age of Consent
act and they resent their being crowded
out OF places of dignity and profit in
favor of the Hindoos. If by coalescing
with the Hindoos to drive out the British
they rightly believe they could put them
selves in their right place afterwards.
A religious civil war would place the
government of India in terrible posi-
ton. Bear in mind that the British
Empire in India depends upon its white
soldiery. After the government of
century there is not a single race in
India that is bound to England by any
other tie than that of force. Not for a
single day in the event of an uprising
would it be safe to trust to native gar
rison. Lord Lansdowne, Lord Roberts
and Sir Alfred Lyall do not believe
in the present danger. They
are men whose belief is worthy of every
confidence were it not for the fact that
in 81 just as brave, just as experienced
and just as far seeing men pronounced
the danger chimerical until the war
cloud burst.
The chapattis has just been circu-
lated, yet Sir Alfred Lyall, who is con-
sistent however in that he denies that
its circulation was connected with the |
mutiny Of 1857, denies that it has other
than some unknown religious significa- |
ton. But the chapattis, or the marks
on the Mango-trees, or the Mahratta
habit OF lighting fires admittedly convey
to the people that something will shortly
happen that is to be kept hidden from
the ruling power.
A former Anglo-Indian says that the
hint will spread like wild-6re and that
whole kingdoms may in this way be
thrown into that expectant frame of
mind which in 1857 resulted in the
great mutiny. To those who suggest
that the great movement, if 1t comes,
will be civil war between the two creeds
Of Hindoos and Mussulmans, the
reply is that this would be worse
Ihan mutiny. There would be
bloodshed in every village and the Gov
ernment not daring 10 trust to native
troops could not, would not dare to
scatter Its Europeans, and bound by
honor and policy to put down both fac
tons with rigid impartiality, its di-
emma would be serious. II IL favored
he Hindoos Mussulman insurrection
would have to be met and If it favored
he Mussulmans, they, once triumphant,
would endeavor to solidify their vic
'ory by reviving the old regime.
But those, who like Sir Alfred Lyall,
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