16. The general objects of Marquis Wellesley's policy are clearly pointed out in his letters from the Cape of Good Hope, in February 1798, to Lord Melville; a series of state papers drawn up before he had set foot in India, which will bear comparison with any in the world for sound and enlarged views of complicated politics. He at once perceived that the advantages of the triple alliance against Tippoo Sultan, and the consideration acquired by the glorious victory of Lord Cornwallis before Seringapatam, had been in a great measure lost by the timid policy of the succeeding administration; and therefore the first object of his endeavours was to recover the ascendancy which had been so unhappily impaired, and take measures against the powers which had risen after its overthrow. The destruction of the French subsidiary force at Hyderabad, and restoration of our influence at the court of the Nizam; the arrangement by mediation of the dif ferences among the Mahratta powers; the renewal of the league which was to prove a counterpoise to the ascendancy of Tippoo; and the isolation of his territories, if hostilities became unavoidable, from the coast, so as to de a high order; but they were of the forgetting his principles of colonial adsolid and useful rather than the bril-ministration.* liant and attractive kind. A powerful debater from strength of intellect and vigour of thought, he overcame by these qualities the disadvantages of a northern accent, a deficiency in imaginative or oratorical qualities, and the prejudices against his country, which were general in England, till the genius of Sir Walter Scott, and the increasing intercourse between the two nations, converted it into a sometimes indulgent partiality. But if he could not rival Fox or Sheridan in the fire of genius or graces of eloquence, he excelled them in many sterling qualities which constitute a great statesman; and the want of which is too often, to its grievous loss, thought to be compensated in Great Britain by the more showy but inferior accomplishments which command and seduce a popular assembly. To vast powers of application he united a sound judgment and a retentive memory; the native force of his mind made him seize at once the strong points of a subject, while his prodigious information enabled him thoroughly to master its details. Nowhere is to be found a more comprehensive and statesmanlike series of instructions than is presented in his Indian correspondence: it has been declared by an equally competent judge and unbiassed opponent, that in these "It is of the last importance to keep up and Marquis Wellesley's despatches is the means of a large importation from India; to be sought the whole materials both to the navigation and shipping of the kingnot only from the encouragement it affords of history and information on our dom, and the addition which it makes annuEastern dominions. All the features ally to the wealth and capital of the country, and being a fruitful source of revenue, but of Lord Wellesley's administration are its necessity as immediately connected with to be found in them chalked out with the prosperity of our Indian provinces. It prophetic wisdom, even before that is to the increased exports from India to Europe illustrious man left the British shores. that we are to attribute the increase of Indian The true principles of colonial govern- and the manufacturers of that country would prosperity, industry, population, and revenue; ment are there developed with a mas-immediately be reduced to a deplorable state ter's hand and a statesman's wisdom; all the subsequent measures of the governor-general obtained the cordial support of this able auxiliary in the British cabinet. It may safely be affirmed, that if England ever lose the empire of the seas, it will be from departing from his maxims in the management of the navy; if she is stripped of her Indian empire, from if any check were ever given to their annual exports to this country."-Lord MELVILLE to LORD WELLESLEY, August 1799; WEL. Desp. ii. 102. It is on this principle, a fair reciprocity of advantages, that all really wise colonial administration must be founded, and by it alone that such distant possessions can be permanently preserved; but how different is this view from the sacrifice of all colonial interests to cheap purchasing by the mother state, which, under the free-trade system, has almost exclusively regulated our policy for the last fifteen years! tach him from French intrigue or co- | army without stores, equipment, or operation, were the objects which pre- transport train; and, so far from being sented themselves to his mind, not so in a condition to equip it for the field, much as steps to power as essentials to the government had hardly the means existence. of moving it from Madras to the Mysore territory. These evils were also felt, though in a lesser degree, at Calcutta; the general treasury was drained by the incessant demands of the sister presidencies, and that general despondency prevailed which is so often both the forerunner and the cause of national disaster.+ 17. No sooner had he landed in India than he perceived that the open alliance of Tippoo with the French, joined to the success of their expedition to Egypt, and the increase to their influence among the native powers which Napoleon's victories had produced, rendered an early attack on the Mysore chief indispensable.* Had he possessed the means, he would immediately have commenced hostilities, as at that time the Sultan's preparations were not fully completed; but unfortunately the state of the government finances and military establishment at Madras, where the principal efforts required to be made, rendered that altogether impracticable. So low had the credit of the Company fallen at that presidency, that their eight per cent paper had sunk to a discount of eighteen or twenty per cent; the finances, both there and at Bombay, were completely exhausted; the present deficit was eighteen lacs of pagodas, (£480,000); bills designed to supply the want of specie had multiplied so much that they had become alarmingly depreciated; only fourteen thousand men of all arms could be drawn together for the attack on Tippoo; a war was pronounced impracticable without at least six months' preparation; the frontier fortresses were without provisions, the * Sir Thomas Munro, one of the ablest men that Great Britain ever produced, or India developed, was of the same opinion at this period. "Men read books," says he, "and because they find all warlike nations have had their downfall, they declaim against conquest as not only dangerous but unprofitable; but there are times and situations where conquest not only brings a revenue greatly beyond its expenses, but also additional security. Let us advance to the Kistna; we shall triple our revenue, our barrier will then be both stronger and shorter. The dissensions and revolutions of the native governments will point out the time when it is proper for us to become actors. While Tippoo's power exists, we shall be perpetually in danger of losing what we have.' SIR THOS. MUNRO to EARL OF MORNINGTON, June 7, 1798; MUNRO's Memoirs, i. 234; and AUBER, ii. 174. 18. But it soon appeared how powerful is the influence of a gifted and magnanimous mind upon national for. tunes, if called into action at a time when the heart of the nation is sound, and those symptoms of debility have arisen, not from the decline of public virtue, but from the timidity or misdirection of those who have been placed at the head of affairs. Many months had not elapsed before Lord +"Tippoo Sultan has manifested," said Lord Wellesley, "the most hostile dispositions towards us; he possesses an army of which a considerable portion is in a state of readiness; he has increased the number of further assistance from the corps commanded his French officers; and he may receive by French officers in the service of the Nizam, of Scindiah, and many other native powers. He may be assisted by the invasion of Zemaun Shah, and by the direct co-operation of Scindiah. On the other hand, our protecting force on the coast of Coromandel cannot be put in motion within a shorter space than six months, even for the purpose while, are utterly unable to fulfil their deof defending the Carnatic; our allies, meanfensive engagements towards us-the Peishwa being depressed and kept in check by the invasion of Scindiah, and the Nizam by the vicinity of that chieftain's army, and the overbearing influence of an army commanded by French officers, and established in the centre of the Deccan. While we remain in this situation, without a soldier prepared to take the field in the Carnatic, or an ally to assist our operations in the event of an attack from Tippoo, we leave the fate of the Carnatic to the discretion of Tippoo; we suffer the cause of France to acquire hourly accessions of strength in every quarter of India; we abandon our allies, the Nizam and the Peishwa, to the mercy of Scindiah and Tippoo, in conjunction with the French; and we leave to France the ready means of obtaining a large territorial revenue, and a permanent establishment in the Deccan, founded upon the destruction of our alliances."- -Minute of the Governor-General, Aug. 1798; WELLESLEY'S Despatches, i. 191, 192. measures; and the former contemplated nothing less than the impeach ment of the governor-general for his temerity.* 19. The first vigorous stroke was directed against the French subsidiary force, now fourteen thousand strong, which had so long exercised a domineering influence at the court of the Nizam. Fortunately for the interests of England, the same overbearing character which has in every age made the permanent rule of the French insupportable to a vanquished people, had already manifested itself; and the Nizam, now reposing confidence in the support of the English government, had become exceedingly desirous of ridding himself of his obnoxious defenders. By the new treaty of Hyderabad, the British subsidiary troops, formerly two thousand, were to be augmented to six thousand men; and they were under the direction of Colonel Kirkpatrick, an officer whose skill and prudence were equal to the difficult and important task committed to his charge. The increased force entered the Nizam's territories in the beginning of October, reached his capital on the 10th, joined a large body of the Nizam's horse, and surrounded the French camp on the 22d. A mutiny had broken out in the corps on the preceding day, and the sepoys had arrested their officers. In this state Wellesley had communicated the impress of his zeal and energy to every branch of the public service. Disregarding altogether the sinister forebodings and gloomy representations of the Madras government, he laboured assiduously to augment the military force, and restore the financial resources of that important part of our Eastern dominions: by never yielding to difficulties, he soon found none; by boldly assuming the lead in diplomacy, he speedily acquired the command. The intrepid no longer feared to discharge their duty; they were sure that, if honestly performed, they would be supported. All classes, both at home and abroad, rapidly discovered the character of the man with whom they were now brought in contact. British patriotism was roused by the clear indications which were afforded of capacity at the head of affairs; Asiatic hostility sank before the ascendant of European talent, Indian jealousy before the force of English courage. The army was rapidly augmented; the frontier fortresses were armed and victualled; the bullock service and commissariat put on a respectable footing; a powerful battering-train was collected at Madras; voluntary subscriptions, on a magnificent scale, at all the three presidencies, bespoke at once the public spirit and opulence of the inhabitants; corps of European volunteers were formed, and soon ac"I can anticipate nothing but shocking quired a great degree of efficiency; disasters from a premature attack upon Tipwhile a subsidiary treaty, concluded poo in our present disabled condition, and with the Nizam in the beginning of the impeachment of Lord Mornington for his September, restored the British in- temerity." Mr Weber's words. - PEARCE'S Life of Wellesley, i. 203. "Tippoo's inveterfluence at the court of Hyderabad, and acy at us will only end with his life, and he gave public proof of the renewal of will always seize any opportunity that may But notwithstanding British influence among the native occur to annoy us. this, and that the political circumstances of powers. As usual, however, these India are now much in our favour, it pervigorous measures were not adopted haps still remains a matter of serious consiwithout exciting the usual amount of deration, whether, in our very great want of cash, and the effect our going to war in dismay and consternation among that this country must have on the affairs of Euclass, numerous in all countries, whose rope, it would not be better to let him make only resource on the approach of the amende honorable if so inclined, than that danger is to deny its existence. Mr we should avail ourselves of the error he has run into to punish him for his insolence. Weber, the secretary of the govern- An attack is now more likely to end in discom ment, and General Harris, the com-fiture than victory. On my part, your lordmander-in-chief of the army of Coro- ship may depend on following your instructions implicitly.". mandel, were equally loud in their LORD MORNINGTON, 23d June 1798; PEARCE, condemnations of Lord Wellesley's i. 203. GENERAL HARRIS to of insubordination, no authority exist- most of the Mahommedan chiefs of ed capable of withstanding the British those countries were implicated; while troops; and the whole French officers the whole Mahratta potentates were were, without bloodshed, delivered up secretly intriguing against the British to the English authorities, on condi- power, and only awaited the expected tion of private property being preserv-arrival of the French from Egypt, to ed, and their being forthwith trans-join openly in the general confederacy ported to France-conditions which against it. were immediately and faithfully executed. 20. This bold and important stroke was very soon attended with the most important effects. The French influence at the native courts received a rude shock, while that of the English was proportionally augmented. The natives of the subsidiary corps almost all entered the British ranks, and formed an important addition to the sepoy force; while the Nizam, overjoyed at his delivery from such supercilious defenders as those from whom he had now been rescued, renewed his ancient and cordial alliance with the East India Company. It soon appeared how necessary this decisive stroke had been, and what was the magnitude of the dangers which would soon have assailed the British power, if the war had not in this manner been at once carried into the enemy's territory. Secret information was received that Scindiah had entered into correspondence with Tippoo and the French; the Peishwa was ascertained to have supported his views against the Company and the Nizam; the inveterate hostility of the Sultan of Mysore was well known, and his preparations, though secretly conducted, were daily assuming a more formidable character. Zemaun Shah, and the terrors of an Affghaun invasion, operated as a powerful diversion, and rendered it necessary to station a large force on the northern frontiers of Hindostan. He had crossed the Indus at Attock, the place where Alexander passed that river, and reached Lahore, where, on the first reverse to the British, the formidable force of the Sikhs would be ready to co-operate with him for the expulsion of the infidels. A deep-laid plot was on foot for expelling the English from Bengal, Bahar, and all their provinces on the banks of the Ganges, in which 21. The indefatigable activity and commanding energy of Lord Wellesley, however, enabled him to make head against all these difficulties; and he soon made such progress in the military preparations as enabled him, early in 1799, to anticipate the designs of his enemies, by striking a decisive blow at the heart of their power. The army collected at Madras was raised, before the close of the preceding year, to thirty thousand fighting men, with an immense battering train-a noble force, in an incomparable state of discipline and equipment; while a cooperating body of six thousand men, in equally admirable condition, was ready to advance from Bombay under General Stuart. Explanations were demanded from Tippoo regarding his hostile measures, particularly his sending ambassadors to the Isle of France ;* but no reply was received, although the English government gave ample proof of their disposition to act with fidelity in conformity with the existing treaties, by relinquishing to him, at this very crisis, the territory of Wynaad, a disputed district which, on Lord Wellesley's arrival in India, was in the possession of the British authorities without any adequate title. A proposition on the part of the governor-general to open an amicable nego * Ante, chap. XLVIII., § 53, note. -Such in his letter to Lord Wellesley of 2d August was Tippoo's dissimulation and perfidy that, 1798, he said, "By the favour of God, bonds of friendship and union obtain between the two to give additional strength to the beneficial states; and I am to the last degree disposed system of amity and peace.' "On 4th August 1798, just two days after this letter was written, were framed the specific conditions of an offensive alliance against the British, accompanied with solicitations to the French Directory, and to the government of the Isle of France, to send an auxiliary force to aid in the archives of Seringapatam.—PEARCE'S in the conquest of India, which were found Life of Wellesley, i. 211. of Seringapatam, with the loss of fifteen hundred killed and wounded. tiation through Major Doveton, having | quickly retired to the neighbourhood been eluded with characteristic artifice by the Sultan,* and the military preparations being complete, Marquis Wellesley, early in January, proceeded to Madras in person; and on the 10th of February the army, under General Harris, entered the Mysore territory; while, shortly before, General Stuart had also advanced with his co-operating force from the side of Bombay. 22. Notwithstanding the depth and extent of his plans, Tippoo was on this occasion taken by surprise. He had not anticipated the vigour and celerity of the new governor-general, and calculated upon being permitted to choose his own time, as on former occasions, from the supineness of government, for the commencement of hostilities. Had he been permitted to do so, he would have deferred the opening of the campaign till his preparations were complete, and the extensive confederacy in the course of formation was encouraged by the presence of a French auxiliary force. His military power, however, was already very great. Seringapatam was in a formidable state of defence, and he had above fifty thousand men in a central position, under arms. Finding, therefore, that his territories were menaced on two sides at once, he judiciously resolved to direct his efforts, in the first instance, against the least considerable of the invading armies; and with that view moved against General Stuart, even before he had crossed the Bombay frontier, and five days before General Harris entered Mysore. The Sultan's force on this occasion amounted to twelve thousand men, the flower of his army; but though the weight of the contest fell on two thousand European and sepoy troops, he was defeated after a violent struggle of three hours' duration, and 23. The progress of the grand army, thirty thousand strong, which advanced from the side of Madras, was at first very slow, owing to the immense battering and siege equipage which followed in its train, the enormous multitude of camp-followers which constantly encumber an Indian army, and the sickness which almost uniformly seizes the transport cattle when they leave the coast and ascend the high table-land of Mysore. They experienced, however, very little molestation from the Sultan until the 27th March, when a general engagement took place. Tippoo's army occupied a range of heights beyond the little town of Malavelly; and a distant exchange of cannon-shot from the batteries on either side at length led to a general action. He had above 50,000 men, and 180 guns, under his orders.† Colonel Wellesley (Wellington) commanded the division on the left, and General Floyd the cavalry in the centre. Harris himself was on the right. Owing to the exhausted state of the bullocks which drew the artillery, a delay occurred in the formation of the line, of which the Mysore infantry took advantage to make a daring charge on Colonel Wellesley's division, which moved on to the attack, and was considerably in advance, separated by a wide gap from the centre; while a large body of horse bore down on the right, under Harris himself. They + Tippoo's force was as follows:Regular infantry, Guards, Regular horse, Irregular horse, Carnatic Peons, 30,000 4,000 6,000 7,000 8,000 55,000 -PEARCE, 1. 293, note. * Tippoo wrote in answer to the communi- Colonel Wellesley, on this occasion, was cation announcing Major Doveton's mission, not intended by General Harris to make the -"that being frequently disposed to make attack, but to wait till the onset was made excursions and hunt, he was accordingly pro- by the right and centre, and orders to that ceeding upon a hunting excursion; but that effect were sent him by the commander-inhe would be pleased that the governor-gen-chief. When they were delivered, however, eral would be so good as to despatch Major Doveton to him unattended, or slightly attended."-TIPPOO to the Governor-general, Feb. 9, 1799.-WELLESLEY'S Despatches, i. 452. he saw, from the confusion into which the enemy in his front had fallen, that the attack could be made with more prospect of success by his division, and he said so to the |