New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-06-10
SOVEREIGNS IN INDIA.
CURIOUS PROBLEMS IN POLITICAL
SCIENCE.
THE PROTECTED PRINCEs OF lND IN sSS
William Lee-Warner {. .. l. Ap'
Macmillan az Co.

N
,soaI science as systematic as geometry - was
-, ,,,,cb IN those days when an absolute
o.orch thoueht that by having few OF hls au-
.nrs behaaded before breakfast he hau Prov"
A., o,o r,,Iership But modern investigate" -
49,, 60 snre even of such primitive examples
1,yhoro docs the sovereignty reside IN govern
.,,ont l,ka that OF Russia? one may answer '"0
ca. but what has become Of that bore"uci"''
which administers things as long as 'ne ON'' -
n . good humor, which he cannot Dre@N eve"
,yhe, ha is angry? Above all. Whft Il - "0 '"'"
q, tho village commune to which everything sl'e'
wav in the end and which gives way ~ '''"'''1
save time? When one comes 10 co"S"'U
monarchies like that Of England the USE " NV
word 'soveregn" is confusing il Is aP'''cu ="
a personage who reigns, but does not i"i''
ro.,ar is held like the rope in tug-o-war oE '"o
onposing parties. with groups OF suileH p!''""N
srs~~->,,ng to see where they can DO nos' nam"
nv lending a hand 1t will be SAID thd' III -A''
,ca the sovereignty abides In the peop'e' ~
the mere statement carries its own dlspiooI' Inv
people are sovereign on election days anu "i'0
ore an distributed that they never have all the
mower in their hands on any given day. an" inc
officials whom they chose are 50 balanced win
one another that sovereignty seems 10 nave
euded them all. Even the President OF 'he
dictator the most formidable political figure on
the globe. may sink in time Of peace into pe'n-
liant souabbler with groups OF contentious Con-
eressmen. When one contemplates these prop
Ians one readily sees the absurdity q Austin
ax,on, that sovereignty is indivisibe. II II IS
NOT indivisible then 1t simply cannot exist As
O. matter Of fact Il comes and goes with every
act Of power The best field for the study OF inns
curious problem in political philosophy seems 10
be India. The intrcacies Of the puzzle are wei
shown in Mr.. Lee-Warner's book.
At a general glance there might seem TO be
no difficulty. The first thought would only be
of a conquered country which accepted with as
good a grace as possible the laws imposed by
conquerors But IIindostan was not a country.
It was wilderness of prncipallues ana powers
each of which had its own growth more or less
vigorous from within outward. Considerei as
whole India was in condition Of anarchy when
the British entered It. Probably 1t had always
been in such condition. Yet there was shadow
~ ,mneualism TO which princes and mobiles
looked for distinctions. but not for commands
They met the British on common ground for the
latter did not want to take possession OF the
world into which they had fallen solely with
commercial purposes. and the natives ola not
want foreign rule. Nevertheless by a slow pro-
point Of the peninsula TO the table-lands north
n, the Himalavan ridges. Sometimes the policy
~ letting the native States alone was favored;
sometimes the policy Of annexation prevailed
There seemed at first no alternative between
these two extremes. But middle course, that
of treaty-making, came into fashion. The phrase
suggests a comparison with the Indian polcy
Of the United States; but treaty-making with
the red men was hardly serious business. II
was different with the East India Company s
task OF forming alliances with nearly seven
hundred populous States. the laws and customs
Of which varied much as their relative extent
and military power. There were portions OF the
country which became mere provinces 10 De
ruled directly under English law. The interest
ing portion comprised those States which gradu-
ally yielded all external powers TO the authority
paramount. ceased to have any relations even
with their nearest neighbors. save through the
central government held BY English officials.
gave up self-control within their own borders
In cases where Europeans or persons Of Euro
mean descent were concerned, and only retained
authority over their own subjects under penalty
of revision by English commissioners. The
simplest method and the one adopted last ~
ALL was to lend British civil and military officials
to native princes for the purpose Of correcting
abuses or reorganzing defective systems This
was not an English idea. 1t occurred 20 n native
prince as an alternative preferable TO losing his
power altogether. and when he made his request
for the loan OF military experts 70 drill his army
he was met with rather cold refusal But he
seems to have seen more clearly than his pro-
tectors the political necessities Of India.
As there was no precedent for the system which
has arisen in India. there was no name for the
relation which the native princes occupy toward
the general government exercised by the British.
There is an ostensble likeness % federalism. Mr..
Lee-Warner speaks sometimes Of the United states
Of India. Bu: these States united with each
other only through the central government They
not bound together in order 10 support IT.
but kept in the circle by its power This CEN
4 trail power did not give them the rights which
they still possess. But the reason why they do
not owe 1t everything. even their origin, is
that they were in existence before It came in
contact with them. Those rights which they
have lost 1t has absorbed with or without the
guarantee Of treaty. They could not ~ least
sngly. prevent its assuming all local authority
1t chose. 1t would seem that the relation Of
the native States to the British might by mere
legislative fiat be reduced to the condition in
which the paramount authority could say. This
Will I. and so ! command, my wish is
sufficient reason" But the evolutionary process
has resulted in a compromise everywhere between
previous conditions and the possibilities Of abso-
lutte power mo native State" says Mr.. Lee
Warner. ''in the Interior Of India, enjoys the full
attributes Of complete external and internal
sovereignty. since TO none is left either the power
OF declaring war or peace the right Of negotl-
ating agreements with other States; but the
sovereignty OF native States is shared between
the British Government and the chiefs In vary
Ing degrees. Some states enjoy a substantial
immunity from interference In nearly all func-
lions OF internal administration. while others are
under such subsection that the native sovereignty
Is almost completely destroyed. But communi-
ties whose rulers exercise any. even the smallest,
degree OF sovereign authority. are classified in