torting a fum of money from thofe he was obliged by treaty to defend; and he adds to the character of a cruel invader, that of a corrupt and profligate judge. I do declare, that amongst all the writings I have ever feen, I never heard fuch doctrine maintained as I have heard on this fubject in this Houfe. I do not pretend to be greatly converfant in those kinds of books, but in all of them I have ever looked into, I have never feen a conduct fuch as this attempted to be defended; not even in Machiavel, and the moft corrupt defenders of crooked policy. It is worse than any mode of acting adopted by the meanest States of Italy; and if fuch doctrines are allowed by the Houfe of Commons to be valid, they are the first public affembly (I do not fay that has acted upon them) but they are the firft which has ever avowed and adopted them in any part of the civilized world. Unfortunately for mankind, actions are not always derived from pure fources in public bodies, but in general, they take care to hold forth to the world principles of equity and justice. But if he did guarantee this treaty, it is infifted that he was bound to fee the money paid to Sujah Dowlah. Was there no other way of procuring this than the one which Mr. Haftings followed? I will not put it better than in the words of an honourable gentleman (Mr. Hardinge) who, when he pleafes, poffeffes the powers of eloquence as much as any gentleman I know, but in a plain and fimple manner he expreffed this more ftrongly than by the most magnificent figures-Mr. Haftings' language to the Rohillas was this, "If you do not pay this fum of money, be ye extermi"nated." An honourable gentleman (Mr. Wilberforce) complains, that an appeal has been made to his paffions. It is true, it is an appeal to the paffions; this fimple expreffion is an appeal, the strongest that ever was made to the feelings of mankindit is one of thofe fubjects which eloquence cannot heighten, and the force of which words can only diminifh. If a fum of money was due by any one country to another with which we were in alliance; if that fum was demanded, and refused to be paid, we may join our ally in arms; buz we would not rufh blindly into war; we would weigh its policy; balance the advantage to be gained; and at any rate, we would follow it no farther than procuring the payment of the fum, and the expence of enforcing it. The noble Lord was pleafed to fay, that Mr. Haftings was obliged to join in arms with Sujah Dowlah, and having joined him with his troops, he had no more control over them; but this is by no means the line of his proper condu&t. If Mr. Haftings thought it right to grant an aid of troops to Sujah Sujah Dowlah, it ought to have been only for the purpose of enabling him to recover this fum of money; but he ought not to have fuffered him to carry his refentment to the Rohillas any farther; and even to enter into an offenfive war for this purpose, would have been contrary to his orders, and what the object would not have been equal to. Had Mr. Haftings faid to himself, I will procure this money for Sujah Dowlah, as the guarantee of the treaty; as the director of the English forces, and the.Prefident of the Company's fervants, I feel my felf bound to fee that the ftipulation is fulfilled. "Fiat juftitia, ruat cœlum." I am determined to rifque every thing to maintain the claim of Sujah Dowlah; let the policy and difpleasure of the Company yield to the neceffity of maintaining our faith: his conduct might have left room for an apology, but this is not his language; what does he fay! He fays, give it me; I muft have this fum. And he thinks fit to reprefent to him what the orders of the Company were, in order to enhance the merit of joining his forces with him, and to induce him to be more ready to let him have thefe forty lacks. Befides, the Rohilla country was always esteemed a barrier against the Marattas, and they were at that time preparing to go to war againft that nation. The fecurity therefore of the Company's territories required, that they fhould rather be defended than expelled; that they fhould be rather protected than wantonly attacked and deftroyed. It is in every refpect a clear point, that Sujah Dowlah had no claim upon you for your affiftance, whether there was a guarantee, or whether there was no fuch connection exifting. The atteftation of any treaty, and Sir Robert Barker's fig nature was no more, can never be confidered as a guarantee. As well might the fignature of Mr. Ofwald and Mr. Franklin, to the treaty of the laft peace, be confidered as a guarantee that this country and America fhould perform the conditions they feparately agreed upon with France. I think it must be equally convincing to all who attend to the true ftate of this bufinefs, that if there was a guarantee, it only tended to increase the criminality of this conduct. There is the orders of the Company against all offenfive alliances; and there is the fecurity of the country depending upon the ftrict compliance with these orders. No one can doubt, that the orders of the Company are clear, and that the difobedience of thefe orders is as clear. With regard to the juftice of the war, it is impoffible, in my opinion, that any human mind can feel, that it is not highly unjust in every respect, and in the most extensive degree. No principle that could tend to justify it was ever defended until this period, and that too in a British House of Commons. Much difference has arifen about the policy of restricting fervants in Afia from entering into offenfive war: I muft own, that I am on that fubject entirely of the opinion of the Directors: I think that the reputation of equity and moderation is fo neceffary to the prefervation of our poffeffions in India, that if the rich dominions of the Rohillas had been annexed to our territory, the accquifition could not have made up for the lofs of character we have fuftained: I think nothing that was poffible to be propofed could make up for it. The principle upon which Mr. Haftings acted was horrible; it was upon the principle upon which the most infignificant mercenary ftates form their measures of acting. What a principle for a great nation; for the English nation! It was no less than this in the moft exprefs terms-you must pay me, and I will exterminate them. This was the language held by the man who was entrufted with the government of the greatest territory belonging to the British empire, or perhaps to any empire; give me the forty lacks of rupees, and I will break through the orders I have received from my masters, and you fhall make ufe of their army to exterminate the Rohillas, and take poffeffion of their country. But behold what follows: in the year 1782 he is accufed of partiality to Sujah Dowlah; his reply is ready, he makes the Company participators in the crime, and by pretending their advantage, endeavours to evade the punishment due to fuch behaviour. I did not, fays he, mean to ferve Sujah Dowlah; I made this engagement to ferve you, by bringing to your treasury a fum of money, and drawing him nearer the frontiers of the Marattas; fo by his dread of them, he may be more dependant upon you. The whole and every part of this transaction forms fuch a picture of fo fad and crooked a policy, that it is infinitely deteftable. But this was not only a war merely of contention for victory. It was carried on with circumstances of the most atrocious cruelty. But that I may not feem to exaggerate, what in itfelf needs no exaggeration, I fhall beg leave to read to you the letters of Colonel Champion, complaining of this behaviour. LETTER LETTER I. Letter from Colonel Champion to Mr. Haftings. "Dear Sir, "I have the pleasure to send you a fhort addrefs for the Board, requefting permiffion to repair to the Prefidency, and I beg you will not fail to prefent it, as foon as credi"ble accounts fhall arrive of any officers being on the way to Bengal, to take the command of the army. "Not only do I wish to get down as foon as poffible, to put my little affairs in the best order for my return to Europe, but I must be candid enough to unbofom myself to you, and confefs, that the nature of the fervice,, and the terms "on which I have been employed this campaign, have been inexpreffibly difagreeable. 66 "The authority given to the Vizier over our army, has "totally abforbed that degree of confequence due to my fta"tion. My hands have been tied up from giving protection or afylum to the miferable. I have a deaf ear to the lamentable cries of the widow and fatherlefs, and fhut my "eves against a wanton display of violence and oppreffion, of inhumanity and cruelty. "The Company's intereft conftrained me in public to "ftifle the workings of my feelings, but I must give them ❝vent in private. "Though we had no active part in these base proceed"ings, yet it is well known that the fuccefs of our arms gave him the power of committing thefe enormities, and "I much fear that our being even filent fpectators of fuch "deeds, will redound to the difhonour of our nation, and "imprefs all Hindoftan with the most unfavourable opinion " of our Government. 66 "As matters are now, I know of no remedy that would "fo effectually re-establish our character for juftice and clemency, as your taking the family of Hafez under the wings of your mercy and protection, and influencing the "Nabob to make provifion for them, in foine degree fuitable "to their birth. "It would affect your fenfibility too much, were I to defcend to particulars; let it fuffice that the Nabob Mahab"bit Cawn, the eldeft fon, and the reft of the family of "Hafez, who are under clofe confinement (the Begums and "other women included) have been driven to the neceffity "of making private applications for a little rice and water. "I with, my friend, to leave fcenes which none but the mer " mercilefs Sujah can bear, without heart-bleeding pain. "Relieve me, therefore, as foon as poffible, and oblige, "Dear Sir,, &c. "A. CHAMPION." Extract of a Letter from Colonel Champion. Dated Camp, 12th of June, 1774. "In compliance with the Board's defire, I am now to " mention a very unpleafing subject, the Vizier's treatment "of the family of Hafez Ramet, &c. The inhumanity " and dishonour with which Mihebullah Khan, his brother "Fittiullah Khan, late proprietors of this city and this country, have been used, is known all over these parts; a relation of them would fwell this letter to an immenfe "fize, and withal prove very disagreeable reading; I fend " you tranflations of two letters, and a copy of a third, which, affecting as they are, will convey but a faint idea "of the treatment these unhappy people have met with. "I could not help compaffionating fuch unparallelled mi" fery; and my requests to the Vizier to fhew lenity were "frequent, but as fruitless as were the advices which I al"most hourly gave him regarding the deftruction of the vil"lages, with refpect to which I am now conftrained to de"clare, that although he always promised as fairly as I' "could wish, yet he did not obferve one of them, nor cease "to overspread the country with flames, till three days af❝ter the fate of Hafez Rhamet was decided; but that gen❝tleman, as in all points, excepting fuch as immediately respect the operations of the field, he is folely entitled to prescribe; the reputation of the British name is in his "hands, and the line which has been laid down for me is "clear." Tranflation of a Letter from a wife of Hafez Rhames Khan to Colonel Champion. "The English gentleman, renowned through Indoftan "for juftice, equity, and compaffionating the miferable. "Hafez Rhamet Khan for forty years governed this country, ❝ and the very beafts of the foreft trembled at his bravery.. "The will of God is refiftlefs; he is flain, and to his chil "dren not an atom remains, but they are caft from their "habitations, naked, and expofed to the winds and the "heat, and the burning, fand, and perifhing for want. even ❝ of rice and water: how fhall I either write or state my "condition? my fighs dry my ink and fcorch my paper. "It is evident as the fun the English are brave and merciful,, " and whofoever they fubdue, their children they preserve,, YOL. XX, S& |