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We confidently believe that Ministers will be able abundantly to satisfy the country upon this subject; and that in the event of the necessity arising they will choose a successor to Sir Charles Bagot every way qualified for his very responsible post thoroughly instructed as to the line of policy he is to adopt and capable of carrying it out with skill and energy |
It is impossible to turn to India for the purpose of taking a necessarily rapid and general view of the course of recent events there without experiencing great emotion arising from conflicting causes |
We have already said that our vast and glorious Indian empire is indeed the wonder of the world |
Every one of our countrymen is aware of the means by which we originally acquired it and that have subsequently augmented and retained it by an almost inconceivable amount of expenditure and exertion--by the display of overwhelming civil and military genius |
If moreover he has entered into Indian history with proper feeling and intelligence he will be able to appreciate the truth and force of the celebrated saying of one who contributed immensely to our ancient greatness in India viz |
--that _we hold India by_ OPINION _only:_ the opinion which is there entertained of our greatness of national character intellectual and moral--of our wisdom our justice our power |
If this fail us our downfall in India inevitably follows; and memorable and tremendous indeed will be such an event amongst all nations and at all future times till the name of England is blotted from the recollection of mankind |
Therefore it is that we all regard the administration of affairs in India with profound anxiety justly requiring in those to whom it is entrusted an intimate practical acquaintance with Indian character and manners with Anglo-Indian history and a clear view of the policy to be ever kept in sight and ability and determination to carry it out to the uttermost |
When Lord Auckland went to India under the Whig Government in 1836 he found both its foreign and domestic affairs in a satisfactory state--peaceful and prosperous--with upon the whole a sufficient military force notwithstanding the immense reduction of Lord William Bentinck |
How did he leave it to his successor Lord Ellenborough in 1841? The prospect which awaited that successor was indeed dark troubled and bloody |
An army alas! dreadfully defeated in one quarter and dangerously disaffected in another; a war of extermination in Affghanistan; probable hostilities with Burmah and Nepaul; an almost hopelessly involved foreign policy; and moreover under these desperate circumstances with a treasury _empty!_ We shall confine ourselves to one topic the war in Affghanistan--which we fearlessly and with deep indignation pronounce to have inflicted almost irreparable injury on the British nation--an almost indelible stain on the British character--and to have shaken the whole of our Eastern possessions |
Lord Auckland in listening and his superiors at home in instructing him to listen to the representations of Shah Soojah and to be persuaded by him to embark in the late disastrous and disgraceful campaign were guilty either of an incredible weakness and ignorance of the nature of the cause they were espousing together with an inconceivable degree of short-sightedness as to the most obvious consequences of it or of infamous hypocrisy in making the restoration of Shah Soojah only the pretext and stepping-stone to the conquest of Affghanistan in the most criminal and reckless spirit of imaginary aggrandizement and extension of territory that ever has actuated the rules of India |
Will they pretend that it was really designed and necessarily so solely for the purpose of defeating subtle and dangerous intrigues on the part of Russia and Persia? Listen to the language of one of the responsible authors of the policy since followed by such fearful consequences Sir John Hobhouse--who on the 11th July 1840 on the occasion of a dinner given to their richly and prematurely rewarded hero Lord Keane thus poured forth his insane exulting avowal of the real object they had had in view:-- "The gallant officer had alluded to the late addition made to the vast territory of the East India Company |
_It was just possible_ that that territory had _at that moment_ received a further and important increase |
_It is just possible _ that since he (Sir John Hobhouse) last met the Directors at the festive board--now about six months since--the Government of India _has been enabled to make an addition to its territory the vast consequences of which could scarcely be imagined in the wildest dream of fancy_ and which for centuries would be of advantage to the empire!!! In the history of the world there was no instance of yearly sovereigns (as the Directors of the Company were) having conquered so vast a territory as that of India |
There was no instance of such successive success |
To them the happiness belonged of giving to the vast country under their control the blessing of education |
It was owing to God's ministering hand by which successive Directions had sprung up to spread the benefits of light and knowledge in India and among a people enshrouded in darkness and idolatry |
It was scarcely a hundred years ago since the power of the East India Company was felt in India; their banners were now flying from the Indus to the Burrampooter |
He would say emphatically go on in the great work of extending the religion civilization and education of India; for the wishes of the good are with you--go on in your great work for the sake of India and Great Britain itself |
" What must _now_ be the feelings of Sir John Hobhouse and his brother ex-Ministers on this paragraph catching his eyes; when they reflect on the frightful sacrifice of life British and Affghan--the defeat of our arms while engaged in a shameful and wicked cause--with its perilous effects upon the stability of our tenure of India--which have directly resulted from the measures thus vaingloriously vaunted of! A thousand reflections here occur to us upon the subject of the insane (or guilty) conduct of the late Government in India; but the extent to which this article has already reached compels us to suppress them |
We the less regret this circumstance however because there really seems but one opinion upon this topic among well-informed persons |
After the last intelligence from India it is idle it is needless to attempt reasoning on the subject; to ask how we should have strengthened ourselves by the destruction of a powerful and (according to authentic intelligence) a really friendly chief in Dost Mahommed; how we could even have _occupied_ Affghanistan without a ruinous expenditure continual alarm and danger from a perpetual series of treachery and insurrection; and to what purpose after all of solid advantage! The whole policy of Lord Auckland was incontestably one of mad encroachment conquest and aggrandizement in utter ignorance of the character and exigencies of the times; the Duke of Wellington's memorable prediction is now far more than fulfilled! "_It will not be till Lord Auckland's policy has reached the zenith of apparent success that its difficulties will begin to develope themselves |
_" Begin to develope themselves! What would have become of us had the councils originating that policy still been in the ascendant we tremble to contemplate |
The exulting French press on hearing of our recent disasters thus expressed themselves:[7] "_England is rich and energetic |
She may re-establish her dominion in India for some time longer; but the term of her Indian empire is marked it will conclude before the quarter of a century |
_" Such has been the anticipated--such would have been the inevitable result of the policy which Sir Robert Peel's Government guided by the profound sagacity of the Duke of Wellington made it their first business _totally to reverse_; not however till they had completely re-established the old terror of our arms convincing the natives of India that what we were of yore we still are; that our punishment of treachery is instant and tremendous; that we can act with irresistible vigour and complete success at one and the same moment both in India and in China |
In their minds may the splendour of our recent victories efface the recollection of our previous bloody and disgraceful defeats! And if we cannot make them _forget_ the wickedness--the folly--the madness which originally dictated our invasion of Affghanistan at least we have shown them how calmly and magnanimously we can obey the dictates of justice and of prudence _in the very moment of fierce and exciting military triumph_ |
May indeed such be the effect of all that has recently occurred whether adverse or prosperous in India! For the former the guilty councils of the late Government are alone answerable; for the latter we are exclusively indebted to the vigour and sagacity of our present Government |
The proclamation in which Lord Ellenborough announces our abandonment of Affghanistan will probably excite great discussion and possibly (on the part of the late Government) furious objurgation in the ensuing session of Parliament |
We are so delighted at the achievement which was the subject of that proclamation that even were there valid grounds of objection to its taste and policy we should entirely overlook them |
If even Lord Ellenborough in the excitement of the glorious moment in which he penned the proclamation departed from the style of all previous state documents of that character was it not very excusable? But we are disposed to vindicate the propriety of the step he took |
It may be said that it was highly impolitic to make so frank an avowal to the natives of India that a mere change of Ministry at home may be attended with a total and instant revolution in our native policy to place on record a formal and humiliating confession of our errors and misconduct |
But let it be borne in mind how potent and glaring was already that error that misconduct with all its alarming consequences; and that one so intimately acquainted as Lord Ellenborough with the Indian character may have seen _then and there_ reasons to recommend the course he has adopted which may not occur to us at home |
That document will truly purport in all time to come to have been issued in a spirit of remarkable wisdom and justice at the very moment of our having achieved the proudest triumph we could have desired for our arms |
But above all what does that striking document tell but _the truth_ and nothing but _the truth_? Let us however now confidently rely on the vast advantages which we cannot but derive from a prudent and vigorous administration of the affairs of India |
We trust that Lord Ellenborough will persevere in the admirable line of conduct which he has hitherto adopted turning neither to the right hand nor the left disturbed by no sinister hopes or fears |
Let his grand object be by every legitimate means at his command _to Anglicize India_; to encourage the adoption of English habits of thought the practical appreciation of English principles of government; in short thoroughly to identify the people of India with the people of England in all their partialities and prejudices and interests |
Every thing he has hitherto done in India we rejoice to observe tends this way |
Let him but persevere and he will acquire imperishable renown and reflect permanent splendour on the Government which appointed him |
In a confident and well-founded reliance upon his fitness for his post upon his capacity for thoroughly carrying out the policy of a strong and enlightened Conservative government which has entrusted to him the management of such vast and splendid national interests--the nation now looks with a bright untroubled eye towards India |
[7] The _Siecle_ |
(See No |
cccxxi |
p |
112 |
) --"Now is the winter of our discontent Made glorious summer! And all the clouds that lour'd upon our house In the deep bosom of the ocean buried |
Now are our brows bound with victorious wreaths Our bruised arms hung up for monuments Our stern alarums changed to merry meetings Our dreadful marches to delightful measures!" Our allotted space is well-nigh exhausted and we have only now reached the confines of CHINA!--a topic on which we had prepared ourselves for a very full expression of our opinions |
We are compelled however now to content ourselves with a mere outline of our intended observations on a subject--our victory over the Emperor of China--which is pregnant with matter for long and profound reflection |
Abstractly our triumphant assault on these distant and vast dominions affords matter for national pride and exultation as far as concerns our naval and military renown; and the names of Parker and Gough will never be forgotten in British history |
The submission of the Emperor of China to our arms is an event calculated of itself to distinguish the reign of our glorious sovereign Queen Victoria far beyond those of most of her predecessors |
It is an event that concerns and affects the prospects and interests of the whole world and though it is at this moment occupying the thoughts of all the statesmen of Europe with reference to its contingent effects upon their respective countries not the most experienced and sagacious of them can predict with safety what will be its effects within even the next year or two |
As for ourselves our present prevalent feeling seems to be in accordance with our daring military character which would say merely-- "Why then _China's_ our oyster Which we with sword have open'd |
" But to those in England who are accustomed to regard occurrences with reference to their probable consequences the recent events in China afford matter for the most anxious reflection of which thinking men are capable--whether in the character of philosophers of statesmen of warriors or of merchants |
Were we justified in our attack upon the Emperor of China? We have no hesitation whatever in expressing our opinion after having had our attention for some years directed to the subject of our relation with China in the affirmative |
From the moment of our first intercourse with that people we have had to submit to a series of indignities sufficient to kindle into fury the feelings of any one who merely reads any authentic account of those indignities |
The Chinese have long derived an immense revenue together with other great advantages from us; encouraging us to embark a vast capital in our trade with them and to form great permanent establishments dependent upon it |
Language cannot describe the degrading circumstances under which we have been forced to carry on our commercial intercourse with the Chinese; our long submission to such conduct having of course insured its continual aggravation |
The Opium trade perhaps beneficially brought matters to a crisis |
It was alleged on behalf of the Emperor that we were surreptitiously and from motives of gain corrupting and destroying his people by supplying them with opium; but it is easily demonstrable that this was only a pretence for endeavouring to effect a change in the medium of our dealings with them vastly beneficial to the Emperor and disadvantageous to us |
We might have been permitted to quadruple our supply of opium to his subjects if we would have been content to be paid _not in bullion_ but by taking Chinese goods in exchange; in a word to change the basis of our dealings from _sale_ to _barter_; and all this from a totally groundless notion of the Emperor and his advisers that we were draining his kingdom of silver --in their own words "causing the Sycee silver to ooze out of the dominions of the Brother of the Sun and the Moon |
" Their desperate anxiety to carry this point led them to take the decisive step of seizing a vast quantity of our opium under circumstances perfectly familiar to every body; constituting a crowning indignity and injury which without reference to the original legality or illegality of the opium trade gave us an unquestionable cause for war against the Emperor |
He seized the person of her Majesty's representative and those of many of her principal subjects in China; and under the threat of inflicting death upon them extorted a delivery of an enormous amount of property belonging to her Majesty's subjects |
If this was not a cause of war with any nation whether civilized or uncivilized there never was one; and without going into further detail we have stated sufficient to justify beyond all doubt our commencement of hostilities against China |
But this occurred so long ago as the month of March 1839; yet to the eternal scandal of the then existing Government no effectual warlike demonstration was made to redress this flagrant unparalleled outrage on the British nation till better councils those of the present Government were had recourse to by her Majesty; and which led to the quick triumphant result with which the world is now ringing |
Till the present vigorous Government took the affair in hand we were _pottering_ about the extremities of the empire month after month even year after year at a ruinous expense in a way justly calculated to excite the derision of even the Chinese--of the whole world who had heard of our mode of procedure |
It will be in vain for the late Government to endeavour meanly to make Captain Elliot their scapegoat |
Let them if they can satisfy the nation that in all he appears to have done so ineffectually and disgracefully he did not act according to the strict orders of the late Government; that in all he would have done and wished to have done viz |
to carry hostilities at once with an adequate force to the right point of attack he was not either positively overruled or left without advice and authority |
Owing to their own want of forethought of energy and of practical knowledge and their financial mismanagement even if they had contemplated the plan of operations which led ultimately to the successful enterprize on which we are now justly congratulating ourselves they _could_ not they _did not_ act upon them |
No it was left for the present Government under the auspices of him who told us that "England _could_ not carry on a little war " amidst all the embarrassments and dangers which they had just inherited from their predecessors to send out the peremptory instructions which have been so ably acted upon; and _above all_ a naval and military force fully adequate for the occasion |
This done China succumbed; and we understand that poor Lord Palmerston is pluming himself on being able to produce next session a despatch which he issued to Sir Henry Pottinger chalking out the very line of operations which was adopted with such supreme success |
We of course cannot officially know that such is the fact: but even admitting it why did not Lord Palmerston do this far earlier? What excuse can be offered for this vacillation and procrastination in an affair of such vast urgency? "We had not the means to equip a sufficient force " his lordship may reply in his usual strain of bitter flippancy |
And why had he not the means? The extravagance and profligacy of his Government had deprived him of them; his exchequer was empty; and had he or they the boldness or the virtue to propose what has been demonstrated to have been the only mode of meeting the exigency an income-tax? In vain therefore may his lordship and his friends declaim in the ensuing session and with our bombardment of China in his ears say "that is _my_ thunder |
" They will be only laughed at and despised |
No no Lord Palmerston; _palmam qui meruit ferat |
_ Let the nation decide |
The late military and naval proceedings against China reflect permanent glory upon the arms of England naval and military and we earnestly hope--we confidently believe--that those concerned in them will soon receive substantial and enduring marks of national gratitude |
But what is the real value what will be the consequences of our victory? We are very anxious to take the earliest opportunity of placing on record our views upon this all-important subject with a view of moderating the expectations and allaying the excitement which prevails upon the subject of the commercial advantages anticipated to follow immediately on the final ratification of the treaty |
Let us take a sober and common-sense view of the affair and reason thus:-- First of all we must bear in mind the long-cherished hatred borne by the Emperor and his court to all barbarians particularly towards us; exasperated now doubtless to a pitch of extreme intensity and malignity by the signal humiliation and injury we have inflicted upon him |
Can we expect that this will be suddenly and permanently altered? It is not in human nature which is the same every where |
With the thunder of our cannon in his ears the supplies of his whole empire at our immediate mercy his armies scattered like dust and his forts and walled cities crumbling to pieces under our artillery the necessity of his position forced him to buy peace on almost any terms |
We have exacted from him what is at variance with the fixed Chinese policy of ages |
The more he by and by reflects upon it in the absence of our awe-inspiring military and naval forces the more galling and intolerable will become the contemplation of what he has been compelled to concede and sacrifice |
Who knows what artful falsehoods may not be perseveringly poured into his ear day after day month after month year after year to our disadvantage and disparagement in his estimation? He may not dare perhaps to resort to open hostility directly to provoke our tremendous vengeance; but those best acquainted with China know what countless facilities exist for his doing indirectly what he dares not or may choose not to do openly |
We are not without fear from our knowledge of the Chinese character and of their long-established mode of procedure that every chicane and evasion will be resorted to in order to neutralize and nullify as far as possible the commercial advantages which we have at the cannon's mouth extorted from them |
A great deal at all events will depend on the skill firmness and vigilance of the consuls to be appointed at the five opened ports of China |
We rely also greatly on the unquestionable eagerness of the _Chinese_ people to enter into trading relations with us |
The Emperor however and those by whose counsels he is guided are Tartars between whom and the Chinese there is a long-cherished and bitter hostility which may eventually operate in our favour |
Adverting for a moment to the proceedings of Sir Henry Pottinger we feel very great doubt indeed whether our forces should not either with or without the consent of the Chinese have gone on to Pekin and insisted on the negotiations being carried on _there_ |
What a prodigious effect would not thereby have been produced not only on the mind of the Emperor but of the whole nation! The painful but salutary truth of their own weakness and our power would have been thus "brought home to their businesses and bosoms "--there could never afterwards have been any pretence for his or their saying that they had been deceived in any part of the proceedings |
Doubtless however Sir Henry Pottinger acted advisedly in abstaining from penetrating to Pekin and also from stipulating for the residence of a British ambassador at Pekin |
How such a proposal would have been received--or how if adopted and carried into effect it would have answered our expectations--it is difficult to say; but we have several letters lying before us from peculiarly well-informed persons on the spot in all of which the absence of this stipulation from the treaty is very greatly regretted |
"I am afraid " says one "we shall be again left to the tender mercies of the local mandarins and that their old habits of arrogance and deceit and extortion will be resumed |
For what are _consuls?_ They have no power of communicating even with the provincial officers: or if this should now be conceded they have none with the government at Pekin: and may we not fear that the Chinese will continue to force away gradually by effectual but invisible obstacles the trade from the ports now ostensibly opened to us?" The gentleman from whose long and very able letter we have quoted this paragraph takes a somewhat disheartening view of the treaty and its probable observance and consequences |
He is on the spot and has access to the best sources of knowledge; but we confess that for our own part we do not share his apprehensions |
Whatever disposition to do so the Emperor or his people may entertain we believe they will neither dare at all to offend or injure us openly or persevere long in attempting to do so indirectly |
It may be a work of time but as soon as they perceive the steady benefits derivable from a prudently-conducted course of dealing with them we think it likely that a sense of self-interest will lead them to encourage our intercourse and augment our dealings |
On one thing we regret to feel certain that we must calculate--namely on an enormous overstocking of the Chinese market with articles of British merchandize long before any sensible or at least important demand for them shall have been created; which will of course lead to serious loss on the part of the adventurers |
We must also expect Hong-Kong and the five open ports to be forthwith flooded with commercial adventurers |