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Article PROVINCIAL. ← Page 17 of 34 →
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Provincial.
themselves in the arts of peace , and by their military achievements . But it has fallen to the lot of few , perhaps I may say none of our countrymen , since the days of active service of the greatest Captain of the age , now numbering nearly ninety summers , to display so brilliant a combination of high military talent , with powers of civil government , which would do credit to our most experienced statesmen , as has distinguished the illustrious Brother whom we have met to welcome to his
native shores . Whether we view him as the conqueror of Scindewresting from a turbulent and troublesome horde of warlike neighbours a noble country on the banks of the Indus , at a comparatively small cost of blood—or whether we regard him as the Governor of that province , introducing the arts of peace , reducing the turbulent and restless to order and submission , and finally handing it over to the General Government in so altered a state that it has never given any trouble since ; or
whether we view him as taking to heart the interests and comforts of the lower ranks of the honourable service of which he is so distinguished an ornament—winning the respect , esteem , and love of all , and earning by such noble acts the emphatic title of the soldier ' s friend ; or whether we regard him as displaying on all occasions an unswerving rectitude and determination of purpose , and unshrinking love of justice and truth —on whatever side of his character we regard himwe hail him as a
, Mason indeed , whose whole life has been a practical comment on those noble principles which all Masons at their initiation bind themselves to observe ; and we feel assured that should Truth , Honour , and Virtue be banished from the hearts of all others , on his heart , as on that of a perfect , just , and upright Mason , their sacred dictates are indelibly imprinted .
But though his character and conduct before his last journey to India would entitle him justly to the tribute of sympathy , respect , and admiration which we have met to offer , there are other circumstances which render that tribute more particularly appropriate at the present moment . We must all remember when , three years ago , the news of the disastrous field of Chilianwallah was brought to this country , and the destinies of the British Empire in India seemed trembling in the balance , one universal voice from all parts of the country , east , westnorthand south
, , , demanded that the hero of Scinde—the illustrious general who had so often before led Indian armies to battle and victory , and fully possessed the confidence of the tropps in that distant land , should be entrusted with the task of retrieving the fortunes of this country in the east ; and it must be a source of no small consolation and pride to our distinguished guest that he was the choice—the sole choice , not only of the popular voice , but of one whose suffrage in such a case is worth all besides—the
illustrious duke , whom he justly looks up to as his master in the ar of war . True to his motto—'' Ready , aye , ready , "—ready to meet danger at his country ' s call—he tore himself from his domestic hearth again to take the field for the cause of his native land . Fortunatel y he found that cause vindicated without the necessity of his drawing the sword . But he might fairly have expected , and the country , whose choice he was , might fairly have expected that he wouldnow that danger
, is passed , have been permitted to enjoy the honours and emoluments of his high command for the usual period , or at least until it suited his own convenience to retire . But no ; suspicion and distrust were substituted for the confidence of the Government of India , and , unable to pursue with satisfaction the career of usefulness on which he had entered , he felt himself compelled to resign ; and thus we are assembled to meet
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Provincial.
themselves in the arts of peace , and by their military achievements . But it has fallen to the lot of few , perhaps I may say none of our countrymen , since the days of active service of the greatest Captain of the age , now numbering nearly ninety summers , to display so brilliant a combination of high military talent , with powers of civil government , which would do credit to our most experienced statesmen , as has distinguished the illustrious Brother whom we have met to welcome to his
native shores . Whether we view him as the conqueror of Scindewresting from a turbulent and troublesome horde of warlike neighbours a noble country on the banks of the Indus , at a comparatively small cost of blood—or whether we regard him as the Governor of that province , introducing the arts of peace , reducing the turbulent and restless to order and submission , and finally handing it over to the General Government in so altered a state that it has never given any trouble since ; or
whether we view him as taking to heart the interests and comforts of the lower ranks of the honourable service of which he is so distinguished an ornament—winning the respect , esteem , and love of all , and earning by such noble acts the emphatic title of the soldier ' s friend ; or whether we regard him as displaying on all occasions an unswerving rectitude and determination of purpose , and unshrinking love of justice and truth —on whatever side of his character we regard himwe hail him as a
, Mason indeed , whose whole life has been a practical comment on those noble principles which all Masons at their initiation bind themselves to observe ; and we feel assured that should Truth , Honour , and Virtue be banished from the hearts of all others , on his heart , as on that of a perfect , just , and upright Mason , their sacred dictates are indelibly imprinted .
But though his character and conduct before his last journey to India would entitle him justly to the tribute of sympathy , respect , and admiration which we have met to offer , there are other circumstances which render that tribute more particularly appropriate at the present moment . We must all remember when , three years ago , the news of the disastrous field of Chilianwallah was brought to this country , and the destinies of the British Empire in India seemed trembling in the balance , one universal voice from all parts of the country , east , westnorthand south
, , , demanded that the hero of Scinde—the illustrious general who had so often before led Indian armies to battle and victory , and fully possessed the confidence of the tropps in that distant land , should be entrusted with the task of retrieving the fortunes of this country in the east ; and it must be a source of no small consolation and pride to our distinguished guest that he was the choice—the sole choice , not only of the popular voice , but of one whose suffrage in such a case is worth all besides—the
illustrious duke , whom he justly looks up to as his master in the ar of war . True to his motto—'' Ready , aye , ready , "—ready to meet danger at his country ' s call—he tore himself from his domestic hearth again to take the field for the cause of his native land . Fortunatel y he found that cause vindicated without the necessity of his drawing the sword . But he might fairly have expected , and the country , whose choice he was , might fairly have expected that he wouldnow that danger
, is passed , have been permitted to enjoy the honours and emoluments of his high command for the usual period , or at least until it suited his own convenience to retire . But no ; suspicion and distrust were substituted for the confidence of the Government of India , and , unable to pursue with satisfaction the career of usefulness on which he had entered , he felt himself compelled to resign ; and thus we are assembled to meet