New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-06-14
TIMES OF THE MUTINY.
BIOGRAPHIES OF COLvIN AND LORD
CLYDE.

Co. ORulers OF India Scrlcs)
COLIN, CAMPBELL LoRD CLYDE By Archi-
llsh Men OF Action Series)
In his recent memoir of a man who had con
tributed much TO dignity the British diplomatic
service in India Sir Auckland Colvin betrays
pra.seworthy desire to stimulate to the writing
of good history Had he desired to cover the
entire field of Indian government, he could
scarcely have pitched upon name and char
acter better suited to his purpose than those
OF John r, sse Colvin. who was born In Cal
cutta in 1867, and who. in due course. followed the
precedent of other Anglo-Indian children. that Of
being taken to the mother country for educa-
ton, and. returning to his own again. after due
preparation was entered in the office Of The
Registrar of the Chief Court Of Appeals under
the company. served in various capacities until
in 1886 he was selected by Lord Auckland to- be
his private secretary Nearly nine years later
he was made Resident al Khatmandu Then he
was made Commissioner of the Tenasserm Prov
inces In Burmah. Thence he recalled to
Calcutta TO take his seat on the bench OF the
Appellate Court. showing in what fantastic
circle the whrligig of time will sometimes SEND
its victim. There it is significant OF MI. COL
wins diversity Of talents that he won the praise
even of those legal sticklers. the native prac-
titioners although quesionings were many.
had no temper" and worse than all. che had no
knowledge Of legal matters" All this from the
critics Of the time in less than five years 1t
was 10 be said Of him that 'pleaders had some
times TO be reminded tfat they ought to adj
dress the Court and rot Mr.. Colvin." In the
time mentioned he was summoned TO pass from
the court TO the responsibility OF GoVerhorshlp IN
the northwest provinces. Here. If failure can be
charged against nan because he did not con-
uuer impossible conditions then Mr.. GOWNS
final trust was marked by failure. ana OF the
sort that is fatal to life as we'll as to hope. IT
IS worth remarking al this point that. as has
been seen. Re had been trained in every arm OF
the Government service except the military
The possible errors OF .he Government In hold
ing the civil over the military branch In the
provinces has been SO often called up by military
critics that the point is worth citing. II had
happened before. in the record Of one or these
same inland provinces in the appointment of Sir
Frederick Curre. member Of the supreme
Council. to the Lahore Residency in the Punjab in
1s4s at a time when he position was one which
required the experience and military knowledge
of a soldier" but as Mr.. Forbes adds sir
Frederick Currie was civilian" In all Of the
correspondence as gathered by Sir Auckland Col
win whether with the Secret Committee the
aforementioned Of his friends. Mr.. Colvin
seems pervaded by feelings worthy Of the states
man. but there is hint Of military insight.
II is only at the last that the habit OF the
diplomat Is cast aside. and this blunt phrase
appears In a letter TO his friend. ST John Law"
renee who wGs commanding the PunJap: II
YOU ask my disease II is the utter powerleSs-
ness with such rotten agency as we nave oi
doing for the present any good Herein ne
exnoses in a sentence, set down with the eX-
cusable petulancc OF sick man. the BRUSH
situation in the northwest provinces which were
not alone the frontier but held all that Is
mos, national and most sacred in the sight of
the Hindus Yet in far as the record oners
any basis of judgment he could not mend his
nosi,ion AZ Agra despite the powerful Akbar
fort and armoiy ard the large European popu-
lation" and his phrase to Sir John Lawrence
Is hardly couched in military form
The difficulty was Of too long standing FOR civil
matching for i, was the great Sepoy mutiny, when
breaking out in February. 1891. had reached
climax Of fury at Meerut in May. had then spread
TO Delhi where the King Of Delhi was drawn
from his "senile obscurity"-Mr. Forhess phrase
land proclaimed anew Emperor OF India 10 TINS
rival power nocked the revOt"d Sepoy army until
Delhi was filled with the turbulent masses OF
native soldiery and fanatics. who with true Indian
aGaptiveness 10 change Of rulers had evidently
forgotten the severe chastsement administered
scarcely decade before. one result q which had
been the disarming Of the Punjab province. This
was destined to prove Of Importance in the !
mutiny for Sir John Lawrence, In September, ls7'
writing to Mr. Colvn. said our people being
without arms has been doubtless the main cause
If our success The Sikhs have traditional
hatred of Delhi and most OF the MahOmetans do |
not sympathize with His Imperial Majesty But |
that letter Of encOura cement reached Agra five |
days after Mr. Covin's death. Before that he
had apparently exhausted civil means To suppress
the uprising. There were no troops, DO police !
M friends" according to Sir Auckland Colvin's !
acconnt of the situation Il was surely provi- /
Dental stroke that placed Sir Colin Campbell in !
ful control Of the English forces at this time as
Commander-.n- Chief Of the Army, post 10 when !
he had been raised on the death Of General Arson
II WAS not Sir Coins first service IN India for as
an officer and divisional commander he mad hah
good deal to do with the peace and disarmng OF
the Province OF the Puniab noted above. lie had
been ordered t. India and to Lahore, in the Pun
iab far beyond the seat y government later oc-
cupied by Mr. Colvn while the issue OF the war
Of 1856 was as fresh affair of yesterday
and the second peace Of Lahore comforting upon
The British Resident Major Henry Lawrence IN
precedcnted powers making him in fact the sue
essor OF Runteet Singh. had just been ratined
Mr. Forbes has shown in his compre hensve STUDY
CT Campbelrs career how specious this measure
was and how convenient as Il method of illustrat-
ing native ingenuity for evasion. All the surface
indications Of an unrufIled peace were present
but students OF the Indian nature are accus-
toned tc make large discounts in surface indica-
tions OF the native character The deceptive
nature of the peace shown by a speedy out |
break at Multan: and from that time till his
resignation, owing to a clash with Lord Ddi- |
housie in 1859. Lord Clyde was steadily engaged
in and about Lahore. What Mr. GOWN had
found 10 be the case In the Northwest Provinces !
Sir Colin Campbell found the crying need Of the !
entire country. Il his biographer is 10 be believed |
namely. an army and the means to transport IT. |
but he was an old camraigner. and the mere triic !
~A4.i.... Col LllNing horses |