The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1909-07-12

tom emperor of Delhi. from which il OBJ
tanned grants Of power until the fina
overthrow Of the Mcgul dynasty in 1881.
There were other wars with the French
who were finally driven out Of India, be-
ing permitted to retain only the seaport
Of Pondicherry and few unimpOrtant
small towns, over which they still pre-
side. The Portuguese We're locked up al
Goa. the Dutch and Danish were driven
away from the continent. and English SUI
premacy was not threatened from Euro
pean powers by sea after the era Of Ma
poleOn The Russian advance into central
Asia became a source Of alarm in 1887
and English soldiers in India ever since
have seen in nightmares the hideOus spec
ire Of "Adam-Zad. the man who walks
like a bear" The war between Russia
and Japan stopped for the time the fear
of a Russian invasion. but IL did not
stop the British preparations to meet It,
And 1t gave rise to an Asiatic sense OF
power which has given the Britisht even
more trouble than the fear Of the Rus
slams.
The men who ruled the East India
company progressed from trading to
thieVlng, from thieving TO universal cor
ruptiOn. from universal corruption to ut
ter moral blindness. The work Of con
guest was carried forward without mercy
OF excuse. At length the company arrived
at a stage when il was complete master
of all India, holding the so-called indie
pendent states to strict accountability.
The company had been reformed by par
lament held its charter only at the will
of the home government. and had almost
entirely submerged its commercial char
acter in its political activities. It main
tanned an army anC navy paid for from
the revenues OF the provinces which II
governed and from the purses of the in
dependent states as well. It had crushed
the Sikhs. the last remaining considerable
military power among the natives.
The government of the native state of
OUdh refused to submit to the English
a~-ra- rr1r1F and
the English were insisting upon proper
retOrms-and was annexed by the COM
pany. The rulers of the native states
trembled. The Crimean war had just
been fought. and the Indians heard and
believed that England's power had been
eclipsed, and that Russia would surely
destroy the British prestige At that par
ucular time new rifle was introduced
in the army. The new ammunition was
in the form of creased cartridges. The
colossal error Of greasing them with tai
low had been made. The COW is sacred
10 the Hindus, and most Of the SepOy
army was made up Of high caste Hindus.
The MOslems were aroused by the report
that hogs fat had been used. and the hog
is an unclean animal. In those days, of
course, the breech-lOading gun was I'M
known. and the end of a cartridge had
to be bitten off and its contents rammed
down the gun The use of these creased
cartridges brought the fat Of the COW into
the mouths of the Hindu soldiers. In vain
the English protest that they meant no
insult to the religion of the soldiers. 1t
was too late.
The mutiny Of 1857 affected but small
part Of the whole of British India. but 1t
changed forever the course of government
in the country. The massacre of British
men, women and children at CawnpOre
by the treacherOus Rama, the siege of
Lucknow, and the storming Of Delhi are
events largely celebrated i'm prose and
Nh \
lious soldiers and their allies according to
the ancient law of AN eye for an eye, a
tooth for q tooth Within a year the
British authority was re-esta bEshed and
the country was comparatively quiet but
the death lnell of the company had rung
Shortly before the mutiny, Sir Henry
Lawrence had warned the company that
it must give the Indians a greater share
in the administration of government or
be prepared for serious trouble. His
warnings were Unheeded, and he lost his
life in the storm which he had predicted.
The company could not have restored
tranquility after the revolt, and the Eng
lish government recognized that fact.
Then wiping out the record of the COM
pany. with all of its disgraceful Corrup-
ton. its ruthless avariCe and its merce-
nary character, Lord Canning, governor
general assumed the new title of vicerOy
and proclaimed that India had passed to
the rule of the British crown. Queen
ViCtOria's proclamation was read at
great durbaT at Allahabad on Nov. !.
1855 In that document the queen de-
clared the purpose of the British to give
the Indians a larger degree of self-gOv-
eminent. This is a promise which the
Indians have not forgotten. which the
present reform scheme is intended in a
to fulfill. and which must be
redeemed in full before there can be per
manent peace in India. The language of
the proclamation was. And it is our fur
ther win that as far as may be- our sub
jects. Of whatever race OF creed, be freely
and impartially admitted to offices in our
service the duties Of which they may be
qualified by their education, ability and
integrity duly to perform
Thirty years later. at a magnificent
duTbar held at the ancient capital of
Delhi. Queen Victoria assumed the title
Of empress of India. The Prince of Wales
now Edward VII, had made a tour Of the
country just before that event, and the
loyalty of the native princes had been at
tested in a thousand ways. Indeed, the
native princes have every reason to be
loyal to England. Under the rule of the
company, the English had denied the
right Of a native prince to adopt an heir.
Thus. when native ruler died without
leaving a son, his state was seized by the
company. immediately after the crown
took control that policy was renowned.
Now the native states are protected by
British troops. are served by British rail
roads and postal systems, are pOliced by
o.
dispense justice and deal with petty in
.ernal affairs and maintain their courts
In splendor and luxury. Thanks to Eng
and they have no fears Of foreign foe
Or internal intrigue. The pax Britannica
protects them.
Since 1858 the English have been work
ng steadily for the development of the
resources of the country. they have kept
peace. have prevented discOrd. and have
been generally successful. Famines have
devastated the country, but the English
nave endeavored to relieve suffering The
plague has taken terrible toll OF souls, but
he government has Combatted it in a
fashion which no Oriental government
would undertake. Mistakes have been
made, no doubt The taxation system a
most complicated affair, UnquestiOnably
needs reforming.
There is no doubt shat the whole people
IF India have Benefited to an enormous
legree by the British rule Of the past few
decades. Even the corruption of the old
company century ago. was as nothing
to the corruption Of the native
ulers- No unbiased observer can escape
he conviction that the withdrawal or ex- !
)ulsiOn OF England from India would be /
he greatest possible disaster to the In
lians.
But for all that. the Indians want TO 1
rave q voice in their government The /
resent reform scheme has been under I
consideration for years; it is a part Of the 4
iOlicy announced by Queen Victoria over
fifty years ago, but 1t is being hurried I
low on account of the unrest which /
'ervades all India Anarchy will be put /
OWn. destinations will cease the peo-
We will be pscified and England will re- /
main in India But these things will not
70 until there has been a fourth great /
vent I'm the history Of British dominion
n India-the grant Of the boon of local /
disagreement
v-fe-1-4 N-- -r-r-