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60 THE LEAD EE. I N(? '_J l() J>_J rA ^ ...
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LUCKNOW AND CAWNPORE. In the Leader of t...
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Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software. The text has not been manually corrected and should not be relied on to be an accurate representation of the item.
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The Two American Difficulties. In Follow...
The whole of these proceedings are clear and simple enough ; not so the consequences to -which they have led ; for , according to the present aspect of the affair , the mistimed ofliciousness of Commodore Pa . tji . din g has inyolved his Government in difficulties from ^ vhich , at this moment especially , it has good reason to desire to be free . On giving himself up at New York , Walkeb , was conveyed , to head-quarters at " Washington and handed * over to be dealt with by the supreme authorities ; then it was that the ugly truth had to . be told : Walker had been illegally
captured , and in capturing him Commodore Paux-ding had violated the very laws the breaking of which was the offence charged -against Walker . Not content with being merely released , "Walker demands that he shall be conveyed back to Nicaragua in a ship of war , and restored to his position , such as it was , before his arrest by the United States officer ; and he further demands that , after being reinstated at Punta Arenas , his flag shall be saluted by the guns of the vessel which carries him thither .
"Mr . Buchanan ' s position is painful and perplexing . Without for a moment anticipating anything like a serious protest from the Government of Nicaragua for Commodore Paxtlding ' s invasion of their territory , a world of difficulties are likely to grow out of this affair . That Walker ' s expedition has "been interrupted has raised against him
a storm of indignation in the South , which even the sacrifice of Commodore Patjldin g would not suffice to quiet . In fact , whatever course Mr . Buchanan may take with regard to the act of his officer , nothing can " prevent this affair from being turned to triumphant account by the party of which Waiker is regarded as an off-lying
partisan . What this party can do we see by what it is doing at this moment in Kansas . There , too , difficulty besets the President . The policy which he has pursued towards that unfortunate state seems likely to bring about the very ends it was intended to avert . The proslavery party has crowned its usurpation by voting the constitution offered to the state by Mr . Buchanan—the Lecompton constitution , with the slavery clause .
That the President ' s intentions were pure in accepting that draft constitution which most resembles the form of procedure required by the federal law , there can be no manner of doubt . The embarrassments arising from the dead lock in . Kansas are not chargeable upon him ; and the whole question for the Republic is , how the conflict within the State of Kansas can be best brought to a conclusion . It is vident that could termi
e nothing so rapidly - nate it as any course which would place that state in a condition of regular course of government according to the forms of the . Republic . Let us suppose for a moment that the draft of the Lecompton covenntion had been carried out for a year—that at the beg inning of 1859 we have a state constitution in full work according to that draft ; and let us ask what would be the result P The result
would be another state added to the Republic , constituting a border state on the question of slavery . The question would still be agi" ^ tlt < 03 " pbut ~ the ~ fitate "" authoritieaj-state- 'legi 8 * lation and administration , would be proceed * ing like those of the other states ; peace would be restored ; the impossibility of preventing bloodshed would have passed away ; and the Bojpublic would be left to * disease the question of slavery in peace . Now as to the result of that question we have never had an instant's doubt . That compulsory labour by negroes will continue in tropical America for many years to come , we believe . That the Slave states will be
surrounded by the spontaneous and more rapid growth of the free states appears to us to be proved , mathematically , on the face of history of the Republic . That a more peaceful discussion would develop opinion in the South on the subject of slavery—its deliberate , careful , and peaceable termination— -is also evident from the history of opinion in the Slave states themselves . That the Negro race , trained to labour after a stage of
serfdom , which has not yet equalled in duration that of the White races , would arrive at a mental and moral condition enabling it to assist in its own emancipation , is possible if not probable . And whether the Negroes continue to reside in America , or re-colonize Africa with a race fitted for that climate , but also trained to participate in the civilization of the world , their welfare would then be essentially united with the peace and welfare of the American Republic .
60 The Lead Ee. I N(? '_J L() J>_J Ra ^ ...
60 THE LEAD EE . I (? '_ J J >_ J ^ XTAB > Y 16 » 1 B 5 j *
Lucknow And Cawnpore. In The Leader Of T...
LUCKNOW AND CAWNPORE . In the Leader of the 2 nd instant we took occasion to pay what , with the lights then before us , we deemed no less than a just compliment to the skill as well as valour displayed by Sir Colin Campbell in his operations for the relief of our blockaded garrison at Lucknow . The arrival of another mail , bringiug further particulars regarding this memorable passage of arms , has , in all respects , vindicated our interpretation , and the judgment we then recorded is now generally inionThe
echoed by the voice of public op . more we learn of Sir Colin ' s late achievements , the more are we gratified to observe that a result , alike so important " and so desirable , should have been obtained upon terms which leave us as little as possible to regret in the shape of those losses which the fortune of war necessarily involves . From the earliest days of Anglo-Indian campaigning we could indeed enumerate a long series of triumphs gained over countless hosts by small but devoted bands of British soldiers , unused to reckon the odds opposed to them . But
these victories were in many cases rather showy than substantial ; and it is to be feared that , in some instances at least , a prodigal expenditure of humau life was sanctioned in fighting merely for fighting ' s sake . The present Commander-in-Chief of the Indian armies has , however , approached his task with a happier and far higher sense of the obligations which his position entails upon him . In every successive development of the plan so consistently carried out in his recent advance upon Lucknow , we may trace evidences of judgment and forethought that speak volumes in affirmation of Sir Colin
Campbell ' s military genius . We find that , as nothing was left unprovided for , — -so nothing failed ; and nothing was allowed to interfere with preconcerted arrangements , however assiduously the enemy , on their side , laboured to effect a seasonable diversion . But above all things , as we once before remarked , we admire the General ' s strict determination to avoid any needless sacrifice of lives too precious to be lightly ventured . The mere forcing of the blockade , and the consequent rescue of British women , children , and invalids ,
were-tidinga-to-be-received-iu-this-country not s < v much with exultation , as in humble thankfulness . But there is room for exultation , too , on separate grounds , for the reality and completeness of Sir Colin Campbell ' s success are attested by other trophies . He has brought away from the Residency , and other positions , every piece of ordnance that was worth moving ; he haB brought away the late King ' s treasure , and all the Government money , amounting to twenty-three lakhs of rupees ( 280 , 000 / . ) : and he has
brought away all the state prisoners that were kept in custody on account of political offences against , the British Government . What proofs , more decisive , could be imagined or required ? In our remarks of the 2 nd inst ., to whic h we have already referred , we stated our belief that , notwithstanding his late brilliant exploits , the Commander-in-Chief was not yet strong enough—with all the country up iu arms around him—to hold his own even at
Lucknow , much less to attempt the immediate reconquest of Oude . We showed that he must either retire at once upon Cawnpore —however such a move might be disliked , as an apparent sacrifice of prestige—or remain at the capital in a state of siege , and cut off from all means of communicating with the chief authorities . Sir Colin Campbell , rightly deeming the latter position to be the one least consistent with his duty to the State , at once effected his retreat in good order and without molestation , leaving , it
is said , Sir James Outram with a sufficient force strongly entrenched at the Alumbagh . And here , on the 25 th November , a martyr to the fatigues and anxieties under which he had so long nobly borne up , died the gallant Havelock , whose memory will be imperishably associated with the relief of Lucknow . He was happy , at least , in having lived to see the completion of the good work which he had himself so gloriously laboured to promote .
And now , in following the course of events as set forth in our latest intelligences , we arrive at a very painful episode in this extraordinary contest . The details hitherto furnished are singularly meagre , although we have already received the main particulars of some considerably more recent occurrences . It would appear that Major-General Windham , who proceeded in command of the first division of troops thatretired upon Cawnpore , had received orders to assume a defensive
attitude , and on no account to attempt engaging with the insurgent force supposed to be hovering about that neighbourhood . This officer , however , pitched his camp outside of the new entrenched position at Cawnpore , and here , on the 26 th of November , he was led to encounter a detachment of the Gwalior force , over whom he gained a very easy victory , and , to all ap 2 > earance , utterly dispersed them . Whether this was a preconcerted scheme upon the part of the enemy to throw General Windham off his guard , we have not
yet learned . At all events , such appears to have been the result , since , on the following day , we find that the General was attacked by the main body of the Gwalior Contingent ( under circumstances indicative of a complete surprise ) , his standing camp p lundered ana burned , his troops beaten back into Cawnpore , and two British regiments dreadfully cut up —one , indeed , being almost destroyed . Next day the mutineers attacked the fortified
position , but were repulsed , though not without the loss on our side of a gallant soldier , Brigadier N . Wilson . We deeply regret that an officer of General Winjjham ' s high character should have so grievously committed himself . His relinquishing his present command was a matter almost of course . But we still hope that something may appear in extenuafcioa _ pOJ * , eJ !} ejajy ^
leged . In the meantime , Sir Colin Gamfbbm , " * person had attacked and routed the Contingent : committing to Brigudier Hope Guant the task of driving the fugitives acrofcs the Ganges , a task which was performed m < J most satisfactory manner . It is , however , now quite clear that there is no chance o * concluding the war this season . Even « Central India could be speedily pacified , tno work to be done eastward of the Ganges "
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Citation
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Leader (1850-1860), Jan. 16, 1858, page 12, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse2.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/cld_16011858/page/12/
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