That night the city of Cawnpore was illuminated, and the following
proclamations were posted in all places of general resort:
"As by the kindness of God and the good fortune of the Emperor all the
Christians who were at Delhi, Poonah, Sattara, and other places, and
even those five thousand European soldiers who went in disguise into
the former city and were discovered, are destroyed and sent to hell by
the pious and sagacious troops, who are firm to their religion; and as
they have been all conquered by the present Government, and as no trace
of them is left in these places, it is the duty of all the subjects and
servants of the Government to rejoice at the delightful intelligence,
and carry on their respective work with comfort and ease."
"As by the bounty of the glorious Almighty and the enemy-destroying
fortune of the Emperor the yellow-faced and narrow-minded people have
been sent to hell, and Cawnpore has been conquered, it is necessary
that all the subjects and landowners should be as obedient to the
present Government as they have been to the former one; that all
the Government servants should promptly and cheerfully engage their
whole mind in executing the orders of the Government; that it is the
incumbent duty of all the peasants and landed proprietors of every
district to rejoice at the thought that the Christians have been
sent to hell, and both the Hindoo and Mahomedan religions have been
confirmed; and that they should as usual be obedient to the authorities
of the Government, and never suffer any complaint against themselves to
reach to the ears of the higher authority."
There is something quaint in the notion of a paternal Government
setting the national mind at ease as to the damnation of the enemy,
and ordaining a public rejoicing over, "the delightful intelligence."
Our authorities never went so far as to imitate the example: but
Calcutta journalism did its best to supply the deficiency. "Fas est
et ab hoste doceri" was the motto of that remarkable department of
ephemeral literature. Among other gems which in 1857 adorned the poetry
corner of the "Englishman," one stands conspicuous both for sentiment
and expression:
"Barring Humanity pretenders
To hell of none are we the willing senders:
But, if to sepoys mercy must be given,
Locate them, Lord, in the back slums of heaven."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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