Observations on the Disturbances in the Madras Army in 1809Malcolm, John
History
Observations on the Disturbances in the Madras Army in 1809
Malcolm, John
India. Army -- History; Malcolm, John, 1769-1833
MY DEAR BARCLAY,
I shall be glad to see Sir Arthur's papers. When I wrote to Sir George,
and proposed that he should, along with every decided step, make some
_reappointments_, I, of course, meant to include several that I did not
mention by name: but if this principle is acted upon, Government cannot
be too large in their first order: any _thing little_ will spoil all.
Gentlemen who lose by these arrangements, should be declared, in public
orders, to have the right of succession to the first vacancies.
There are more letters, advising Masulipatam to be kept: and in one
of to-day from the committee at Hyderabad, I find they are equally
public there in their proceedings; so I suppose you must have heard
from that quarter, no order for the movement of a corps in any of these
divisions will be obeyed, nor even the removal of an officer; so that
the necessity of some measures being adopted is quite indispensable.
Perhaps Sir George Barlow will wish to see me at Madras, with the
report of the committee; but this will be, perhaps, too great a delay.
Taylor or Irton should command this regiment.
I saw a letter from Hyderabad to-day, written under a conviction that
the Bengal army had taken up their cause. This, I have told them, is
one of a thousand dangerous errors into which they are led; but I do
not think they believe me, for they are completely infatuated.
TO SIR GEORGE BARLOW.
Masulipatam, 17th July, 1809.
DEAR SIR,
I have this moment received a letter from Lieutenant-Colonel Barclay
of the 12th instant, from which I observe, that you deem it impolitic
to adopt any measures of the nature I suggested in my letters of the
5th and 6th July from this place. If I did not consider the present
as one of the most serious crises that ever this Empire was placed
in, I certainly should not again intrude myself upon your notice; but
I feel bold in the consciousness that I am performing a duty of the
most sacred nature; and you will, I am assured, pardon the earnestness
with which I solicit leave to be allowed to report to you personally
the result of the proceedings here, and of all I have seen or heard
connected with the general combinations in the army, as well as those
means by which I think it may be averted, or its objects (if it does
occur) in some degree defeated. It is quite impossible for me to convey
to you in any letter the extensive information I now possess upon this
subject; and I should only be four days in going to Madras, and could
return, if required, with equal celerity. Little time would be lost by
my making this journey; and I feel satisfied its result might be of the
utmost consequence to the public interest.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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