Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1898-02-17
TIE CITIZEN.
Give and Hastings.
{ lPittsburg Times }

few DAYS ago to have said that, in the
event of war between his country and
Great Britain over China, the Cars
troops would dictate terms of peace at
the capital of India. This of course.
would not be an impossibility, and if II
should come to pass it would mark the
beginning Of the end of the British dom
ination of India. which was first as
sumed al years ago. 1t was on
the fifth of February, 1857, that the
battle of Plassey was fought, conflict
which is generally accepted as having
decided that the English should be
masters of that great Asiatic country
This battle was won by Robert Give,
created for it Baron of Plassey, man
in whose actual history there was more
romance than is to be found in many an
exciting novel. He was born in Eng
land in 1925, and at the age of Is was
sent out to Madras as factor or VII
ter, in the service of the East India
company At that time the English had
been in India for a few years and had
several trading stations, largely by suf-
ferance of the native rulers. The
French had then achieved much in
fiuence and power in the country and
seemed destined to be its eventual ru-
lers. When Give had been in India
three years the French captured Mad
ras A breach of terms of capitulatlon
on the part of the French led Give, with
a few others to escape to Fort st. David,
some twenty miles south. There he OBJ
tained an ensign's commission and com
menced a series of wonderful military
exploits which resulted in driving the
French out of India.
-
The chief native ruler at this time
was Suraj I'D -Dowlah, who on August
>, 1886, captured the English settlement
of Calcutta, because its governor had
refused to yield up a fugitive. He
forced 146 of the English captives into
the Black Hole" on a sitting night, at
the end of which only % We're alive.
Give quickley avenged this. With
only 600 British soldiers, 500 Sepoys,
seven field pieces and 500 sailors to
draw them, he routed "a, 900 men, with
40 pieces of heavy cannon, 30 elephants
and a camp that extended upward of
four miles in length. Give then NOV
ell against the last remaining strong
hold of the French at Chandernagore.
This was captured despite the assist
ance rendered the French by Suraj nd
Dowlah. Give resolved to end the
power of the latter, and succeeded in
doing so at Plassey. He had at that
battle 1 100 Europeans and 2, 100 native
troops, with 10 field pieces. The nawab
had $4,000 horses, $4,000 foot and 53
pieces of heavy ordinance served by
French artillerymen. Give was com
pletely victorious, being considerably
aided by the detection Of some of the
lieutenants of the nawab, one of whom,
Jaffer All, he placed upon the throne
of the beaten monarch. Give remain
ed in India for many years after Plassey
and greatly extended the territory and
power of the British. Nevertheless, he
was the subject of much riticism at
home, which finally led to his commit
ing suicide on November %, 1774.
Warren Hastings greatly advanced
the work which Give had accomplish
ed, and was made the first govern
or general of India He also incurred
censure and had to undergo the famous
impeachment trial, which ended in his
acquittal, but impoverishment. He. how
ever, unlike Give, lived for many years
thereafter, and received much bounty
from the East india company and hon
or from his countrymen. 1t may be
interesting to know that one of his sue
cess was Lord CORVALLIS, whose Amer
lean career closed SO ingloriously at
Yorktown. He won number of i'm
portant victories for the English in
India, and largely added to their terri
tories This was during the years
1856 to 1892 In 1906 he was again sent
to India and died in the province of
Benares. October ) of that year, while
Fastening to the front to take command
of his troops.