From The North British Review.
LORD ELGIN.-IN MEMORIAM.

Ir is not the intention of these few pages to give an account even in outline of what England lost in the death of Lord Elgin. Other pens may hereafter describe at length that singular career, which witnessed the successful accommodation of a more varied series of novel and entangled situations than has perhaps fallen to the lot of any other statesman within our own time.

he avenged the dignity of England by the destruction of the Summer Palace at Pekin, and received the humiliation of the Chinese prince in the heart of the imperial city.

There are those, too, who know what he hoped to have done for India, had his life been spared. There are those-not a few— who looked further forward still, to the time when his long wanderings would at last be over, and he might have returned to have taken his place high in the councils of his country, and given to the solution of the great problems of the government of England, the experience and ability which had been ripened in such lofty positions, in so i many a trying situation, in each extremity of the globe.

To these, and such as these, we must leave the delineation of the general policy, and the complicated course, of Lord Elgin's public life.

There must be those who remember and who could tell of the reduction of Jamaica to order, after the convulsions of the Emancipation Act, by the youngest governor ever sent out to command a colony. There must be those who know how he stood his ground in Canada against first one and then another turbulent faction, and converted the mass of the population from a state of chronic disaffection to permanent loyalty. There are But it may be possible, within the short those who witnessed that decisive stroke by compass of the present occasion, to bring which he sent the troops back from Singa- back some recollections of his last days, some pore to Calcutta, in the very crisis of the image of his character as he appeared to fate of our Eastern Empire, and, when he those who knew and loved him best, which landed, found (to use his own famous and may fill up the vacant space left by his death, long-remembered expression) but "one face not merely in the memory and the hopes, but in Calcutta unblanched with fear,"-the face in the actual knowledge of his contemporaof the intrepid governor, his own early col-ries; for it is one of the sad consequences lege friend, Lord Canning,―a meeting how of a statesman's life spent, like his, in the romantic and an issue how momentous! "It constant service of his country on arduous was he," wrote the gallant and lamented Sir foreign missions, that in his own land, in his William Peel, "who made the change in own circle, almost in his own home, his place India. It was the Chinese expedition that is occupied by others, his very face is forgotrelieved Lucknow, relieved Cawnpore, and ten; he can maintain no permanent ties with fought the battle of the 6th of December." those who rule the opinion, or obtain the There are those who remember how, when, mastery, of the day; he has established no not for the first time, he encountered the ter- claims on any existing party; he has made rors of shipwreck at the Point de Galle, the himself felt in none of those domestic and two ambassadors of England and France sat personal struggles which attract the attenside by side, unmoved amidst the awful scene, tion, and fix the interest, of the common and refused to leave the sinking ship, inspir- world which forms the bulk of the public ing all around them with the cheerfulness opinion of England. For twenty years, the and spirit needed for the emergency. There few intervals of his residence in these islands are those who saw him, by that rare union were to be counted, not by years, but by of tact with firmness, of fertile resource with months, and the majority, even of those who simplicity of aim, which belonged to the might be reckoned amongst his friends and character of his race, twice over bring to a acquaintances, remembered him chiefly as prosperous end the stupid and provoking ne- the eager student at Oxford, in the happy gotiations, and the no less stupid and provok-time when he was devoted, in his undergrading wars of the most inaccessible and intract-uate days at Christ Church, to the pages of able of earthly empires,-who watched the moderation with which he procured the treaty of Tien-tsin, the decisive energy with which

Plato, or listened, not without a deep philosophic interest, in the Fellows' Quadrangle at Merton, to the roll of the now extinct

theological controversy, then beat by the war-drum of the "Tracts for the Times."

It is tragical to think of the curtain thus suddenly dropped over the future of his career in England. It is tragical, also, though in a narrower and more partial sense, to think of the more immediate overcasting of his career in India.

He undertook the vice-royalty of India, not, it is said, without a dark presentiment that he should never return, but with a clear conviction that the magnitude of the field before him left no choice. Yet of the actual duty imposed upon him, of the actual glory to be reaped, he always expressed himself with a modesty to which his own acts corresponded. "I succeed," he used to say, " to a great man and a great war, with an humble task to be humbly discharged." This feeling is well expressed in a letter, which gives at the same time an admirable description of the empire at the moment when he undertook the government.

questions, as those to which he here alluded, until he had made himself thoroughly acquainted with the country and the people. That acquaintance he was gradually acquiring. That result of his labors he was rapidly approaching.

The gallant vessel was steering, with her sails full set, right into the haven where she would be. The storm swept over her from a quarter whence it was least expected. The ship went down within the very sight of the harbor, with all the treasure of experience and wisdom accumulated for the very moment of the arrival which was never to take place.

The sense of his approaching end throws over the retrospect of Lord Elgin's progress northward from Calcutta through the provinces a melancholy shade, which almost forbids us to dwell upon it in detail. Yet it also imparts a pathetic interest to some of the leading features of his public addresses, and of his personal impressions, which may well find a place in this brief sketch, Such is the "India was at peace. At peace in a sense allusion to the two distinguished men who of the term more emphatic and comprehen- had preceded him in his office of governorsive than it had ever before borne in India. general, in a speech at a dinner at Benares, The occurrences which had taken place dur-celebrating the progress of the East Indian ing the period of Lord Dalhousie's govern- Railway :— ment had established the prestige of the British arms as against external foes. Lord Canning's vice-royalty had taught the same lesson to domestic enemies. No military operations of magnitude were in progress to call for prompt and vigorous action on the part of the ruling authority, or to furnish matter for narrations of thrilling interest. On the contrary, a hearty acquiescence in the belief that no such opportunities existed, and that it was incumbent upon him, by all practicable means, to prevent their recurrence, was the first duty which the situation of affairs prescribed to a new governor-general.

"In looking over the published report of these proceedings a few days ago, my attention was arrested by an incident which brought forcibly home to my mind one painful circumstance in which my position here to-day contrasts sadly with that which my predecessor then occupied. At a stage in the proceedings of the evening, corresponding to that at which we have now arrived, Lord Canning departed from the routine prescribed by the programme, and invited the company to join him in drinking the health of his noble predecessor, the Marquis of Dalhousie, who had, "But while such was the condition of things as he justly observed, nursed the East Indian in respect to matters which have to be settled, Railway in its infancy, and guided it through if at all, by the arbitrament of the sword, its first difficulties. It is not in my power to questions of a different class, affecting very make any similar proposal to you now. important interests, but demanding, never- mysterious dispensation of Providence has retheless, a pacific solution, presented them- moved from this world's stage, where they selves for consideration, with a view to defin- seemed still destined to play so noble and useitive action and practical adjustment, under ful a part, both the proposer of this toast and circumstances of very great perplexity and embarrassment.... What intensified the evil in many of those cases, was the fact that the points in question bore closely upon those jealousies of race which are the sources of almost all our difficulties in India."

In the spirit thus indicated, he was desirous of postponing the final adjustment of such

A

its object; the names of both are written in brilliant characters on some of the most eventful pages of the history of India, and both were removed at a time when expectation as to the services which they might still render to India was at its height. I shall not now dwell on the great national loss which we have all sustained in this dispensation; but, perhaps, I may be permitted to say that to

me the loss is not only, a public one, but a well weighed, as if he meant what he said." private and personal calamity likewise. Both We give his address, as the best exposition of these distinguished men were my contem- of his own feeling under this and similar cirporaries; both, I believe I may without pre-cumstances :— sumption say, my intimate friends. It is a singular coincidence that three successive "Princes and Chiefs,-In inviting you to governors-general of India should have stood meet me here, it was my wish in the first toward each other in this relationship of age place to become acquainted with you personand intimacy. One consequence is that the ally, and also to convey to you, in obedience burden of governing India has devolved upon to the gracious command which I received us respectively at different periods of our from Her Majesty the Queen, upon my delives. Lord Dalhousie, when named to the parture from England, the assurance of the government of India, was, I believe, the deep interest which Her Majesty takes in the youngest man who had ever been appointed welfare of the chiefs of India. I have now to a situation of such high responsibility and to thank you for the alacrity with which, in trust. Lord Canning was in the prime of compliance with my request, you have, many life; and I, if I am not already on the de- of you from considerable distances, assembled cline, am at least nearer to the verge of it at this place. than either of my contemporaries who have Having received, during the course of preceded me. Indeed, when I was leaving the last few days, many of the principal perEngland for India, Lord Ellenborough, who sonages among you in private durbar, where is now, alas! the only surviving ex-governor-I have had the opportunity of communicatgeneral of India, said to me, You are not ing my views on matters of interest and ima very old man; but, depend upon it, you portance, I need not detain you on this occawill find yourself by far the oldest man in sion by many words. India.'"'

6

He was present at the impressive ceremony of the consecration of the church by the Well of Cawnpore, where he met the excellent Bishop of Calcutta. He thence advanced to Agra, which he thus describes:—

66

"Before taking leave of you, however, I desire to address to you collectively a few general remarks upon the present state of affairs in India, and upon the duties which that state of affairs imposes upon us all.

66

Peace', I need hardly remind you of the fact, now happily prevails throughout the whole extent of this vast empire; domestic treason has been crushed; and foreign enemies have been taught to respect the power of the arms of England.

"The British Government is desirous to take advantage of this favorable opportunity, not to extend the bounds of its dominions, but to develop the resources and draw forth the natural wealth of India, and thus to promote the well-being and happiness both of rulers and of the people.

"The six days spent at Agra, I am disposed to reckon among the most interesting of my life. Perhaps eleven months of the monotony of a Calcutta existence may render the mind more sensitive to novelty and beauty. At any rate, the impressions experienced on revisiting Agra at this time have been singularly vivid and keen. The surpassing beauty of the buildings, among which the Taj stands pre-eminent; the vast concourse of chiefs and retainers, containing so many of the at- "With this view, many measures of imtributes of feudal and chivalrous times; provement and progress have already been with the picturesqueness in attire and gor-introduced, and among them, I may name as geousness in coloring, which only the East most conspicuous, the railway and electric can supply, produced an effect of fairyland, of telegraph, those great discoveries of this age which it was difficult to divest one's self in which have so largely increased the wealth order to come down to the sterner realities and power of the mightiest nations of the of the present. These realities consisted West.

mainly in receiving the chiefs at private and public durbars, the great durbar being attended by a larger number of chiefs than

66

By diffusing education among your vassals and dependants, establishing schools, promoting the construction of good roads, ever before assembled on a similar occasion." and suppressing, with the whole weight of The public journals of India describe for your authority and influence, barbarous the last time, on the occasion of this durbar usages and crimes, such as infanticide, suttee, (or gathering of the princes), his "appear-hiefs, effectually second these endeavors of thuggee, and dacoitee, you may, princes and ance venerable" beyond his years; "the the British Government, and secure for yourextremely benignant aspect" of his expressive countenance; his voice, as he addressed the assembly," clear and distinct, every word

selves and your people a full share of the benefits which the measures to which I have alluded are calculated to confer upon you. I

have observed with satisfaction the steps which many of you have already taken in this direction, and more especially the enlightened policy which has induced some of you to remove transit and other duties which obstructed the free course of commerce through your States.

an event, or so signal a proof of British power, as the capture of Pekin. They ar proud of the thought that some of their race took a part in it; and more inclined than ever-which is an important matter-to follow the British standard into foreign lands, if they should be invited to do so."

dress which he delivered on this occasion, and

On these sentiments was founded the ad

"As representing the paramount power, it is my duty to keep the peace in India. For this purpose Her Majesty the Queen has placed at my disposal a large and gallant which is given here at length, as the last pubarmy, which, if the necessity should arise, lic expression of his good-will to the Indian I shall not hesitate to employ for the repres-races:sion of disorder and the punishment of any "Colonel Durand,-I beg that you will who may be rash enough to disturb the gen- express to the native gentlemen who are eral tranquillity. But it is also my duty to assembled here my regret that I am unable extend the hand of encouragement and friend- to address them in their own language, and ship to all who labor for the good of India, inform them that I am charged by Her Majand to assure you that the chiefs who make their own dependants contented and prosperance of Her Majesty's high appreciation of esty the Queen to convey to them the assurous, establish thereby the strongest claim on the loyalty and devotion to Her Majesty's the favor and protection of the British Govperson and government which has been exernment. hibited on various occasions by the Sikh rulers and people. Not many days ago it was my pleasing duty to determine that the medal granted to Her Majesty's troops who were engaged at Delhi in 1857, should be

"I bid you now, princes and chiefs, farewell for a time, with the expression of my earnest hope that, on your return to your homes, health and happiness may attend you."

From Agra he moved northwards through

"The place of greatest interest visited during the latter part of the tour was unquestionably Delhi, The approach to it through ten miles of a desolate-looking campagna, thickly strewn with funereal monuments reared in honor of the sovereigns and mighty men of former dynasties, reminded me of Rome. The city itself bears traces of more recent calamities. The palace has been a good deal maltreated, and the Jumna Musjid (Great Mosque), a magnificent building, has only just been restored to the worshippers. Beyond the town, and over the place where the camp was pitched, lay the heights which were occupied by the British troops, ann signalled by so many deeds of valor, during the eventful struggles of 1857. "No durbar was held at Delhi; but at Umballa a large number of influential Sikh chiefs were received, at the head of whom was the young Maharaja of Puttialla, the son and heir of the prince whom Lord Canning placed in the council of the governorgeneral.

"The Sikhs are a warlike race, and the knowledge of this fact gave a color to the advice tendered to them. It was my wish to recognize with all due honor their martial qualities, while seeking to impart a more pacific direction to their energies. The capture of half the capitals of Europe would not have been, in the eyes of the Sikh, so great

conferred on the followers of the Sikh chiefs

who took part in the noble achievements of that period, and I can personally bear testimony to the good services of the officers and men of the Sikh regiments who, in 1860, co-operated with the British troops in placing the British flag on the walls of Pekin, the capital of the vast empire of China.

But, in order to be truly great, it is necessary that nations should excel in the arts of peace as well as in those of war.

"Look to the history of the British nation for an example. Most assuredly the British people are powerful in war; but their might and renown are in a great measure due to their proficiency in the works which make a time of peace fruitful and glorious.

"By their skill in agriculture, they have converted their country into a garden; by their genius as traders, they have attracted to it a large share of the wealth of other lands.

"Let us take advantage of this season of tranquillity to confer similar benefits on the Punjab.

The waters which fall on your mountain heights, and unite at their base to form mighty rivers, are a treasure which, duly distributed, will fertilize your plains and largely augment their productive powers. With electric telegraphs to facilitate communication, and railways and canals to render access to the seaports easy and expeditious, we shall be able to convey the surplus produce of this great country to others where it is required, and to receive from them their riches in return.

"I rejoice to learn that some of the chiefs | But he returned to his camp, and continued in this part of India are taking an interest in his march on horseback until, on the 22d, these matters, which are of such vital impor- an alarming attack obliged him to be carried, tance to the welfare of this country and the by slow stages, to Dhurmsala. There he prosperity of the people. It affords me, moreover, sincere gratification to find that, under the able guidance of the lieutenantgovernor, the Sikh Sirdars in certain districts of the Punjab are giving proof of their appreciation of the value of education, by making provision for the education of their sons and daughters.

"Be assured that in so doing you are adopting a judicious policy. The experience of all nations proves that where rulers are well informed and sagacious, the people are contented and willingly submissive to authority. Moreover, it is generally found that where mothers are enlightened, sons are

valiant and wise.

per

"I earnestly exhort you, there fore, to severe in the course on which you have entered, and I promise you while you continue in it the sympathy and support of the British Government."

He now reached Simla, the paradise of the Anglo-Indians. He was thence to explore the tea-plantations amongst the mountains, and was looking eagerly forward to the great gathering of Indian chiefs and princes which was to close his progress at Lahore.

Although he had suffered often from the unhealthy and depressing climate of Calcutta during the summer and autumn of 1862, and thus, to the eyes that saw him again in 1863, he looked many years older than when he left England, yet it was not till he entered the hills that any symptom manifested itself of the fatal malady that was lurking under his apparently stout frame and strong constitution. The splendid scenery of those vast forests and snow-clad mountains inspired him with the liveliest pleasure; but the highly rarefied atmosphere, which to most residents in India is as life from the dead, seemed in him to have the exactly reverse effect.

was joined, on the 4th of November, by his friend and medical adviser, Dr. Macrae, who had been summoned from Calcutta on the first alarming indications of his illness. By this time, the disorder had declared itself in such a form as to cause the most serious apprehensions to others, as well as to himself the most distressing sufferings. There had been a momentary rally, during which the fact of his illness had been communicated to England. But this passed away; and on the 6th of November, Dr. Macrae came to the conclusion that the illness was mortal. This intelligence, which he communicated at once to Lord Elgin, was received with a calmness and fortitude which never deserted him through all the scenes which followed. It was impossible not to be struck by the courage and presence of mind with which, in the presence of a death unusually terrible, and accompanied by circumstances unusually trying, he showed, in equal degrees and with the most unvarying constancy, two of the grandest elements of human character, Lunselfish resignation of himself to the will of God, and thoughtful consideration, down to the smallest particulars, for the interests and feelings of others, both public and private.

When once he had satisfied himself, by minute inquiries from Dr. Macrae, of the true state of the case, after one deep, earnest, heartfelt regret that he should thus suddenly be parted from those nearest and dearest, to whom his life was of such inestimable importance, and that he should be removed just as he had prepared himself to benefit the people committed to his charge, he steadily set his face heavenward. He was startled, he was awed; he felt it" hard, hard, to beIt was on the 12th of October that he lieve that his life was condemned;" but there ascended the Rotung Pass, and, on the 13th, was no looking backward. Of the officers of crossed the famous Twig Bridge over the his staff he took an affectionate leave on that river Chandra. It is remarkable for the day. "It is well," he said to one of them, rude texture of birch branches of which it is" that I should die in harness." And thencecomposed, and which, at this late season, was so rent and shattered by the wear and tear of the past year as to render the passage of it a matter of great exertion. Lord Elgin was completely prostrated by the effort, and it may be said that from the exhaustion consequent on this adventure he never rallied.

forth he saw no one habitually, except Dr. Macrae, who combined with his medical skill the tenderness and devotion at once of a friend and of a pastor; his attached secretary, Mr. Thurlow, who had rendered him the most faithful services, not only through the period of his Indian vice-royalty, but