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Leader (1850-1860), 20th February 1858, Edition 2 of 2, Page 6, Sepoy regiment system must be doomed for...

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      The Indian Revolt. ?—

      _ * i oa tn the whole truth of the Hurharu report , SJ ^ fc ^ tS tao ^ age of the known courage and Savery of try troops , I feel inspired with the brightest SJ most sanguine hJpes . However , I am most anxious Sat yon should write all the particulars without ^ delay . May the Almighty protect and preserve you . Be vigi-¦ ^ It instated that the prisoners are to be boiled in ak ' bivai . of the ladies , & c ., fkom lucknow ax calcutta . A correspondent of the Daily News fjvej . « ie > subjoined account of the arriva at Calcutta of the women and children from Lucknow : — , JSV " 23 . " « s 2 astt . ss »? as ^ i wmmmm £ H = SS ? 3 , as = along the whole red carpeting was laid out such as ^ t is onstomarv to use on state occasions . At last , the ALadms arrived off the Ghaut , but owing to some cause or ot ^ co ^ iderable delay took place before theU « ers rSift ^^ ff ^ i ? ™ -rE SV . ts ^ s ?^ ra 3 impression on the faces of the bystanders betokened universal svmpatuy for those they were about to welcome Jo " he S ^ at £ City of Palaces . Mr . Bead « , the secretary of the Home Department , on behalt of Government r the Hon . — Talbot , private secretary to t * ie Governor-General , on behalf of Lord Canning ; and Dr . LecMe as secretary to the Relief Committee , went down ^ tSV ? teSedie to receive the ladies . A sudden rush toward ! the river , a thronging towards the gangway , ind aflight whisker of voices , indicated fl « t the landine had beffun . Cheers were given at first , but 01113 Zvly responded to , people evidently be ng too > much occupid Ah their -n reflec ^^ Uimk ^ cheering , chuuli

      but as tne laaies auu -m i" * , ¦ . . their bats almost mechanically , silently oolung 1 j the heroines passed up . At this moment , another ship in the harbour fired a salute , but it did not sound joyfully ; it appeared rather like minute guns in remembrance of those whose widows and orphans were now ^^ SlSTXi ^ o ? mtrof ^ he ladies told the tale of the ^ bereavement , whilst the palUd faces the down-* i- » i = or * tho alow walkbore evidence ot the great

      „_ , ,, , sufferjngs ' they must have undergone both in mind bOdy ' " SIR HENRY HAVELOCK ' S LAST DESPATCH . The despatch of the lamented General Havelock , « 5 . 5 S-: S sSSS melancholy interest ;—.. „ . i . .. ^_ : « i . r * i , » hr i . lo-n of Charbafchi tno

      * UTOin IU 19 ijuiiiii l "" ° . . 1 tKo ., srjs wsrBJvsfts . 'i's ifs ^ mif ^ 'Sis site the king ' s palace , or tho Kaiser Bagh , whore ? wo LnB and a body of morqonary troops were en-01

      trenched . Troin this entrenchment a nre grape a . « musketry was opened , under which nothing could h ^ x ^^ it ^ i ^^ £ let fhe beleaguered g ^ rison k now that succour was at hand , that , with his ultimate sanction , I directed the « aVa hodv of the 78 th -Highlander , and wgimen * of column

      Forozenoro to advance . This rusnou on wvu . desporfie gallantry , led by Sir James Outrom and my-Nlf and Lieutenants Hudson and Hargood , of my staff , | nK ™ V < Jt 8-of"flat = roof « d ^ loopl , oled ^ hou 9 e B T-fi ^ ni-Sfftt perpetual flro waa kept up , and , overcoming Ivory obsLclo , established itself within tho enclosure of tho KoslUonpy . "

      Sepoy Regiment System Must Be Doomed For...

      Sepoy regiment system must be doomed for ever ; it is i ruits ffdfinanciall m THE LE ADER , ___ [^ 413 , ] Pb b 1 tab , t 20 , VtoB ^ 1 ( ^ "'" ¦ '"' 7 niii . 1 mi 1 " T-r — """* ""^ mmt - ha doomed for ever ; { t ia

      Special Lett1sks Fitom India. , (From A ...

      SPECIAL LETT 1 SKS FItOM INDIA . , ( From a Military Correspondent . ') Nagporey JJucember 27 , 1857 . I snow to aowy if any imuorfoutlo » a of expression in royiforaor tottem should havo led your readers to

      aup-SeS ^ l ^^^ e ^ pfi ~ E ! ° r % ; x ^ r » Tzi ^ f » EB ^ £ ^ r ^ : iT ^ z ^ create I deprecate as destructive a policy which , in-Sad of introducing and encourag ing our own absolute security of propert y , and of its descent has rendered the tenure of the proudest and most valued rights posess " ^ and privileges , more precarious thaa H was iinde- the despotic but patriarchal rule of the nati \ e prince . I do not regard as conservative that system ixrry ^ r ^ r ^ s- - ^ MM ^ r ^^ ffi ^ E our race . But , although I certainly do consider that some acts of restitution and restorat . on might be appronriatelv and gracefully blended with those brilliant re-SraJdafo ? the fidelity and active aid of native chieftains which are required no less for the support of our national honour thanu an expression of our nat . onal grautudc ^ and althoug h 1 consider that ^ e must prepare to abandpn the present most dangerous , ' inhuman , and ™^ \" f svstem of official hierarchy , monopoly , and ^ clu . ion , vet no one can be more convinced than I am of the necessity of caution and care . What I earnestly desire to see is rather some evidence of altered ^ P ™*™' * J and principles , than any striking and immediate change in our outward practice and policy . Let us lose no time however . We can better afford to lay the foundat on , in the p lenitude of our power and triumph , than in a period oVdiscontent and agitation . Let us not present oik Lore examp le of the neglect of " that wise lesson whicl : experience teaches , that there is a time whenl to yiek wins jthe affections , another , when it only obtains th . contempt of mankind . " * - ' , The scrupulous conservation of rights and possessions the extension bv commutation , by new grants , and , J should add , by s ' ale , of our English security ot- landet tenure , administrative and * social reform , and vitalizatin ., nf t . ha emoire . bv the gradual association of

      distinguished natives in all grades and departments ot ine Public service , and the gradual elimination and exclusion of unqualified Eng lishmen , should be the guiding principles of the new era . The absorption and decay ot the old system will give ample time for the sure and solid ^ And when an inatitution , a law , a ceremony , or an establishment has fallen into contempt and disuse , has ! become inadequate from the lapse of tune orhas beco it is l ^

      corrupt , dangerous , and oflensuve , m , » u » w .. » . » tism to endeavour , in deliance of every indication and warning to prop it up once more , or to galvanize it into ™ url and mischievous life . Thus the Indian lie ular Army has exploded in blood and firo , the Bengal Anny has abolished itself effectually ; the Bombay and Madras Armies have felt the contagion , and have indeed nothing in themselves so peculiar -as should make he warning loss . Ignllleant with regard to tl . ein . Nothing niaimesiuu »»~

      has been more distinctly »«'" - --period of rebellion and excitement , both in the Bengal and Bombay corps which mutinied , and in the Madras regiments that wore tampered with , than the utter helplessness and want of influence of the European officers . It u painful , it is odious , "to be compelled to write in this strain at a time when so m any of those countrymen of ours have exhibited such glorious devotion , when so many have suffered and perished nobly , and so many more are doing go 6 d and gallant service ; ¦ K .. i j ~ * ... ;» i ; .. ,, » ,, n , r instunoes . tho bloodshed , unu

      , suffering wove augmented by , and thoio very acts ot daring and devotion were tho offspring and consequence of , that very want of influence over tho Sbpoya and insight into their true feelings , to which I . havo called attention . They aro iudeed doing good and gallant servico , but not with their regiments . The regimental system was at fault , not the men ; tho system by which the delicate duty ol' commanding armed «« on of another race and colour waa entrusted fco unqualified offlcow , without experience , without interest i » i tho work , and without * n i ' .. *! . „ „ .. „! .. ; . , ¦ . k ,, whifih tho iirnorunt and oaro-¦¦

      UUkllUltLV , IUU OJOHJIU uj •• - , i . , 1 tl n loss cadet could grow up by mere seniority to bo tho ignorant and ctirelo . is commandant of a regiment or faults have now boen blazoned In characters of blBBIHind flamo , bo that all oan bco who are not wilfully bUud . A rogret to aeo that three new ' extra' regiments hayo been raiaed in tho Madras Presidency , und that all tho boon ol tu

      native battalions of th « t army ™"" - " " » ' 1000 atrong frum thoir fonnor strength of 700 Sepoys ouch . But wo will consider this aa a mere measure oi luunodlate and temporary emergency . I ho regular Roobuck'a ? History of tho Whig Ministry . '

      condemned by ts f ; nor can we aor , y 1 prudentiallv , to keep up so large a force of trained land formidably armed infantry , tq do duties which could be better performed by an efficient police . We should lose nothing in real military strength by reducing our Sepoy infantry to the lowest possible number of battalions , organized on the irregular plan , sufficient to furnish reliefs for Pegu , Aden , Singapore , and other foreign stations , and to form a valuable auxiliary to the British infantry in India , and in any Eastern campaign . Both for preserving the public peace in India , and for imperial and external warfare , for which Sepoy infantry never could be retted on , we should foster the irregular cavalry , the arm in which the British army has always been deficient . ,,. •» , , „ . One absolute and conspicuous result of the rebellion of 1857 , is therefore the spontaneous reduction of our Regular Sepoy Army by upwards of fifty battalions ; and it is to be " hoped that the lesson to be drawn from this great fact will not be missed . It may be remarked en jtassant that by universal admission the Sepoys , both on our side , as the 31 st at Saugor , and against us , evervwhere , have foug ht quite a > well without any European officers as they ever did on any occasion with them . . . Another result is equally obvious and indisputable—a « reat increase of our financial difficulties , a loss and evtra expense combined in one year which perhaps would not be much over estimated if taken at ten crores of rupees ; or ten millions sterling , the climax of a deficiency of a million and a half per annum during live years . I can see no remedy for this but in a reduction of the army and other establishments , which must be in a . "Teat measure prospective . Although the permanent ' . proportion of European troops in India must certainly be somewhat increased ( not to any great extent ) , yet on the whole the army and other establishments , as may be explained in detail when required , could be rendered \ much more efficient at a much less expense than at . piesen . ^ ^^ important results , and the . gravest I lessons and warnings arising from the events of Ibu , , I remain yet to be considered . Has such a result been » produced as must in some degree modify our relative * position , and our general tone and bearing for the , future , with the Native States of India / What eflect has been produced on the public opinion oi India . i W hen . 1 all opposition has ceased , when every trace of the rebel-. lion has disappeared , will the popular belief in oui in-- vincible power have been strengthened or diminished . t 1 ... H * „ ( i , nt n ,, f ri . i , itiv (> iv > sition with the JNati \ c

      States has been materially " altered by the occurrence and course of this rebellion , andth . it the Native Princes have morally and politically gained a higher and more independent standing than they enjoyed betore the outbreak . I believe it , and I rejoice at it ; I believe that this is no loss of power tons , but that on the contrary our paramount imperial power on the continent ot India mav now be consolidated and secured , openly avowed . mid distinctl y acknowledged , in a manner that has not

      been hitherto attained , —if the lesson to be learned irom the events of the year 1857 be duly appreciated and carried out . Our position towards the Native States partly from tho essentiully faulty nature of the unlimited right of interference exercised by the British Residents in conformity with treaties , partly by really unauthorized encroachments in tho same direction , had become most anomalous and embarrassing to both parties , wonlconiiur and doisradiiiK the Nobivo Sovereign and his

      ministers without adding in the least to our influence oi di"ni ( v . The general tone and bearing of our intercourse with the Native States , and of the consultative minutes 6 f the Supreme Government , especially during Lord Dalhousie ' s tenure of office , with regard to them , appears to me to have been very bad , unlair , unfriendly , offensive , and threatening . I rejoice therefore at tho inevitable change of their position and of our one and bearing , and cannot regard tho change as anything but a . gainVh for us and for tluMn , At the , .. mo tune 1 it involves umi 1

      consider that » ""* condemnation of Lord Dalhousie ' s foreign policy . Lord Dalhouslo , writing in 1851 to tho N >»> » o Hyderabad , on the subject of tho balance of a debt duo to our Government , recommends him to dUim * oi ioduco the number of his Arab troops , m . d romiijch . h J that ours is ' a great Government by whoso 'neu . lship alone' ho has ' so long been sustained , whosoj eseut meiit it is dangerous to provoke , ' ' and whoie powe cn « i crush ' him ' at its will . 't a « w , granting « " th" ¦ £ ^ true , where was the neooialtjr ? t this vu 0 g , r blujljr . uj — ¦¦¦ ¦ 11

      in time of profound po . ee , uuu on u ... » r Uould it bo supposed that tho Kl * am w' ^ . / f " ™ ' " forgetful of tho enormous power of the British O nnont- ? -tturoIy- 8 uch . langu U «« -n » igl ^ , lui . yA . bWH ^^_ . until thoNUnm had tnkaiibome i . nlrio . ully or rent » course , which no member of his family has do no « l" J 5 tho laJt ^ ty years . In . »« . !> a case , what g . m- u » u « J iii « u « fr tliitniit . miirn tinUdUlVOCiU , COUUl uu

      " *> Wc ' Lord Dalhou ^ io ' s furowoll Minute , par . SB , . 1 }> f Vapors relative to territory coded by tho Nl *« m . p . 42 . l » 5 d .

  • Citation
    • Leader (1850-1860), Feb. 20, 1858, page 6, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/cld_20021858/page/6/