The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1894-11-28

the world sermons through the press, the
first subject selected being Lucknow, In
dia. The text chosen was Deuteronomy
Xxx. 10. when thou shalt besiege a city
long time In making war against 1t TO
take It, thou shalt not destroy the trees
thereof by forcing an ak against them"
The awfulest thing in war is beslege-
ment. for 10 the work Of deadly weapons
Il adds hunger and starvation and plague
Besiegement Is sometimes necessary, but
my text commands mercy even in that
The fruit trees must be spared because
they afford food for man. Thou shalt
not destroy the trees thereof by forcing an
ak against them" But in my recent jour
ney round the world I found at Lucknow,
India, the remains Of the most merciless
besiegenent Of the ages. and I proceed to
tell you that story for four great reasons
to show you what a horrid thing war is
and to make you all advocates for peace,
10 show you what genuine Christian char
acter is under bombardment, to put
coronation on Christian courage and to
show You how splendIdly good people die.
As our train gIided into the dimly light
ed station 1 asked the guard. rs this
Lucknow" and he answered Luck
now, at the pronunciation Of which
proper name strong emotions rushed
through body, mind and soul
The Siege Of Lucknow.
The wor1 is a synonym Of suffering. Of
cruelty. Of heroism, Of horror such as is
suggested by hardly any other word. We
have for Jhi-iy-five years been reading Of
the agonias There endured AID the daring
deeds there witnessed. 1t was my great
desire TO have some one who had Witness
ed the scel.eS transacted in Lucknow in
1857 conduct us over the place. We found
just the man. Re was a young soldier
at the time the greatest mutiny of the
ages broke out, and he was put with 9TH
ers inside the residency. which was 4 clus-
ter Of buildings making fortress in
which the representatives Of the English
government lived ana which was 10 be
the scene OF an endurance and a lombard
ment the story Of which poetry and paint
Ing and history and secular and sacred
eloquence have been trying to depict. Our
escort not only had a good memory of
what had happened, but had talent
enough to rehearse the tragedy.
In the early part of 1857 all over India
the natives We're ready TO break out in re-
bellion against all foreigners and especial
~ against the civil and military represent
Rtives Of the English government
\ half-dOzen causes are mentioned for
the feeling Of discomfort and insurrectiOn
that was evidenced throughout India. The
most of these causes were mere preteXts.
Creased cartridges were no doubt an eX-
ASPIRATION. The grease ordered by the
English government TO be used on these
cartridges was taken from cows and pigs,
and grease to the Hindcos is unclean, and
TO bite these cartridges at the loading of
the guns would be an offense to the Hin
docs religion. The leaders of the HindOOs
said that these creased cartridges We're
only part of an attempt by the English
government to make the natives give up
their religion. Hence. unbOunded indigna-
tiOn was aroused
The Native Discomfort.
Another cause Of the mutiny was that
another large province of India had been
annexed to the British empire, and thou
sands Of officials In the employee Of the
king Of that province were thrown out of
position, and they were all ready for
trouble making.
Another cause was said to be the bad
government exercised by some English
officials in India.
The simple fact was that the natives OF
india We're conquered race, aud the
English were the conquerers. For 100
years the British scepte- had been waved
over India, and the indians wanted to
break that scepter. There never had been
any love or sympathy between the natives
Of India and the Europeans. There IS
none now.
Before the time Of the great mutiny the
English government r!sked much power
in the hands Of the natives. Too many Of
them manned the forts. Too many Of
Fhern We're in the government employ
And now the time had come for a wide
outbreak. The natives had persuaded
themselves that they could send the
English government flying, and 10 ac-
compl.sh 1t dagger and sword and fire
arms and mutil1tion and slaughter must
do their worst.
It was evident In Lucknow that the ma
lives were about 10 rise and put 10 death
all the Europeans they could lay their
hands on. and into the residency the
Christian population Of Lucknow fastened
for defense from the tigers In human
form which were growing for their vic
tins. The occupants OF the residency, or
fort, where-military and non-comba tants.
men, women and children-in number
about 1.G02.
I suggest in one sentence some Of the
chief woes TO which they were subjected
when i say that these people were In the
residency five months without a single
change or clothing, some OF the time the
heas at 12O and $50 degrees: the pace
BACK with flies and al a-squirm with
vermin; firing Of the enemy upon them
ceasing neither day nor night; the hos
pital crowded with the dying; smallpox,
scurvy, cholera adding their work TO that
of shot and shell; women brought up in
al comfort and never having known
want crowded and sacrificed in a cellar
where nine children were born; less and
Tess food; no water except that which
was brought from we'll under the
enemys fire. that the water obtained
was at the price Of blood; the stencil of
the dead horses adding to the effluvia of
cOrpses. and ali waiting for the moment
when the army Of 10000 shrieking Hindoo
devils should break in upon the garrison
# ne
and sickness and death to 976 men, wom-
en- and children.
A Visit to the Residency.
call me early" I said, tomorrow
morning and let US be at the residency
before the sun becomes too hot" At Z
o'clock in the morning we left our hotes
in Lucknow, and ! said to our Cbliefng,
gentlemanLy escort, 'P.ease take US along
the road by which Havelock and Outram
came 10 the relief OF the residency."
That was the way we went There was a
solemn stiffness as we approached the
Is the masonry Of the entrance, signature
Of shot and punctuation Of cannon ball
al up and down and everywhere.
Here to the left" said our escort "are
the remains Of building the first floor of
which in other days had been used as a
banqueting nall. but then was used as a
hospital. At this part the amputations
took pace, and all such patients died.
TIE heat was so great and the food 50 in
sufficient that the poor fellows could not
fars-r 10. 9 -