The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1903-07-12

Dreciate justice and religious liberation
at fair value.
Would they fight against Russian in
vasion?
Better ask would frogs fight against
the invasion of their pond by a legion
of storks-they certainly would. if they
could
And the native of India can fight.
1t is true that 282,OO0,OOO have been
subjected and are now held in subiec-
ton by mere handful of Britalns
home bred sons. But it is a willing
and acquiescent subsection. The Sikhs
at Allahabad. in 1857, struck the key
note to this subsection. I'VE are not
powerful enough to rule ourselves you
are, and we are on your side in this
row. History tells how bravely, how
faithfully they fought.
But the Sikhs are not the only brave
race in India.
In fact all the Indian races are brave
with the exception of the effeminate
Bengal. There are no drawer people
in the world than the fiery, high bred.
long pedigreed, high-caste Rajpoots.
Lead them, or any of the Indian peo-
pies, Alright and they will charge belch-
ing cannons or stand up to decimating
infantry fire. They are nearly all fatal
lists, and will take the severest punish
ment stoically if their leader has the
stole grit. And more, if their leader
has won their hearts-and, indeed,
they have warm, true hearts to be won
they will fight to the last gasp to eX-
act vengeance for his death. Let the
right man or men, having won their
regard. lead them to storm the very
gates of hell and they are like the i'm
mortal Light brigade
Theirs not to reason why.
Theirs but TO do and die"
Some of them are peaceable peoples.
but others are warrior races. who
would far rather fight than eat who
would like nothing better than a war.
the more bloody, the more furious.
the better. Such are the Sikhs. Goor-
kahs, Mahtattas, Rajpoots, Pathans
and Burmese. The men of Southern
India are perhaps not quite so eager
for war; they are mostly Hindoos.
But how have they behaved in thou
sand fights? The history of British
India will tell you of how stubbornly
they have resisted, how fiercely they
have assaulted when the right men
were in the right place.
A war against Russia forty years
ago would have been a war of indiffer-
ence. war against Russia today
would be against hated. dreaded en-
envy. who would. if victor. crush them
back to miserable serfdom. 1t would
De HUI IIlefely molly war, Dut the lOll-
est of all warsLthat for home and
hearth. 1 believe even the mild and
timorous Bengal has learned enough
of the beauties of an event. handed
justice to cast cowardice aside and
fight for his home life. which has been
sanctifed by century of restfulneSs.
The brunt of a Russian invasion
would fall upon the Northwest, and
nearly every abe-bodied man-some
millions-wOuld rally to the call to
arms eagerly athirst once again to
play the old game which most of them
only know from hearsay and tradi-
ton.
Tons of Russian money has been
poured into India to bride and cor
rupt; but it has been as water on
sand. greedily sucked in and leaving
no trace Should Russia ever break
into India. she would never break out.
The death knell Of the Muscovite empire
would sound on the plains of North
western India.
This Is no pipe dream. It is the
calm conclusion of one who lived for
thirteen years among these people and
departed from the white mans beaten
paths to study the undercurrents of
Indian sentiment.
(fhe foregoing was written by q st.
Paul man who spent many years in India
and knows the conditions in that vast
empire. The Globe gives place to the
article because of its informing charac-
Ter. but does not necessarily intlorse the
opinions expreSScd--E.d.