ate the princes of India will extend to
my unfortunate master.' This letter was from (we believe) Rumgoo
Baffagee, Vakeel of the Rajah of Sattara, and he thought it was so
important, that he had sent for the Vakeel, whom he found a most
intelligent man; and from his conversation he (Mr. Hume) was
satisfied that, so far from being applied to the Hindoo population
exclusively, it was utterly impossible that the gates could be used
for the religious purposes to which the Governor-General seemed to
have destined them. He had satisfied him (Mr. Hume) that the object
of the proclamation was merely to bring back to Western India those
gates, the absence of which in Afghanistan had long been felt as an
opprobrium. He hoped therefore, that those religious sects who had
most unnecessarily take the alarm on this score, would be appeased.
So far from the proclamation being an exclusive one, no single
sentence was there in it which could be read after the address to
'_all_ the princes and chiefs, and people of India,' as applicable
to any one."

But it is said that such a trophy may give offence to Mahommedans;
and Mr. Mangles tells us, that the Mohommedan population sympathize
strongly with the Affghans, and revere the memory of Mahmoud. If
that be the case, it would have been difficult to bring any trophy
home, or to imprint any mark of the superiority of our arms, without
displeasing this sect. But, in that view, who are the parties
responsible for thus placing our essential interests, and the safety
of India generally, in contrast with the feelings of Mohommedan
subjects? Those certainly who, regardless of all justice, made a
wanton aggression on a Mahommedan power. Those certainly who,
regardless of all prudence, gave occasion to the Affghan massacre
and captivity of British and Indian soldiers; and, by a great
Mahommedan success, kindled a spark which was ready to set the
freemasonry of Islamism on fire "from Morocco to Coromandel." If we
have been placed in a false position, as regards our Mahommedan
subjects, we have to blame the Whigs, whose wanton and unwise
measures created this collision of interests, and not Lord
Ellenborough, who has adopted measures the most natural and the most
humane, to reestablish the ascendancy and the reputation of English
and Indian power.

The proclamation of Simla needs no vindication. It has satisfied
every one but the Whigs, who can never forget and never forgive it.
It is poor pretenc