The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1900-02-13


It requires nothing more than the start
ing and propagation OF some equally fam
tastic story today TO lead TO the inaugu-
ration Of another Sepoy mutiny more ter
rible and more sanguinary than the last
This is danger ever present to the mind
Of those who know India best. II the
so. 00o, 900 natives of the Deccan submit TO
English rule III 5 from motives Of fear,
and assuredIy not from gratitude, liking,
or sympathy Remove that fear or tenn
porariIy hull it and natives will be just
as ready TO rise as they were less than
half century ago, prompted thereto By
antipathy OF racean d creed and by the
aversion which people held in subjee-
ton necessarily entertains for its mas
ters.
Every one who has lived for any length
Of time in the Orient will bear me out
when I assert that it is hopeless for the
white race ever todream of acquiring the
affection Of Asiatics. What is more, it
is equally useless ever TO think for one
moment OF understanding the Orientals-
Although the English have been in India
for more than 200 years, and might reas-
onably be expected TO have acquired a
most profound experience Of the native
mind yet no one was able 10 account
four years ago for the mysterious daub-
ing Of the mango trees throughout Hin
doostan with patches OF clay mingled
with COW or buffalo hair.
Notwithstanding all the efforts that
were made, it was found impossible even
10 discovert he perpetrators Of this
species of plastering, which was effected
with the most astounding secrecy and
rapidity Mango trees extending over an
area Of many hundreds Of square miles
were thus marked in the course of a
single night That it constituted some
secret signal andconveyed some hidden
message even the most erUdite students
Of Indian lore and experienced veterans
of the Anglo-Indlan administration were
the mutiny Of two score years ago was
Immediately preceded by the equally mys
terious distribution Of little unleavened
cakes-"chupatties, as they are called
among the people Of India. They were
passed around by unknown hands, and 70
this day the government has been unable
to obtain any clew as to who baked them
or who distributed them. Equally at sea
are the authorities as TO the precise mes
sage which they were intended to con-
vey, although the simultaneous outbreak
OF the mutiny Immediately afterwards.
in parts of India far distant from one
another, leads to the belief that they con-
stituted some kind Of prearranged signal
for a great rising.
If I mention this it Is with the object
of showing how utterly preposterous It
is for white peoplt ever to dream Of IN
Outstanding the many mysteries in con-
nection with the workings of the Asiatic
mind, or the influences by which the lat
ter IS swayed. So long as this remains
TO US a sealed book it is out of the ques-
tionto place any absolute reliance in ORR
entail loyalty, Affection, or regard. This
being the case, 1t is necessarily dan
gerous experiment to place any depend
ence upon what are known as native
troops. differed by white men, for there
is no knowing when religion, racial hat
red. membership Of some secret society,
or thousand and one other Influences
unknown to US. may lead them to turn
their rifles against their commanders.
There is one thing. however, that we do
know about the Overwhelmingly: that
he never forgets and seldom forgfves an
injury; and among none ofthe dusky races
isthe sentiment OF revenge more keenly
developed than among the Malays. II is
doubtful whether. even half a dozen gen
eratfons hence. the Filipinos will have
obIiterated from their memories the sup
preston of the present resurrection in the
archipelago by the United States. and IN
this way native contingent trained and
drilled by American officers may become
at a moment of international crisis a
source Of concern and of even actual dan
ger to Uncle Sam. It is only necessary
in order to appreciate this that people in
this country should understand that one
Of the subjects Of the most profound pre-
/ occupation and anxiety TO EngHshmen
all over the world at the present mo-
ment is as to whether India viii remain
/ loyal, or If another mutiny viii follow
/ the war in South Africa in the same way
/ that the Crimean campaign had as an af-
/ termath the great mutiny OF forty-odd
/ years ago.
! England has at the present moment in
| India a native army Of about 100000 men,
/ Differed by Englishmen. This native
army is further supplemented by force
/ OF native military police or consta bulary
/ numbering not less than 5000 men. Be
/ sides this the vassal and eemi-independ-
/ eut states furnish to the British authori-
/ ties afu rther contingent OF about 5000
/ men. described as imperial service troops.
| differed by Englishmen and trained by
/ Fnklfsh officers. but remaining In the do
uinions, however, of their respective SOW
! ereigns.
The troops thus instructed and drilled
/ afterwards serve in turn as instructors %
( the remainder Of the armies Of these vas
sal Kings and Princes OF India How
! important these native armies are may be
gathered from the fact that, according
10 official returns published ten years
] ago. the feuGatory states OF India had
armies numbering some 10000 men, with
about 5000 guns. That is to say. there
/ is at the present moment in India a force
Of more than $4,000 native soldiers, hat
OF which IS oficered ~ Englishmen-
OF English troops IN India there are
now not more than 5000, whose equip
ment and armament. according to the
reports OF military experts. are imneas-
ura6ly Inferior to those OF their COM
rades in South Africa, especially as r.
/ CARDS artillery Sixty thousand white
soldiers are at the hest but a mere hand
( full compared to eco native troops
backed up BY a tesTning population Of
30 80 Asiatics. I'll Of them at hear;
yearaiug for freedom from British rule
I IS only necessary 70 recall the fac
that a few years ago Lord Wolseiey. tlse-
as nov. ComnaRder-Iu-Chief u the .3rtt-
ISL military forces throughout the world
gave evidence before a Pari-a1'anra-g
committee TO the effect that TIE usef1l
rs=s ?, u-r-ts,5 ~ ma .a4rIv. army s-