J//3 
 
 THE TRUE ISSUE, 
 
 OH 
 
 GOVERNMENT NEUTRALITY 
 
 IN 
 
 FROM THE 
 
 LAHORE CHRONICLE. 
 
 LAHORE: 
 
 PRINTED AT THE CHRONICLE PRESS, BY 3 . F. WILLIAMS. 
 
 1 3 5 9 . 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Digitized by the Internet Archive 
 in 2016 
 
 https://archive.org/details/trueissueorgoverOOunse 
 

 
 
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P R E F A C E. 
 
 We republish these articles in this form, at the re- 
 quest of a number of our readers, who, feeling the im- 
 portance of the subject, have come forward voluntarily 
 to make the request and meet the expence. We re- 
 publish it as the appeal of the Christian community of 
 India to the Government, the Press, and the Christian 
 community of England. We appeal to the Govern- 
 ment, to see to it that their Agents in this country car- 
 ry out faithfully the principles of equal rights and Re- 
 ligious liberty, enunciated in Her Majesty’s Proclama- 
 tion as interpreted by a Q C. We appeal to the Press, 
 for their defence of those principles, and to keep the 
 people informed of the manner in which they are ob- 
 served or violated. We appeal to the people of Eng- 
 land, to make their influence felt every where in behalf 
 of the great principles of Civil and Religious liberty, so 
 violently threatened in this country. Finally, we appeal 
 especially to those who feel an interest in the spread of 
 the Gospel to use all proper and Christian means for 
 settling the Government of this country on such princi- 
 ples, that it shall at all times, and under all circum- 
 stances, rule in the fear of God, and not in the fear of 
 the heathen ; and shall “ do whatever a Christian Go- 
 vernment ought to do in a Christian spirit and manner.’^ 
 
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THE TRUE ISSUE 
 
 OK 
 
 GOV E R N M E N T N E U T R A L 1 T Y 
 
 IN 
 
 RELIGION, 
 
 FROM THE LAHORE CHRONICLE. 
 
 Thr true issue has at last been taken between the Government of 
 India and Christianity. The question now forced upon all concerned 
 is, can a man serve the Government of this country without abandoning 
 the higher and holier service of Christ ; can a Christian still yield 
 allegiance to his earthly sovereign as a servant of Government, without 
 forswearing his allegiance to the King of Kings and Lord of Lords ? 
 Lord Stanley and the Phoenix of Calcutta, it seems have decided these 
 questions in the negative, and Lord Canning and his Calcutta Council 
 have already commenced executing this decree. The Phoenix says, 
 <l from what fell from Lord Stanley in the house of Lords, it is pretty 
 evident that were a vacancy to occur in the viceroyalty of this country, 
 Sir John Lawrence would stand no chance of being appointed thereto.” 
 What is the reason that the chance of the man, who under God saved 
 India from the rage of au infuriated soldiery, and the folly of Lord Can- 
 ning, being permitted to enjoy the fruits of his statesmanship, is so 
 small ? It is simply and solely according to the Phoenix “ that however 
 great may be Sir John Lawrence’s merits, and great indeed they are, 
 there sprang up under his Government of the Punjab, a system of direct 
 encouragement to Missionary effort which was not at all essential to the 
 spread of Christianity, and which if more generally followed throughout 
 India, would sooner or later be productive of the very worst of conse- 
 quences.” Iu other words, Sir John Lawrence wa3 a Christian man and 
 a Christian ruler. He had the good sense to perceive, and the honesty 
 to avow, that even iu India a Christian Government could do every 
 tiling a Christian Government ought to do in the discharge of its duty 
 to God and to man. if done in a Christian spirit and manner, and 
 
lie had the baldness to act upou that principle just so far as he was 
 nllowed. And what have been the results of this course ? His enemies 
 feared him — his name was, as it should be, “ a terror to evil doers, 
 and a praise to them that do well,” (which Lord Canning’s never was.) 
 All respected him, and God blessed him in his efforts to save India. We 
 cordially thank the Phoenix for bringing thus closely into juxtaposition 
 Sir John Lawrence’s Christian Government and its results, and also 
 for the true issue now to be tried before God and his people, that for 
 this he is to be excluded from the Viceroyalty of the country, saved 
 by the blessing of God on his Christian policy. Again we thank the 
 Phoenix for bringing out the true issue before the country and the 
 world. 
 
 Before we proceed however to the trial of this issue, we must put 
 in a demurrer to some of the false insinuations contained in the quo- 
 tation above. It is insinuated that Sir John connected Government 
 with Missionary work, and improperly gave official encouragement to 
 Missionary associations, and that systematically. Now we flatly 
 deny this whole insinuation, and call on the Phoenix for the proof. 
 Let him tell us what was that “ system of direct encouragement to 
 Missionary effort,” that “ sprang up under his Government in the 
 Punjab.” Where is the proof of its existence. Where, we boldly ask, 
 is the proof of any thing more, than the withdrawal of all improper 
 opposition on the part of Government to Missionary work, so far as 
 was iu his power. It is assumed in the above extract that the results 
 of this system “ must be productive of the worst of consequences.” It 
 i9 very easy to make such random general statements and predict such 
 ruinous consequences, but to prove the statements and show the ne- 
 cessity of the consequences, is a very different thing. Such assertions 
 are sufficiently met by denial and demand for the proof. We deny the 
 statement and call for the proof. We reject the inference and call 
 for the demonstration. 
 
 Wc go further. Wc give facts to show that such inferences are 
 illegitimate. We often wonder at the pertinacity with which the Jews 
 adhere to the expectation of a coming Messiah, and at their repeating 
 time after time, their calculations and predictions of the time of that 
 expected appearance, though hitherto so many of (hose predictions 
 have turned out false, and so many of those calculations, utterly 
 erroneous. But this hue and cry of the enemies of true religion, about 
 
3 
 
 the awful consequences of obeying God rather than man, ia far older 
 than the Jewish folly. We hear of it in reference to the preaching 
 of Jeremiah previous to the Babylonish captivity. The irreligious 
 raised the hue and cry, that if he should be allowed to continue that 
 sort of preaching, tho Babylonians would be down on them, and ruin 
 their Commonwealth. Well they would not let him alone. They cast 
 him into a loathsome dungeon, and yet the Babylonians were not 
 restrained. They camo, invaded the land, and carried away its king 
 and people into captivity for 70 years. Yet this lesson, clear and 
 decisive as it was, was lost on that na’ion. For in the time of Christ, 
 the same old lino and cry was raised “ if wo let him thus alone, the 
 Romans will come and take nway our name and nation.” Well, truo 
 to the sj stem, they would not let him alone, until they had, as they 
 thought, securely lodged him in the tomb of the rich man, sealed 
 with a Roman signet, and guarded by a Roman Qaternian of soldiers. 
 Nor did this avert the dreaded calamity. So far from it, it was the 
 last drop that caused the cup of their iniquity to overflow and bring 
 dawn on their devoted heads, the very calamity they dreaded and tried 
 by that means to avert. 
 
 Upon the Government of this country too, have nil these lessons 
 been lost. They too have caught up the same old hue and cry as 
 though it were something new— even as though they thought a wiser 
 than Solomon had just revealed it to them. The cry for the last cen- 
 tury has been “ 0 if you interfere with the religion of the natives, 
 they will rise and turn us out of the country.” But by interference 
 they meant much more than the word will justify. They used it to 
 mean that Government must not only abstain from every thing that 
 was against the religion of the natives, but that they must actually 
 interfere to prevent any body else from teaching them or offering them 
 any other religion. Now, if Government will only adopt the rule 
 never to interfere with the religion of any one, so long a3 it does not 
 interfere with the equal rights of others, it will do all we or the Mis- 
 sionaries ask. But all the time they will interfere, and endeavour to 
 blind the eyes of the world with pledges not to interfere. At first they 
 persecuted, imprisoned, and drove from the country Missionaries on 
 the plea of non-interference. Then when obliged to yield that point, 
 thsy reiterated their pledges of non-interference, and still continued 
 
to interfere, as much as the fear of Exeter Hull would allow them, to 
 hamper and render nugatory their efforts. From all this it is perfectly 
 evident, that Government felt no compunction about interfering to 
 oppose and persecute Christianity, and throw all the obstacles they 
 could in the way of its progress. 
 
 And how did they keep their pledges all this time to the natives ? 
 Why, with the absolute unlimited pledge not to interfere, they began 
 to pas3 laws against this and that, all the time reiterating their pledges 
 of non-interference, until the natives utterly lost all confidence in 
 Government pledges on the subject. Government had moreover given 
 them the hint as to how they might got rid of such a pledge-breaking 
 po wer. Government had told them that the authorities were afraid 
 they would conspire against their authority and suddenly rise and 
 butcher all they could, and drive the rest from the country. "Well they 
 took the hint so continually dinned into their ears for the last hun- 
 dred years, and when they heard that Government were again about to 
 violate their pledge and adopt a scheme, that would make them all 
 Christians, they arose and did what they could to cany out the hint 
 they had received, and prevent the success of the proselytizing scheme 
 they dreaded. It is instructive to remember, that the army, whom 
 the Government had taken special pains to keep in ignorance of the 
 Gospel, from whom Missionaries were as fur as possible excluded and 
 their converts expelled ; the army which was the most iguoraut of all 
 the population as to what Christianity was, that very army arose and 
 was the most thoroughly convinced of all the population, that Govern- 
 ment really intended to trick or force them into Christianity, and 
 was the most bitter and terrible of the whole people. That portion of 
 the natives who received most knowledge of Christianity, laughed at 
 the credulity of the army for believing such absurdities, or despised 
 them for professing to believe it when they did not. At first the 
 attempt was made to raise a hue and cry against Missionaries and 
 Missionary effort as the cause of all. But soon it became so perfectly 
 evident that they had nothing to do with it, that none remained foolish 
 enough to risk their rtputation for sense by repeating the absurdity. 
 Well, as in olden times, the means to avert the dreaded calamity only 
 brought it on. And its full effects in the butchery or expulsion of all 
 Christians from the country, were averted under God by the very men 
 
who never joined in the hue nnd cry flgninst the Gospel, but did even 
 thing in their power, n 9 individuals, without committing or compro- 
 mising Government in the matter, to encourage the spread of Chris- 
 tianity. All this time, the blunders andjiuefficiency of the other party 
 were so gross, that now they' have “ none so poor to do them rever- 
 ence.” They have rendered themselves utterly contemptible in the 
 eyes of the community, both Native and Christian. And now, 09 if to 
 bring that contempt to a climax, they would reward the Saviour of 
 India with the brand on his forehead — “ declared unfit forever to rule 
 the country he snved, simply and solely because he has the sense to be- 
 lieve and the honesty to avow, that iu India a Christian Government 
 may perforin every Christian duty, if done in a Christian spirit and 
 manner.” Grateful England ! Glorious brand on one of her noblest 
 sous ! Let it be emblazoned on the escutcheon of the Peer age about 
 to be conferred on him, that it may descend as an heirloom to bis pos- 
 terity, as a monument of the gratitude and piety of the Government 
 be saved from destruction and infamy. 
 
 Bat we bold that Civil Government is of Divine Authority ; 
 “ that the powers that be are ordained of God,” that *• by him Kings 
 reign and princes decree judgment” — that “ He and Ileulone setteth 
 up one and putteth down another.” AVe believe that whatever com- 
 motions or revolutions are the instruments of putting down one set 
 of rulers or one form of Government and setting up another, “ God 
 always rides on the whirlwind and directs the storm.” We believe 
 that he says to every Government set up by him ; “ they that rule over 
 men must be just, ruling in the fear tf the Lord," and not iu the fear 
 of the heathen or of any body else — that " Governors ore sent by 
 Him for the punishment of evil doers, and for the praise of them that 
 do well.” We believe that the standard of well nnd ill-doing is the 
 word of Him who sent those governors. Believing this we maintain 
 that the Government of this country have long ago violated Heaven’s 
 charter by which they held dominion, and it has accordingly been 
 taken away and giveu to auother, to fulfil the terms of the charter. 
 During the whole century and more of the reign of the East India 
 Company, has God ever been acknow'ledged os having any right to a 
 voice iu the Government of the couutry ? Has the fear ever been 
 
G 
 
 expressed that God might be offended by the course proposed or pursued, 
 and revoke their charter? Never, but on the contrary 'he substance of 
 the cry has always been, “ if we obey God the Natives will rise and 
 drive us out of the country !” So they would not obey him. They 
 could not trust his assurance that “ when a man’s ways please the 
 Lord he maketh even his enemies to be at peace with him.” They 
 could not be brought to fear the threat that “ the nation and Kingdom 
 that will not serve Thee shall perish, yea those nntions shall be utterly 
 wasted.” Even a Governor General might disgrace the name of 
 Christian aud Gentleman, by living in open adultery, and degrade a 
 subordinate by requiring him to dance attendance on his paramour ns 
 though she were his lawful wife ; his Agent may seduce the lawful 
 wife of a brother Officer and by a course of gross licentiousness dis- 
 gust even the native population. Officers of the Native Army mny 
 irritate their men and other natives to the highest pitch by interfering 
 with their women, and still no expression escape any one that such 
 conduct would offend either God or man, so as to endanger the sta- 
 bility of the powers that be. They may curse their men, and pro- 
 fane the name of their God on a public parade, and officially 
 report the same to the Viceroy in Council, without even a word 
 of rebuke or admonition. But let a pious, God-fearing, Officer, 
 in the most private manner possible, give a tract or sny a 
 word in obedience to God’s command to direct a dying soul 
 to a liviug Saviour, at once the alarm is sounded from the 
 Himalayas to Cape Comorin, that the country is in danger. Yes a 
 wreckless enthusiast has seized a lighted match aud rushed madly into 
 the magazine, and there is no help for us, we must all be speedily 
 blown into the air ! In all this we have not a word about the danger 
 of disobeying or offending Him who gave us our charter. No, II is 
 name’s not worth mentioning. Ilia fear is suitable only for old women 
 and children, so they would not obey him. Well and what was the 
 consequence? Did they secure the confidence of the natives? No 
 those very natives arose nnd begau the slaughter. Did they secure the 
 favor of Him by whose charter they held the country. No, He turned 
 against them, took from them the violated charter, and gave them up 
 into the hands of them that hated them. In this terrible crisis whilst 
 “ the Government was in the air” nnd the torn charter flying back to 
 Him who gave it, there arose a new Judge in the land followed by n 
 
7 
 
 worthy faithful few, with the cry of “the Sword of the Lord and of 
 liis people.” God heard that cry, blessed tlnso dibits and redeemed 
 n people already devoted to destruction, but the charter lie gave to 
 another. 
 
 She unto whose hands this charter was given, and who now 
 holds it, on the receipt of her commission was advised, by those on 
 whom all the preceding lessons ofhistory had been lost, utterly to 
 ignore Him from whom she had received it on assuming the reins of 
 Government thus committed to her hands, on ihe old hue and cry tho 
 natives will rise and turn us out of the country if God be obeyed. Cut 
 she wisely rejected the suicidal proposal and proclaimed herself a Chris- 
 tian sovereign determined to do a Christian’s duty in a Christian man- 
 ner. See the explanation cf the Queen’s proclamation by a Q. C. 
 lately published in this paper. Still, in violation both of the charter and 
 of the Queen’s proclamation, her Agents in this country show vigour 
 and determination in scarcely any one thing, except the more energetic 
 pursuit of the old policy which lost the empire to its late rulers ! Again 
 the army are to be kept by authority in a state of ignorance and 
 superstition that prepares them to believe the grossest absurdity about 
 the religion and conduct of their rulers, and to commit the vilest deeds 
 of inhumanity and wickedness. The greatest works of public and 
 government utility or necessity, must be subject to the delays of 
 months of reference, and go through all the absurd routine of red tape, 
 though public and private interests demand a common sense course 
 to expedite matters, still the routine cannot in the slightest be deviated 
 from. But let the eagle eye of one of the Government clique, rest on 
 a paragraph of a mofussil paper, 6tatiug that some Government servants 
 have attended the baptism of 2 or 3 old women, and no time must be 
 lost. The Empire is now again in danger. These mad enthusiasts 
 must at once be brought to an account. All this is tortured into an 
 official act implicating Government iu schemes for proseletyzing the 
 natives. Now’, as before, the natives, not God, are to be feared. Now 
 as before Christianity is the only religion to be interfered with. Now 
 as before, Christians are to be the only persons condemned to pay a 
 heavy penalty on account of their religion, with only this difference, 
 that now the rigour of their servitude is to bo increased, ami Chrisli- 
 
8 
 
 aiiity more decidedly and violently opposed than before. Now the 
 issue to be tried is, will Government allow a consistent conscientious 
 Christian to continue in their service. Will Goverument allow their 
 servants to be faithful to their Saviour and do their duty to Him as 
 well as to their sovereign, or must they take their choice which to 
 resign. 
 
 We have said the course now adopted by the Supreme Govern- 
 ment and many of their subordinates is a direct open violation of 
 the Queen’s Proclamation ns explained by a Q. C., and we sup- 
 pose as official as any such explanation is likely to be. That 
 Proclamation pledges to all parties the full and free enjoyment of all 
 the privileges of their respective religions, and freedom in the 
 discharge of their respective duties, so far as they do not interfere 
 with the equal rights, privileges, and immunities of their neighbours. 
 That is just and equal, and no Mi sionary wishes anything more. 
 One of the duties of a Christian is in all circumstances to “ hold 
 forth the word of life” to “ go into all the world and preach 
 the Gospel to every creature. ” In violation of this right and of the 
 principles of the proclamation, a man in command of a few hundred- 
 yards square of land, says, no you shall not obey that command 
 within these lines, you shall not “ preach the Gospel” to the 
 1,000 inhabitants of that spot. Let them go elsewhere and hunt up 
 the Missionary if they waut to hear him preach, but then they must 
 be back by roll call. This is reiterated by the Phcenix, and in reference 
 to jails it is said by the Supreme Government, if any person wants 
 instruction on the subject, a Missionary at his request may be allowed 
 to visit him. Just exactly the plan Satan would like above all others. 
 Keep men in utter ignorance of the Gospel, and tell them, that when 
 they wish it, they can have it. Pray wise men of Calcutta, no doubt 
 lineal descendants of Solomon, tell us how a man is to desire and 
 seek that of which he knows nothing This is the Devil's plan of 
 preaching the Gospel. Christ’s plan was and is “ go ye into all the 
 world and preach the Gospel to every creature. ” Government have 
 distinctly avowed its adoption of the former and rejection of the latter. 
 The sequel must reveal how long this counsel can stand. 
 
 But we shall be asked, must Goverument turn evnngelizer ? No, 
 by no means. Simply adhere honestly to the pledge not to inlet fere 
 
0 
 
 in religion. Do not oppose or throw auy obstacles in the way of any. 
 Administer justice, equity, aud the affairs of the country with an 
 impartial hand. But must we allow our servants to commit us by 
 their official acts ? By no means, neither must you denude them of 
 their in dividuality, or deprive them of their rights as Christians, 
 or force them to abjure their allegiance to the King of Kings. Is it 
 true that whatever a servant of Government does, implicates Govern- 
 ment as an official act ? If not, then may a Christian servant per- 
 form his duties to Ch ist and the souls of men in his private capacity. 
 
 If it be, then why not call them to acc >unt for immoralities which 
 disgrace their kith an J kin, as well as implicate Government. But no, 
 a Government servant may attend a filthy nnutcla but not a baptism, 
 lie may seduce women, but not say a word about Christ ! He may 
 do and say what he pleases against, but not a word on any account 
 for the Gospel. Again it will be asked, is a Missionary to be allowed 
 to go into the lines of a Regiment, and force his religion upon the 
 men ? By no means ; he should not be allowed to force them or any^ 
 one else there or any where else. But when a Missionary or any other 
 private individual chooses to go into a Regimental bazar, and talk or 
 preach to those and only those who choose to talk or listen to him * 
 and to give or sell books to those who ask for them, what right has an 
 officer to interfere? When a Missionary visits native Christians in 
 their lines, and others voluntarily gather around to listen to his in- 
 structions, what right has any officer to prevent his repeating his visits. 
 
 Or if a Missionary passing the huts of the sepoys should be stopped 
 by auy one or more, and others gather around to listen to what is said, 
 what call is there for the interference of authority. No rights have 
 been violated. No force or undue influence has been practiced and no 
 one complains. The course of the Governrmnt is clearly in violation of 
 the pledge of equal rights to all, contained in the Queen’s proclamation. 
 
 We now call upon the Phoenix et id omne genus to show cause for 
 the fears expressed. Is it not a fact that some years ago a sepoy was 
 expelled from the Army at Meerut for becoming a Christian, even 
 though his comrades wished him to remain in the corps as heretofore. 
 
 Is it not a fact that God marked that spot first with the blood of the 
 nation that had dared thus to offend high Heaven ? Is it not, on the 
 
10 
 
 other hand, a fact that some years later, a Brahmin in a Sikh Regi- 
 ment in the Punjab was converted, his conversion reported to the 
 Adjutant, and the man allowed quietly to remain where he was, aud 
 that for several years he continued with that Regiment, went with it 
 through the last Burma war, and on his return voluntarily resigned 
 the service. We believe all his comrades speak well of him to this day. 
 What injury resulted from these conversions What dangers did they 
 threaten, except in the imagination of a Godless Government and 
 dissolute Officers ? When has evil ever followed as the consequence 
 of Miseionaiy preaching or Christian efiort for the salvation of the 
 men of the native army ? We are informed that it is a fact, that of 
 the Regiments that mutinied at Jullundur, not a man whose son was 
 in the Mission 6chool joined the mutineers, that those same mutineers 
 when they reached the Mission premises at Loodeana, ceased their 
 work and went to cooking and eating their food— that when urged by 
 the CaBhnieere budmaahes to assist them in destroying the Mission 
 pioperty r they replied, what have we to do with the Pndrtes? Our 
 quarrel is not with the Padrees, but with the Sircai' ” — saying this they 
 actually left as soon ns they had finished their meals without doing 
 the slightest injuiy to the premises. It is a fact that the orphan girls 
 l! the Missionary orphanage fled for refuge to some native neighbour#, 
 and not one of them was lost or injured. It is a fact that at Sealkote 
 a few months ago, a sepoy of the 46th N. I. came to a Missionary 
 for books. When asked why he had not gone with his comrades, lie 
 replied, O my associates were mostly Christians, and to tell you the truth 
 1 am about half a Christian myself. LUve such facts no weight with 
 the opposers of the Gospel ? Where have they facts of equal weight 
 to put against them ? We pause for a reply. 
 
 In concluding an article already longer than we had intended to 
 make it, we would inform Government, the Phoenix, and all who 
 sympathise with them, that there is a God in the heavens whom they 
 can neither deceive by their sophistries, nor ignore with impunitv and 
 who will not be mocked by professions of interest in the spread of the 
 Gospel, while those professions are contradicted by acts which oppose 
 its spread. We beg them to remember how He, through long 
 centuries, remained faithful to His promise to His chosen people, and 
 when three times a year the land was left in a perfectly defenceless 
 
11 
 
 state, by the males all going according to hia command to keep the 
 least at Jerusalem, no enemy was ever allowed to desire their land. 
 But at last they provoked Him so by their impiety that ho declared 
 “ though Nouh, Daniel and Job were in the land, they should deliver 
 but their own souls by their righteousness.” True, we have Mont- 
 gomery still, a man every way worthy to take up the mantle that fell 
 from two of the Lawrences in succession. Yet when such an Auathema 
 against the country comes from Him who sitteth upon the throne 
 judging righteously, though he, with all the band of worthies who 
 before stood in the breach were in the land, they should deliver but 
 their own souls. Past events show that the course taken by the Go- 
 vernment of this country is rapidly driving the country on this fatal 
 rock. Already has she been once in the breakers, and received some 
 rude shocks, but no sooner does the ship of state get fairly oat of the 
 surf, then she heads about straight for the same rock again. Again we 
 warn our contemporary and the Government, that their policy must 
 sooner or later, if not abandoned, call from the Almighty lluler of the 
 Universe, the fiat to take from our present sovereign the kingdom of 
 this land and give it to another, who will bring forth the fruits requir- 
 ed, and when once that fiat goes forth, no created power can avert our 
 doom. 
 
 The trial of the true issue presented in a recent number of this 
 journal proceeds, and as the evidence transpires, we hope to keep our 
 readers informed as to its progress. We have seen that Sir John who 
 Beized the broken reins of Government as they fell from the hands of 
 Lord Canning, checked the fiery steeds, and at length brought the 
 chariot of state again upon the straight road, aud reduced its impetus 
 to a safe rate, is proscribed as unfit to mount the seat of the charrioteer 
 whom he saved from being pitched into the sea. Well, we hope ere 
 long to see such a revolution in the ministry, as shall place the pro- 
 scribed statesman in the seat of Lord Stanley, when we may expect 
 to see some rational ns well as Christian scheme for the Government 
 of this country inaugurated. 
 
 Meanwhile we proceed with the summary of the evidence so far 
 as it has been permitted to escape the secrecy of red tape. In re- 
 ference to the Umritsur baptisms, we believe the gist of the fault of 
 
12 
 
 the delinquents was, that they had attended Divine Service at 
 uncanonical hours, and at an uncanonical place, and as this act was 
 for the purpose of witnessing the baptism of native converts, it implicat- 
 ed the Supreme Government in a proselyting scheme for overturning 
 nolens nolens the religion of the country. This being the ground of 
 complnint, we are left free to infer, that within canonical hours and 
 in a canonical place, they may attend on any worship or ceremony that 
 may be appointed, without implicating Government or incurring the 
 wrath of Lord Canning. For this difficulty the remedy is easy, and 
 we advise our Missionary friends to take a note of it, and when they 
 wish to gratify the Christian feelings of any Christian servants of 
 Government, just remember to appoint the proper time and place for 
 their future baptisms. We shall then see what effect it will have 
 upon the nerves of my Lord Canning. 
 
 Since our last article on this subject, we learn from a contemporary, 
 tha' in prohibiting the admission of Missionaries into jails, Lord Can- 
 * n ing had severely reprimanded the Officers of the Punjab Government 
 for expressing their opinions in favor of this measure. Having failed 
 most signally and di-gracefully iu his effort to gag the whole Press of 
 India, he consents now to undertake a smaller business in a more quiet 
 wav, by gagging the official expression of opinions contrary to his own. 
 This is the common resort of petty persecuting tyrants, especially when 
 confronted by arguments they have not calibre sufficient to grasp, or 
 truth enough on their side to enable them to answer. So now*no 
 Officer of the Punjab Government can moot the question even, but 
 at his peril. Well, in all this there is this satisfaction, that we know 
 where we are and with what principles we have to deal. 
 
 The last item of evidence in this trial that has reached us is, that 
 Lord Canning has ordered the Officers of the 24th P. I. to cease all 
 further interference with the religion of their men. To understand 
 this, it is necessary to inquire wherein have they interfered. So far as 
 we are informed, we believe the facts are substantially these. Amongst 
 the plunder taken in Delhi, the men of that Regiment found a number 
 of Christian books, and became interested in rending them. This stock 
 of books having been exhausted, leaving that interest unsatisfied, they 
 applied to one of their Officers for more books. He to gratify his men 
 
13 
 
 availed himself of the first opportunity that offered, of obtaining books 
 from the Missionaries, which happened to he those of Umritsur, on the 
 return of the Regiment to that place. The Missionaries very properly 
 availed themselves of this opportunity of communicating oral instruction 
 also, to those to whom they gave books. And the Officers of the Regi- 
 ment very properly refrained from all interference with the work of 
 the Missionaries, or with the religion of the men retrospective or 
 prospective. The consequence was, that a number of books were 
 distributed, some instructions given, several men offered themselves 
 as candidates for baptism, and one was actually baptised. The men 
 continued to read and talk about what they read, and other Mis- 
 sionaries, as opportunity offered, went and instructed them, the interest 
 increased, and others avowed themselves Christians. At this stage 
 of the business, we understand one of the officers commenced reading 
 the Church Service on Sundays to the native Christians, and inquirers 
 of the Regiment, and any others who chose voluntarily to attend. If 
 there has been any further interference with the religion of the men, 
 than what appears in the above simple summary, we are not inform- 
 ed of it. From this it appears, that the thunders of the Calcutta Vati- 
 can, have been levelled against one or more of three distinct and separate 
 acts. The first was asking for books, to gratify those men who were 
 so much interested in them as to apply for them. Was this wrong ? 
 Is this for the future prohibited ? No matter how many men may 
 ask for Christian books, or how earnestly and importunately they may 
 intreat this favour of their officers, are they to refuse to gratify this 
 desire or imperil their commissions. ? This will show that we have 
 stated the real point at issue. Can a consistent conscientious Christian 
 continue to serve the Government of India without treachery to the 
 higher service of Christ. 
 
 The second act was of a negative character. They did not in- 
 terfere to prevent the Missionaries instructing the men, and to prevent 
 the men from renouncing their former false creeds and embracing the 
 faith of Christ. Does Lord Canning then intend to make it the duty 
 of officers in the native army, to prevent Missionaries from going to 
 give books and instructions to their men at their own request ? Does 
 he intend to make it their duty to insist on their men remaining firm iu 
 
14 
 
 their fathers’ religious faith, no matter how false they may deem it T 
 If not, wherein have these officers improperly interfered ? 
 
 The third act was that of reading prayers to the native Christians 
 of the Regiment, and not turning out all else who chose of their own 
 accord to come and listen. Upon this we ask his Lordship, may or may 
 not an officer of the native army in the absence of Chaplain and Mis- 
 sionaries, read prayers to the native Christians of his Regiment ? If 
 others than Christians attend voluntarily , may they too listen to the 
 prayers and instructions read, or, must he first expel the heathen part 
 o f his congregation before he ventures to read a prayer or a word of 
 instruction ? Wherein have the officers of this Regiment violated 
 either the law of God or the proclamation of the Queen ? We pause 
 for a reply. 
 
 Meanwhile we ask, will a free Press and Christian community 
 in this country or at home, quietly submit to %ee Christianity thus 
 publicly and officially persecuted by the Supreme Government of the 
 country ? Will the Queen’s Government allow this manifest violation 
 of the law of God and of the Royal Proclamation, as well as of the 
 principles of freedom of conscience, guaranteed to the meanest sub- 
 ject of Her Majesty by the British Constitution t Nons verront.