the woman from her relations, at her pronouncing that she will burn, and allow her to remain one day in a comfortable place with English Ladies that understands the country's language, there is no doubt her mind shall be purified, and her foolish thoughts shall be removed, and will not be anxious to do such a base act as to burn with dead person." (Muddunmohun Mullick, Calcutta, Jan. 27, 1826.) "I fully agree with the sentiments contained in Muddunmohun's letter. If the Government in Council gives order to remove all the women on pronouncing that they will burn, to be placed with an intelligent English person to persuade them to the contrary, and not allow any of the relations to converse, or make them take intoxicated drugs, they will never die in such an inhuman manner. I have lost my wife these six years, and have not married again for fear she may burn with my body at my death.-The Hindoo woman have no sense; they hear from their superiors the cremation is an holy act, and they are fool enough to listen it, which only induce them to express their sentiments that they will burn; and as soon as such a declaration is obtained all the unfeeling relations uses all their exertions to induce the poor unfortunate widows to suffer such a cruel death. I hope you will not refuse to have this appeared in your interesting Paper, and oblige me." (Sunchurn Sill, Calcutta, Jan. 31, 1826.) What shall urge British humanity, magnanimity, and justice, to abolish, without delay, the bloody rite of Suttee? Let the magnitude of the evil be seriously considered. The following is an account of the number of Suttees under the Presidencies of Bengal, Madras, and Bombay, during the years specified.— SUTTEES IN the BengAL PRESIDEncy. 1815 1816 1817 1818 1819 1820 1821 1822 1823 378 442 707 839 650 597 654 583 575 MADRAS PRESIDENCY. The aggregate af these details is 5853. "What a tragic history would a complete detail of these burnings make!" Could they have been assembled in one city (say Calcutta) for a general massacre, would they have perished? No!-but is the evil, the guilt, the responsibility, less because these fires are lighted up daily and in various parts of the land? "The question (discussed here) is a question of life or of death, and consequently we must bring to the consideration of it all those rules of evidence, and all that process of argument, which can alone satisfy men's sober judgment, and direct them in a decision, which is to terminate either in the death-warrant of the vic * See Par. Papers, Nos. 1, 2, 3, 4.-Account of York Meeting, p. 21. tims or in the revocation of their degraded and mournful lot." Britain delays to speak the decisive word that shall save thousands of unhappy widows from death, but, "On whom will the blood of the many thousand victims that are destined to perish be visited? This is a solemn and momentous question, before which we may well pause and weigh all the present and all the future consequences. It cannot be dissembled, that the charge of guilt attaches primarily to the Government of India, who are the conscious spectators of the act, and largely possessing the means, are yet deterred from employing those means for its suppression. It next attaches to the British Government at home, who acquiesce in the motives that influence this reluctance. And finally, the whole British people become parties to this moral guilt, if knowing, as they do, the existence of the crime, they do not consider themselves pledged to use all lawful means for abolishing a rite, derogatory to the British character, forming an anamoly in the administration of civil law, and involving a flagrant breach of the law of God."* be The Marquis of Hastings would have "abolished the atrocious practice, if he could have relied upon the popular feeling being in his favour in our own country, and that the danger was felt not in India, (Proh dolor!) but only in England."+ Let the inhabitants of Great Britain and Ireland speak and supplicate that no more innocent blood may shed. Bedford, in 1823, and the village of Crail, near Edinburgh, in 1825, have taken the lead in this work of justice and mercy. The present year, 1827, is likely to see something important done. The abolition of human sacrifices has been discussed in the Court of East India Proprietors, and advances made towards the attainment of this desired object. Notice is given in the House of Commons of a motion on the subject of Suttees, for May 24th, and petitions have been sent from York, Rochdale, Colchester, &c. and others are preparing at Derby, Loughborough, Retford, &c. The most concise and comprehensive form of a petition I have seen, is that of Loughborough, which is as follows:- "To the Honourable the Commons of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, in Parliament assembled. "The humble Petition of the Inhabitants of the Town of . its Vicinity, your — and "Sheweth, That Petitioners learn with extreme concern that the inhuman and impious practice in India, of burning Widows on the funeral pile of their husbands, still continues. "That your Petitioners while they gratefully acknowledge that of late years exertions have been made for the moral and religious improvement of India, and that the influence of the British Government has been successfully exerted in the prevention of many superstitious cruelties hitherto practised by the Natives; would earnestly implore your Honourable House to command such further exercise of authority as may secure the abrogation of the practice, so opposed to the law of God, and so revolting to humanity. And your Petitioners will ever pray. Under the law of Moses even uncertain murder was to be expiGrimshawe's Appeal, p. 20. 26. + Account of York Meeting, p. 6. ated, and the people taught to pray ;-"Be merciful, O Lord, unto thy people Israel, whom thou hast redeemed, and lay not innocent blood unto thy people of Israel's charge." (Deu. xxi. 8.) May Britain feel her responsibility to "put away the guilt of innocent blood." "Ye British matrons, husbands, sires, 66 Your souls with soft compassion glowing; O haste to quench the horrid fires From scenes of such abomination." The existence of Suttees and other cruel rites in India, for many is a proof of its benighted, degraded state. Bible and Missionages, ary Societies are the great means of promoting its conversion to Christianity. The Gospel is the power of God to salvation to every one that believeth." I have seen a Bengalee Christian and a preacher who, when a boy, set fire to the pile that consumed his mother to ashes. Behold the triumph of Christianity!-Let the friends of hnmanity and of true religion prosecute the good work of evangelizing India and the East, for their "labour is not in vain in the Lord.” We shall close in the impressive language of a Writer in the Asiatic Observer, No. viii. (published in Calcutta, Oct. 1824). Speaking of this cruel practice, it is observed:-"How many noble souls have ventured on some bold enterprize, without seeing how they could accomplish their design; yet, by close attention and perseverence, a way his opened to their view, and means have offered themselves almost spontaneously for forwarding their wishes, so that at length they have attained to that which at first appeared to them almost impossible to be acquired. Indeed the noblest plans and institutions by which our country (Britain) is adorned, and our happiness increased, have originated in this manner. Let one man of influence in society take the object into consideration, deliberately, and with a determination to find out some plan to which he can solicit the attention of the public, and we have as little doubt of his success as we have of the disposition of the public to assist him. Various ideas have been started on this subject and some of them, were they adopted, might prove beneficial. It has been thought that it would be good for the inhabitants of Calcutta to present a petition to the Supreme Government here, or through them to our own Legislators at home. It would certainly be an honourable thing to those who made it, and entitle them to a place among the friends of India to the latest It has been suggested that it would be very honourable to the ladies in Calcutta were they all to unite in presenting a petition and soliciting the Lady of the Governor General to do them the honour of putting her name first. This would display the humanity and sympathy of the Calcutta ladies, and have a great practical effect, by leading many to impress on their husbands the importance of rescuing a degraded part of the female sex. If all the Knights of the present day could be persuaded to undertake the rescuing of Bengalee widows from the flames, they would attempt a nobler deed than was ever achieved since the order L age. was instituted; and, should they be successful, would transmit to posterity a name more honourable than any or all of their brethren. Another plan that has been proposed, and acted upon in part, is, that Houses of Agency, Mercantile Houses, &c., would set their faces against this practice, by dismissing from their employment any person who has been brutal enough to burn his own mother. This would teach the natives in general the abhorrence that Europeans have of the crime, and would, in many instances, prevent it from being committed." "We are encouraged, from the spirit of the British Nation, and from the prophecies of Scripture, confidently to anticipate an end to the miseries we now deplore. That a Parliament which has abolished the Slave Trade, will for ever permit the burning of widows, we can never believe. Slavery did not receive its death-blow at once: many blows were aimed at the monster before its head was broken; and its carcase is not even yet all consumed. So it may be in the case under discussion: it may be brought forward several times before all objections to it, real and fictitious, are answered; but, notwithstanding this, unless humanity and wisdom perish from the British Senate, we are certain that sooner or later they will put an end to this horrid practice. We argue, not from the cessation of many cruel ceremonies among other nations that this will certainly be the case; we have a surer word of prophecy on which to depend: the MOST HIGH has declared that he will give his Son "the heathen for his inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for his possession." If these nations are given to him, whose law is love, and whose Gospel is peace, then will be brought to pass the saying that is written: "The wolf and the lamb shall feed together, and the lion shall eat straw like the bullock; and dust shall be the serpent's meat. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain, saith the Lord."* * Asiatic Observer, p. 369, 370, 374, 375. THE END. Winks, Printer. Baxter-Gate, Loughborough. CONTENTS. SECTION I.-Remarks on the horrid nature of the practice of burning Hindoo Widows, and on the causes that tend to prevent its suppression, or occasion its perpetration...... Page. SECTION II.-The cruel rite of Suttee not enjoined by the most authoritative of the Hindoo Legislators and opposed to their views of eminent virtue. Force absolutely forbidden, yet generally employed....... SECTION III. Further illustration of the important position that the Suttee, though recommended by some modern Hindoo Writers, is not enjoined by the most authoritative; and that the usual mode of its perpetration is not sanctioned by Hindoo Writers...... SECTION IV. Further discussion of the subject of the two preceding Sections, being a Review of a Pamphlet on the burning of widows, written in Bengalee, by a Pundit 15 19 30 SECTION V.-The present partial interference of the British Government promotes the increase, celebrity, and supposed legality of Suttees,.. 50 SECTION VI.-Testimonies to confirm the propriety and safety of the suppression of Suttees... 54 SECTION VII.—A collection of European and Native testimony to the position, that the Suttee is not absolutely enjoined by the Hindoo shastras, and hence should be suppressed...... 68 |