The Washington herald., 1910-11-24
THE MEMOIRS OF
A FORMER VICEROY

mtg 2tdiD Ahd cidpssu from me TIME OF
his death Now. upon expiration of that
period his letters are published They
were written to Sir George Copper, who
had been aid-de-camp 10 Lord DaIhousie's
father during the peninsular war, and
who subsequently was comptroller OF the
household and equerry TO the Duchess Of
Kent. Some Of these letters found their
way 10 Queen Victoria. who, as Is well
known, always manifested much favor
toward the writer and his daughters,
one Of whom. as Lady Connemara, re-
turned to India with her husbnad then
governor OF Madras, while the other, as
vile OF Sir James Ferguson. occupied
similar position in Australia.
II is but reasonable 10 suppose that
busy man like Lord Dalhousie hardly
could nave found time TO write regularly
ana at such length letters which were
not destined 10 fulfill a contemporary as
Wen as future purpose Throughout the
correspondence there is evidence of the
masterful personality as well as of his
high devotion to duty. which. indeed. cost
Lord Daihousie his life Never vet has
prolongation Of the customary, but
not statutory qAinquenniai proved adj
vantageous IN the case OF a ruler of
India, neither In that Of Lord Dalhousie
first nor that of Lord Curzon last.
Learning that he would be offered Mad
rasi Lord Dalhousie took care to lei
Il be known that he would not accent
any but the highest position Ia India.
just as he minated. through Sir George
Copper. that his reward must be a prop
er marquisate and not the pinehbeck
Irish variety accorded 10 Lord Wellesley.
Even then he described a marquisate
in the United Kingdom as a Drum
magem title" compared with his ancient
Scotch earldom.
He Informed the Queen through Copper
that he only remained in India on A
point OF honor. but it is evident. never
theless that he laid aside the scepter with
regret and reluctance al the end. How
ever, while he was In India he found the
absence OF Parliament "a celestial boon, -
and there is a contemporary ring about
HIS fear that there is danger in the
growing distance between European off,
GERS and native soldiers" He was con-
scious that on his return home he would
be untitled to work with others. after
enjoying a position Of supreme authority
IN India, and he was dissatisfied with
almost all his instruments, certainly
with all his military helpers, He had no
| confidence either In Lord Cough or Sir
| Charles Napier. with whom. indeed. he
was engaged in perpetual strife.
He himself owned 10 Copper that he
was crochety, and Sir John Lawrence,
Sir James Outram, and Sir Henry Elliott
are the few of his contemporaries in In
dia 10 whom he gives unstinted praise
He was oversensitive and far too intro
spective. He questions whether any vice.
rOys. since kings were bad, ever swayed
his power between such limits as himself
He had no doubt that his council hated
/ him bitterly. which did not matter +"
| Elsewhere he says that his wife was his
I only friend" and that a governor general
could have no others
Lord Dalhousie evidently thought more
OF the provinces and the millions which
| he added 10 the British empire than
OF his many and great works in the realm
OF internal administration. such as rail-
ways. irrigation. telegraphs. and posts,
which indeed were none the less remark
able as reforms than his annexations and
successful wars He wrote that "he
doubted II people al home had the pluck
10 sanction the overthrow of the In
famous misgovernment of Oudh, while he
could not find a pretext for doing Il
without sanction. He was busy truss
| ing up that kingdom, preparatory 10 put
ting il on the spit" And finally he de-
scFibed that he was determined TO swal-
low II before ne left
He contemplated applying the same
treatment 20 Hyderabad. and laughed
about the idea of a Laird Of Cockpen
/ (himselO bowling about kings and king
I IL
swallowed Nagpore and regarded the
death Of the young Nawab of the Car
matte as another "windfaH for the East
india Company" After his TetiFement
\ his proud spirit suffered acutely during
the viceroyalty Of his successor. who had
/ 10 "trample out the vineyard where the
grapes of wrath were stored.
Those who talk Of colonial self-gOvern-
ment may ponder what he wrote in 1875:
You cannot govern India as you have at
tempted 10 govern colonies with a popu-
latiOn similar in language, religion, feel
I ings. and institutions 10 those of the
mother country
Yet. under the gOvernn ent of a secTe-
tary OF state al home the mightest Of
/ British colonies have been lost. and the
rest only have been preserved by Eng
| land practically abandoning the right
really 10 govern them in England. Others
besides those who follow the colonial
| seIf-governmCnt Will-O'- the-wisp may ask.
as did Lord Dalhousie: How is it posi-
bic TO expect that a secretary OF state at
| home slngly can govern India, with a
population five times as great as that of
the mother country and all the colonies
put together. and which differs from the
mother country in every particular III
u
A good electioneering story is told OF
the Duke OF Buccleuch, who chiefly is re-
menbered as a politician for his oppo-
sition to the late Mr. Gladstone when
| that statesman was returned in the gen
eral election of 1880, following the his
| toric Midlothian campaign. The duke
then was the Earl of Dalkeith. and when
soliciting votes. accompanied by Capt
| Todd he ran across a cranky old voter.
TO whom the captain said: This is the
| Earl of Dalkeith: ye1l know him. Ma,
ma: I dinna ken him." was the reply.
AT all events" continued the captain,
''you know his father, the duke?"
"Ou, ave-" the old voter replied II
ken the duke; he is a grand mon. the
duke"
We'll, then, you'll surely vote for his
SOM" queried the other,
ma, ma; I'm no sure ABBOTT that, said
the man. It's no every coo that has a
cauff like hersel."
The Duke of Connaught, who has been
sent by King George to open the first
| Federation Parliament of South Africa.
no doubt is one of the most popular
members OF the British royal family.
| AS a soldier he has earned golden opin-
| ions and has done some excellent reform
work. while his good nature and his
| .nL.Ia llLL- ANIL % n.-nr..- one & N