The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser. — 1803-03-26 (London, England)

TIVTS 01 HINDOOSTAN.  Rv Mr. ErYWAkD Of the New Caege of Fort Wii:larn. We cannot be surprised that the effeminacy of the peope in hot climates has almost always rendered them slaves. Thus there reigns in Asia a servile spirit which they have never been able to shake off ; and it is impossible to find, in all the histories of this country, a single passage which diecovers a free soul. We never see any thing but the heroism of slavery. Upper Asir; has been frequently subdued by the Scythians, Medes, Persians. Greeks, Arabs, Moguls, Turks, Tartars and. Arghans ; and the Southern parts have been continue ally subject to invasions, and have suffered many revolutions. But with this inveterate pusillanimity and cow; ardice, it appears difficult to reconcile their cruel actions, their customs and penances, so full of barbarity ' • the men voluntarily undergoing the greatest hardships—the women burning themselves.-Though framed, however, of a texture so weak as renders them timid, they posses, at the same time, an iningination so lively, that every obje6l makes the strongeSt impression upon them. The same ins-. becility of organs, which rerslers them incapable of daring enterprises where the failure may be attended by bodily pairs or death, contributes to produce that remarkable apathy, so peculiarly striking to European observers, when the Hindoo is in circumstances evidently desperate. That such a physical defea does exist, will be allowed by all who have aged in a military or judicial capacity in the Lower Provinces of Bengal ; it appears indeed to extend East= ward to Arracans to Pegue, and to China. . More energy is apparent, to the Westward and Northward. To the above • defeat, toe accurate observer may trace, perhaps, the horrid unman sacrifices, and the frequent public suicides of the Hindoos, so strongly denied, by certain of their European admirers, but proved fully by impartial enquiry. Bigotted to the principles of their religion ; prejudiced in favour of its high state of per- • feEtion, to the exclusion of all others ; committing their very existence into the hands of fanatic priests they are urged on to submit patiently to these ininfliaions, without once venturing, or even caring • to enquire into the propriety or necessity of what. they arc about to undertake ; net so much however, it should appear, with a View of atoning for past offences, as of attaining a degree of excellence, which they are taught to believe these penances are capable of conferring. • Thus do climax and religion most forcibly conspire to determine tile eitteraaer of the noires of Hindoostano the former paves the way fur any irepression the latter rri4 be willing to establish, which once received, it throws, also; eery obstacle in the way of hs removal. the above, other causes concur in pro: du. in'* the like eiree't ; One of which, the division of the whole body of the people into four orders or casts, may he considered as another of these cruses an institution ackaowledged to have obtained prior to the records'of Authentic history, and even before the most esniste era to which their own traditions pretend to reach. By this arrangement he station of every individual is unalterably hued; °his destiny is irrevcrcable ' • and the walk of life is marked out, from which he must never deviate, and who* bars riers it would be impious to pass. Speculating on a mere pessibilive, Without any competent appearance of probability, it certainly is not 'difficult to assert, that the Asiatics are capable of a much higher degree of civilization; equal, nay. perhaps superior to the nation whicts now ranks highest and proudest in the seale cf huropean politics. All judgment is comparative, ant more par• ticularly when it attempts to dive into future ; unless when the imagination, " in a line ptirenzr rolling," spurns at every thing like experience, and. indulges itself in contemplating " Corgont,,, and flydt..s, and Chinizras dire' Admitting them, however, to possess faculties. the bait adapted for hnpruverne.nt, mos:, it shuulst semi, cf Olen peculiar institutions must be done away, before they are in .a sh tee ...a liciently anbiaesect and free from prejudice is allow of their azaining much higher dire of perthfhon. Thac it ie eny part of our policy to arairpt, oz etery to desire the re:oust:ll f these obstraXons, is 4 Ties:ion. ing many poisits of great polish:at moment, unuga*tr/ lk adskrmS to hole.