New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-07-06
THE STATE OF INDIA.

There is trouble in India. OF that there Is no
longer any doubt There have been rotngs ana
murders, and there is wide circulation or m
cendiary tracts calling for "hOly war against
British rule The dsaffection is active chiefly
among the Mahometans, and is said. with
out apparent authority, to have been instlgated
from COnstantinople; but 1t Is also SAID 10
exist passvely among the Hindoos. Anxiety
prevails among the well Informed, while the
tlmorous are whispering vague fears OF another
Mutlny The enemies Of Britain and or law
and order are eXultant, and one Socialist pup
lication goes SO far as to exploit the NUMBER 0,
those who are dying Of plague and fanine IN
India at the time of the Queens jubilee. VICIOUS
" inslnuatlng that their sufferings ana death
are chargeabe against the British Government,
If not against the Queen in person. The rac's
are. Of course. that plague and famine are IN
spite Of not because Of. British rule; that me
present vistations are vastly less terrible than
those Of old. because of the benehcence or Brit
ish rule and that the British Government has
wrought little short Of miracles in queilng the
plague and in relieving and wardng against re-
currence of the famine. These are the we'll
established facts. which only ignorance ovcr'ooKs
and mendacty contradicts.
History will record the regeneration OF India
among the real and lasting glories OF the VIC
toran reign and among the great services 10
humanity rendered by British rule. Before the
British occupation IiindOstan was divided
among rival and Earring municipalities, and was
the scene Of all bur incessant wars, famnes anu
pestlences Every evil Of anarchy ignorance
and vice ran riot. more appalling realIa-
ton of death in life has probably never been
seen. The people lived but only to suffer all
the pangs and horror and decay OF death with
ont its merclfu oblivion. The early years OF
British rule were unquestonably harsh Has
tlngs and Give were little better than most
other con0uerors save in their emplre-bnilding
genius. which was exceptional and supreme.
Down 10 the Sepoy Mutiny abuses OF adm ais
tration were great and widespread. 1t is not
known that any country is free from them. But
since that time in the last thirty years. while
abuses have not been abolished. the Deneh"2nce
of British rule in India has been such as 1t
would be difficult TO parallel. Railroads, tclc-
graphs postal service, manufactures. sanitation,
IRRIGATION courts, newspapers. schools ana col
leges have been established on generous ard
steadily increasing scale. In place Of 'nfantl-
eide. the school; In place OF suffice. the hospital
and medical service Of women for women; in
steod Of abjcct serfdom. independent peasl1lry
with fixed tenure Of land-such are some Of the
changes that have been wrought by that very
British rule against which a spurious alirIsm
en- often filings dishonest destinations and cheap
sneers.
There will be no repetition OF the Scpoy Mu-
tiny For one thing, the hand Of the Govern
ment is too strong. and strong with the strength
of loyal native legOns. the superb Silks and
p,ptobs who are ms faithful as the Life Guards
themselves. For another, there is no provoca-
ton for II such as there was before, unless the
enforcement OF plague-suppressing cleanliness
be reason for revolt Above all, the Indians
themselves, from rajah to ryot, have come to