The Works of the Right Honourable Edmund Burke, Vol. 12 (of 12)Burke, Edmund
History
The Works of the Right Honourable Edmund Burke, Vol. 12 (of 12)
Burke, Edmund
Great Britain -- Politics and government -- 1760-1820; Political science -- Early works to 1800
Good God! my Lords, "_our families protected by his justice_"! What!
after Gunga Govind Sing, in concert with Mr. Hastings, had first robbed
him of 40,000_l._, and then had attempted to snatch, as it were, out of
the mouths of babes and sucklings the inheritance of their fathers, and
to deprive this infant of a great part of his family estate? Here is a
child, eleven years old, who never could have seen Mr. Hastings, who
could know nothing of him but from the heavy hand of oppression,
affliction, wrong, and robbery, brought to bear testimony to the virtues
of Mr. Hastings before a British Parliament! Such is the confidence they
repose in their hope of having bribed the English nation by the millions
and millions of money, the countless lacs of rupees, poured into it from
India, that they had dared to bring this poor robbed infant to bear
testimony to the character of Mr. Hastings! These are the things which
are to be opposed to the mass of evidence which the House of Commons
bring against this man,--evidence which they bring from his own acts,
his own writing, and his own records,--a cloud of testimony furnished by
himself in support of charges brought forward and urged by us agreeably
to the magnitude of his crimes, with the horror which is inspired by
them, and with the contempt due to this paltry attempt towards his
defence, which they had dared to produce from the hands of an infant but
eleven years old when Mr. Hastings quitted that country!
But to proceed with the razinama.
"He never omitted the smallest instance of kindness towards us, but
healed the wounds of despair with the salve of consolation, by
means of his benevolent and kind behavior, never permitting one of
us to sink in the pit of despondence. He supported every one by his
goodness, overset the designs of evil-minded men by his authority,
tied the hand of oppression with the strong bandage of justice, and
by these means expanded the pleasing appearance of happiness and
joy over us. He reëstablished justice and impartiality. We were
during his government in the enjoyment of perfect happiness and
ease, and many of us are thankful and satisfied. As Mr. Hastings
was well acquainted with our manners and customs, he was always
desirous in every respect of doing whatever would preserve our
religious rites, and guard them against every kind of accident and
injury, and at all times protected us. Whatever we have experienced
from him, and whatever happened from him, we have written without
deceit or exaggeration."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account