the life of william carey-第73章

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〃In　the　English　method　the　pulp　is　prepared　by　the　mill　and　put　into　cisterns；　the　frames　are　made　of　fine　wire；　and　the　workman　stands　by　the　cistern　and　takes　up　the　pulp　on　the　frames。　　The　sheets　when　sufficiently　dry　are　hung　on　lines　to　dry　completely；　after　which　they　are　sized；　if　sizing　be　required。

〃We　now　make　our　paper　by　machinery；　in　which　the　pulp　is　let　to　run　on　a　web　of　wire；　and　passing　over　several　cylinders；　the　last　of　which　is　heated　by　steam；　it　is　dried　and　fit　for　use　in　about　two　minutes　from　its　having　been　in　a　liquid　state。〃

Since　that　reply　the　Government　of　India；　under　the　pressure　of　the　home　authorities；　has　alternately　discouraged　and　fostered　the　manufacture　of　paper　on　the　spot。　　At　present　it　is　in　the　wiser　position　of　preferring　to　purchase　its　supplies　in　India；　at　once　as　being　cheaper；　and　that　it　may　develop　the　use　of　the　many　paper…making　fibres　there。　　Hence　at　the　Calcutta　Exhibition　of　1881…82　the　jurors　began　their　report　on　the　machine　and　hand…made　paper　submitted　to　them；　with　a　reference　to　Carey　and　this　report　of　his。　　The　Serampore　mills　were　gradually　crushed　by　the　expensive　and　unsatisfactory　contracts　made　at　home　by　the　India　Office。　　The　neighbouring　Bally　mills　seem　to　flourish　since　the　abandonment　of　that　virtual　monopoly；　and　Carey's　anticipations　as　to　the　utilisation　of　the　plantain　and　other　fibres　of　India　are　being　realised　nearly　a　century　after　he　first　formed　them。

Carey　expanded　and　published　his　〃Address　respecting　an　Agricultural　Society　in　India〃　in　the　quarterly　Friend　of　India。　　He　still　thinks　it　necessary　to　apologise　for　his　action　by　quoting　his　hero；　Brainerd；　who　was　constrained　to　assist　his　Indian　converts　with　his　counsels　in　sowing　their　maize　and　arranging　their　secular　concerns。　〃Few；〃　he　adds　with　the　true　breadth　of　genius　which　converted　the　Baptist　shoemaker　into　the　Christian　statesman　and　scholar；　〃who　are　extensively　acquainted　with　human　life；　will　esteem　these　cares　either　unworthy　of　religion　or　incongruous　with　its　highest　enjoyments。〃　　When　Carey　wrote；　the　millions　of　five…acre　farmers　in　India　were　only　beginning　to　recover　from　the　oppression　and　neglect　of　former　rulers　and　the　visitation　of　terrific　famines。　　Trade　was　as　depressed　as　agriculture。　　Transit　duties；　not　less　offensive　than　those　of　the　Chinese；　continued　to　weigh　down　agricultural　industry　till　Lord　W。　Bentinck's　time　and　later。　　The　English　Government　levied　an　unequal　scale　of　duties　on　the　staples　of　the　East　and　West　Indies；　against　which　the　former　petitioned　in　vain。　The　East　India　Company　kept　the　people　in　ignorance；　and　continued　to　exclude　the　European　capitalist　and　captain　of　labour。　　The　large　native　landholders　were　as　uneducated　as　the　cultivators。　　Before　all　Carey　set　these　reforms：　close　attention　to　the　improvement　of　land；　the　best　method　of　cropping　land；　the　introduction　of　new　and　useful　plants；　the　improvement　of　the　implements　of　husbandry；　the　improvement　of　live　stock；　the　bringing　of　waste　lands　under　cultivation；　the　improvement　of　horticulture。　　He　went　on　to　show　that；　in　addition　to　the　abundance　which　an　improved　agriculture　would　diffuse　throughout　the　country；　the　surplus　of　grain　exported；　besides　〃her　opium；　her　indigo；　her　silk；　and　her　cotton；〃　would　greatly　tend　to　enrich　India　and　endear　Britain　to　her。　〃Whatever　may　be　thought　of　the　Government　of　Mr。　Hastings　and　those　who　immediately　preceded　him　for　these　last　forty　years；　India　has　certainly　enjoyed　such　a　Government　as　none　of　the　provinces　of　the　Persian　or　the　Roman　Empire　ever　enjoyed　for　so　great　a　length　of　time　in　succession；　and；　indeed；　one　almost　as　new　in　the　annals　of　modern　Europe　as　in　those　of　India。〃

Carey　found　one　of　the　greatest　obstacles　to　agricultural　progress　to　be　the　fact　that　not　one　European　owned　a　single　foot　of　the　soil；　〃a　singular　fact　in　the　history　of　nations；〃　removed　only　about　the　time　of　his　own　death。　　His　remarks　on　this　have　a　present　significance：

〃It　doubtless　originated　in　a　laudable　care　to　preserve　our　Indian　fellow…subjects　from　insult　and　violence；　which　it　was　feared　could　scarcely　be　done　if　natives　of　Britain；　wholly　unacquainted　with　the　laws　and　customs　of　the　people；　were　permitted　to　settle　indiscriminately　in　India。　　While　the　wisdom　of　this　regulation　at　that　time　is　not　impugned；　however；　it　may　not　be　improper　to　inquire　whether　at　the　present　time　a　permission　to　hold　landed　property；　to　be　granted　by　Government　to　British　subjects　in　India；　according　to　their　own　discretion；　might　not　be　of　the　highest　benefit　to　the　country；　and　in　some　degree　advantageous　to　the　Government　itself。

〃The　objections　which　have　been　urged　against　any　measure　of　this　nature　are　chiefly　that　the　indiscriminate　admission　of　Europeans　into　the　country　might　tend　to　alienate　the　minds　of　the　inhabitants　from　Britain；　or　possibly　lead　to　its　disruption　from　Britain　in　a　way　similar　to　that　of　America。　　Respecting　this　latter　circumstance；　it　is　certain　that；　in　the　common　course　of　events；　a　greater　evil　could　scarcely　befall　India。　　On　the　continuance　of　her　connection　with　Britain　is　suspended　her　every　hope　relative　to　improvement；　security；　and　happiness。　　The　moment　India　falls　again　under　the　dominion　of　any　one　or　any　number　of　native　princes；　all　hope　of　mental　improvement；　or　even　of　security　for　person　or　property；　will　at　once　vanish。　　Nothing　could　be　then　expected　but　scenes　of　rapine；　plunder；　bloodshed；　and　violence；　till　its　inhabitants　were　sealed　over　to　irremediable　wretchedness；　without　the　most　distant　ray　of　hope　respecting　the　future。　　And　were　it　severed　from　Britain　in　any　other　way；　the　reverse　felt　in　India　would　be　unspeakably　great。　　At　present　all　the　learning；　the　intelligence；　the　probity；　the　philanthropy；　the　weight　of　character　existing　in　Britain；　are　brought　to　bear　on　India。　　There　is　scarcely　an　individual　sustaining　a　part　in　the　administration　of　affairs　who　does　not　feel　the　weight　of　that　tribunal　formed　by　the　suffrages　of　the　wise　and　the　good　in　Britain；　though　he　be　stationed　in　the　remotest　parts　of　India。　　Through　the　medium　of　a　free　press　the　wisdom；　probity；　and　philanthropy　which　pervade　Britain　exercise　an　almost　unbounded　sway　over　every　part　of　India；　to　the　incalculable　advantage　of　its　inhabitants；　constituting　a　triumph　of　virtue　and　wisdom　thus　unknown　to　the　ancients；　and　which　will　increase　in　its　effects　in　exact　proportion　to　the　increase　in　Britain　of　justice；　generosity；　and　love　to　mankind。　　Let　India；　however；　be　severed　from　Britain；　and　the　weight　of　these　is　felt　no　more。。。

〃It　is　a　fact　that　in　case　of　outrage　or　injury　it　is　in　most　cases　easier　for　a　native　to　obtain　justice　against　a　European；　than　for　a　European　to　obtain　redress　if　insulted　or　wronged　by　a　native。　　This　circumstance；　attended　as　it　may　be　with　some　inconvenience；　reflects　the　highest　honour　on　the　British　name；　it　is　a　fact　of　which　India　affords　almost　the　first　instance　on　record　in　the　annals　of　history。　　Britain　is　nearly　the　first　nation　in　whose　foreign　Courts　of　Justice　a　tenderness　for　the　native　inhabitants　habitually　prevails　over　all　the　partialities　arising　from　country　and　education。　　If　there　ever　existed　a　period；　therefore；　in　which　a　European　could　oppress　a　native　of　India　with　impunity；　that　time　is　passed　awaywe　trust　for　ever。　　That　a　permission　of　this　nature　might　tend　to　sever　India　from　Britain　after　the　example　of　America　is　of　all　things　the　most　improbable。。。

〃Long　before　the　number　of　British　landholders　in　India　shall　have　become　considerable；　Penang　and　the　Eastern　Isles；　Ceylon；　the　Cape；　and　even　the　Isles　of　New　South　Wales；　may　in　European　population　far　exceed　them　in　number；　and　unitedly；　if　not　singly；　render　the　most　distant　step　of　this　nature　as　impracticable；　as　it　would　be　ruinous；　to　the　welfare　and　happiness　of　India。。。

〃British…born　landholders　would　naturally　maintain　all　their　national　attachments；　for　what　Briton　can　lose　them？　and　derive　their　happiness　from　corresponding　with　the　wise　and　good　at　home。　If　sufficiently　wealthy；　they　would　no　doubt　occasionally　visit　Britain；　where　indeed　it　might　be　expected　th