Chapter IX (4)

"But so large a sovereignty may possibly be an object too
extensive for a mercantile Company; and it is to be feared they
are not of themselves able, without the nation's assistance, to
maintain so wide a dominion. I have therefore presumed, Sir, to
represent this matter to you, and submit it to your
consideration, whether the execution of a design, that may
hereafter be still carried to greater lengths, be worthy of the
Government's taking it into hand. I flatter myself I have made it
pretty clear to you, that there will be little or no difficulty
in obtaining the absolute possession of these rich kingdoms; and
that with the Moghul's own consent, on condition of paying him
less than a fifth of the revenues thereof. Now I leave you to
judge, whether an income yearly of upwards of two millions
sterling, with the possession of three provinces abounding in the
most valuable productions of nature and of art, be an object
deserving the public attention; and whether it be worth the
nation's while to take the proper measures to secure such an
acquisition,—an acquisition which, under the management of so
able and disinterested a minister, would prove a source of
immense wealth to the kingdom, and might in time be appropriated
in part as a fund towards diminishing the heavy load of debt
under which we at present labour. Add to these advantages the
influence we shall thereby acquire over the several European
nations engaged in the commerce here, which these could no longer
carry on but through our indulgence, and under such limitations
as we should think fit to prescribe. It is well worthy
consideration, that this project may be brought about without
draining the mother country, as has been too much the case with
our possessions in America. A small force from home will be
sufficient, as we always make sure of any number we please of
black troops, who, being both much better paid and treated by us
than by the country powers, will very readily enter into our
service. Mr. Walsh, who will have the honour of delivering you
this, having been my Secretary during the late fortunate
expedition, is a thorough master of the subject, and will be able
to explain to you the whole design, and the facility with which
it may be executed, much more to your satisfaction, and with
greater perspicuity, than can possibly be done in a letter. I
shall therefore only further remark, that I have communicated it
to no other person but yourself; nor should I have troubled you,
Sir, but from a conviction that you will give a favourable
reception to any proposal intended for the public good.

"The greatest part of the troops belonging to this establishment
are now employed in an expedition against the French in the
Deckan; and, by the accounts lately received from thence, I have
great hopes we shall succeed in extirpating them from the
province of Golconda, where they have reigned lords paramount so
long, and from whence they have drawn their principal resources
during the troubles upon the coast.

"Notwithstanding the extraordinary effort made by the French in
sending out M. Lally with a considerable force the last year, I
am confident, before the end of this, they will be near their
last gasp in the Carnatic[94], unless some very unforeseen event
interpose in their favour. The superiority of our squadron, and
the plenty of money and supplies of all kinds which our friends
on the coast will be furnished with from this province, while the
enemy are in total want of every thing, without any visible means
of redress, are such advantages as, if properly attended to,
cannot fail of wholly effecting their ruin in that as well as in
every other part of India.

"May the zeal and the vigorous measures, projected for the
service of the nation, which have so eminently distinguished your
ministry, be crowned with all the success they deserve, is the
most fervent wish of him who is, with the greatest respect,

"Sir,

"Your most devoted humble servant,

(Signed) "ROB^T. CLIVE.

"Calcutta,

"7th January, 1759."

The reader will, no doubt, be curious to learn Mr. Pitt's sentiments on this very remarkable letter, and fortunately the means are preserved of gratifying so natural a curiosity. Mr. Walsh, by whom the letter was sent, on the 26th of November, 1759, gives Clive an account of his interview with Mr. Pitt. That great minister, while he acknowledged the practicability of the plan, was aware of the difficulties that attended its principle and details. "It was not till six days ago that I had admittance to Mr. Pitt. He had made one or two appointments, but was obliged by business to postpone them, for certainly he has an infinite deal on his hands. He received me with the utmost politeness, and we had a _tête-à-tête_ for an hour and a quarter, of which I will endeavour to sum up the particulars. He began by mentioning how much he was obliged to you, for the marks you had given him of your friendship; and then began on the subject of your letter. I said I was apprehensive, from my not having had the honour to speak with him before, that he looked upon the affair as chimerical: he assured me, not at all, but very practicable; but that it was of a very nice nature. He mentioned the Company's charter not expiring these twenty years; that upon some late transactions it had been inquired into, whether the Company's conquests and acquisitions belonged to them or the Crown, and the Judges seemed to think to the Company. He spoke this matter a little darkly, and I cannot write upon it with precision: he said the Company were not proper to have it, nor the Crown, for such a revenue would endanger our liberties; and that you had shown your good sense by the application of it to the public. He said the difficulty of effecting the affair was not great, under such a genius as Colonel Clive; but the sustaining it was the point: it was not probable he would be succeeded by persons equal to the task. He asked how long you proposed continuing there; that by your letter he might conclude you intended to carry the business into execution. I answered that no one's zeal for the public service was greater than yours; but that I believed your ill health would oblige you to return shortly. I then mentioned Van's abilities, and that he was upon the point of being made Governor of Bengal. I observed to him that it was necessary for him to determine whether it was an object for the Company or the State; for I was persuaded, that, if the State neglected it, the Company, in process of time, would secure it; that they would even find themselves under a necessity to do it for their greater quiet and safety, exclusive of gain. He seemed to weigh that; but, as far as I could judge by what passed then, it will be left to the Company to do what they please.

"I took an opportunity of mentioning that the French seemed to direct their views greatly towards India; spoke of Dupleix's designs, Bussy's letter, and Lally's armament, which, happily for us, had melted away to nothing, but that in time of peace, if not somehow restrained, they would certainly pour men into India, and be formidable in after times. He asked me about Mauritius; whether the reduction of that would not be laying the axe to the root, and how far it was practicable. I gave him what information I was capable of on the subject, and referred him, for further, to Speke, who I said was a clever officer, and, I believed, had revolved the matter in his breast for some time past. Before parting, he hinted to me a supply for this season of four men-of-war, and a thousand men: these generally are granted pretty late, and we must imagine they will be so this season, as an invasion has been seriously thought of, and we are still doubtful as to the destination of Brest fleet. I don't recollect any thing further, of any consequence, that passed in our conversation. I might, indeed, acquaint you, that he asked very particularly if I had any thoughts of returning to India."

The line of policy which subsequently marked our progress in India, is strongly depicted in this conversation. Mr. Pitt saw, in their infancy, the difficulties which have so long prevented the final settlement of that country; and Mr. Walsh, tutored in the school of Clive, already clearly discovered the future inevitable extension of our dominions and power.

Clive's letter was written a twelvemonth before he left Calcutta. Neither the events in India, nor those in England, were calculated to alter the sentiments it contained, regarding the necessity for the interference of the legislature of Great Britain in the administration of the interests of the nation in India. The despatches received from the Directors immediately before he resigned the Government, appear to have excited equal disgust in his mind, and in the minds of his ablest colleagues; and in the concluding paragraphs of a general letter to the Directors, the Bengal Government expressed their sentiments with a freedom, which, though becoming their high sense of the duty which they owed to themselves and to their country, was but little suited to the temper or constitution of their superiors.

The following are the observations made in this letter upon the conduct of the Court of Directors.

"Having fully spoken to every branch of your affairs at this
Presidency, under their established heads, we cannot, consistently
with the real anxiety we feel for the future welfare of that
respectable body, for whom you and we are in trust, close this
address without expostulating with freedom on the unprovoked and
general asperity of your letter per the Prince Henry Packet. Our
sentiments on this head will, we doubt not, acquire additional
weight, from the consideration of their being subscribed by a
majority of your Council; who are at this very period quitting your
service, and consequently independent and disinterested. Permit us
to say, that the diction of your letter is most unworthy yourselves
and us, in whatever relation considered, either as masters to
servants, or gentlemen to gentlemen. Mere inadvertencies and casual
neglects arising from an unavoidable and most complicated confusion
in the state of your affairs, have been treated in such language
and sentiments, as nothing but the most glaring and premeditated
faults could warrant. Groundless informations have, without further
scrutiny, borne with you the stamp of truth, though proceeding from
those who had therein obviously their own purpose to serve, no
matter at whose expense. These have received from you such
countenance and encouragement, as must assuredly tend to cool the
warmest zeal of your servants here, and every where else, as they
will appear to have been only the source of general reflections
thrown out at random against your faithful servants of this
Presidency, in various parts of your letter now before us—faithful
to little purpose, if the breath of scandal, joined to private
pique or private and personal attachments, have power to blow away
in one hour the merits of many years' services, and deprive them of
that rank and those rising benefits which are justly a spur to
their integrity and application. The little attention shown to
these considerations, in the indiscriminate favours heaped on some
individuals, and undeserved censures on others, will, we apprehend,
lessen that spirit of zeal so very essential to the well-being of
your affairs, and consequently, in the end, if continued, prove the
destruction of them. Private views may, it is much to be feared,
take the lead here, from examples at home, and no gentlemen hold
your service longer, nor exert themselves further in it, than their
own exigencies require. This being the real state of your service,
it becomes strictly our duty to represent it in the strongest
light."[95]

This despatch was signed by Clive, and by Messrs. Holwell, Playdell, Sumner, and M'Guire, Members of Council. I shall only so far anticipate the narrative as to state, that it excited the utmost indignation and violence at the India House.[96]

The Directors had immediate recourse to the extreme measure of removing and commanding to be sent to England, the four gentlemen who had joined Clive in this strong remonstrance. This vindication of their authority, which they deemed necessary to prevent the further diffusion of the contagion of disrespect and insubordination among their servants, was attended with the most unhappy results. It deprived the public, at a critical period, of the aid of some of the most moderate and experienced of the civil servants in Bengal, and promoted to high stations others of a very opposite character: and there can be no doubt, the result of these changes was the massacre at Patna, one of the most shocking catastrophes to be found on the page of the History of British India.

Clive was at no pains to conceal the sentiments which the conduct of the Court of Directors had excited in his mind. In his answer to an address from the European inhabitants of Calcutta, he observes:—

"I am so thoroughly sensible, Gentlemen, of this testimony of your approbation of my conduct, that though the ill-treatment I received from the Court of Directors in their last general letter, has fully determined me in throwing up the service, yet I could waive all personal considerations, and without hesitation comply with your request, did the state of your affairs really require my making such a sacrifice to you. But the additional credit you have gained throughout the country by your late success over the Dutch, the arrival of Major Caillaud, with the reinforcement from Madras, and the approach of the detachment lately commanded by Colonel Forde, which you now shortly expect, ensure you from the least shadow of danger for some time to come. In the interim, proper measures may be taken at home for the better security of this valuable settlement, to promote which, you may depend upon my exerting my utmost interests; and I may perhaps be able to serve you more effectually than by my continuing here."

Mr. Amyatt, the Chief of Patna, had written to Clive, expressing his fear for the continued tranquillity of the country. Clive, in his answer[97], observes, "Your reflections on the situation of affairs in general are very just. I make no doubt but the troubles will begin again in the North. The Nabob will be here in a few days, and I shall advise him to take the field, the instant the weather will permit. He will have a party of our troops with him, and, if it should be necessary, I will accompany him myself. 'Venienti occurrite morbo,' is the advice given by all physicians; and if the Nabob settles the Purneah country, and then marches to the pass of Terriagully, the evil-minded will be overawed, and probably your province of Bahar may remain quiet and in peace."

The arrival of the Dutch armament, while it prevented the proposed march of the Nabob, gave encouragement to the Shah-Zada to repeat his invasion of Bahar. Clive received advices of his movement in January, 1760, when at Moorshedabad on a farewell visit to the Nabob; but he appears to have had no alarm for the result, as Major Caillaud (whom the Madras Government had at his request sent to command in Bengal) had arrived with a considerable reinforcement of troops, and Colonel Forde's detachment was daily expected. Besides being confident in the Commander, and in the number and quality of the troops, Clive had every reliance upon Ram Narrain; whose fidelity, however, he thought it proper on this occasion to fortify, by repeating his solemn assurances of protection.

"You will deliver the inclosed" (he writes[98] to Mr. Amyatt), "which is an encouraging letter to Ram Narrain; and at the same time assure him yourself from me, that he may depend upon my taking care of his interests; and that I will recommend him in so strong a manner to the protection of Major Caillaud, who has now the command of the English forces, that he may look upon himself as safe from any danger as if I myself were at their head.

"Our forces move to Ghyreebaug to-morrow; and in a few days, I hope, will proceed as far as Rajamahul at least, and further, should it be found necessary. There has been some dispute, between the father and son, who should go upon this expedition. I have thought it necessary to come to the city to adjust this affair amicably, and I believe the old man will make the campaign himself.

"The force with the Shah-Zada is so inconsiderable, that you can have nothing to fear from him in your parts; and Ram Narrain's troops with our detachment is an overmatch, I am well persuaded, for any number the unfortunate Prince can bring into the field."

Clive's instructions to Major Caillaud are short, but decisive, as to his opinion that no serious danger was to be apprehended. "I have this morning" (he writes[99]) "received advice by a letter of Ram Narrain to the Nabob; that Suraj-u-Dowlah was preparing to enter these provinces in support of the Shah-Zada. I have, therefore, ordered two hundred men, in addition to the reinforcement this day despatched to you, to be in readiness to proceed after you. When these have joined you, with the troops you already have, proceed with all expedition in conjunction with the Chŭta[100] Nabob, settle matters with the Purneah Nabob, and then endeavour to come up with the Shah-Zada before his party have gained head, and before Suraj-u-Dowlah, should he really have such intentions, can join him. If you meet with the Prince, I am persuaded you will give a good account of him; and that the check he will receive will deter others from making any incursions into the Nabob's dominions."

Clive returned from Moorshedabad, and after remaining a few weeks at Calcutta, he embarked for England. He was succeeded by Mr. Holwell, who, however, was soon superseded by Mr. Vansittart, (a member of the Council at Fort St. George,) with whom Clive had long been in terms of intimate friendship, and of whose integrity and abilities he had so high an opinion, that he earnestly recommended the Directors to appoint him to the government of Bengal. Mr. Vansittart states in several letters from Madras, that all his expectations of attaining that station rested on Clive, whose solicitude on this point appears to have been very great.

"I am preparing for you," (he observes in a letter to Mr. Vansittart[101],) "many papers and accounts, which will give you some insight into the affairs of this province, and of our great consequence at this juncture in Hindustan. As I have fixed upon you for this Government, it is necessary you should know how glorious a government it may prove for you and the Company. I hope to God, my interest in England will not fail me. I tremble when I think of the fatal consequences of such a mercenary man as * * *.

"The expected reinforcements," (Clive adds) "will in my opinion put Bengal out of all danger but that of venality and corruption."

I have before noticed Clive's exertions in favour of Mr. Sulivan. In one of his letters to that Gentleman, he congratulates him upon his becoming a Director, and assures him he will give him all his interest, "Because," (he observes) "I was always of opinion the Company's affairs could never be carried on to advantage, but under the management of one of those gentlemen who brought home with them a just knowledge of India, acquired by many years' experience."

In the same letter, Clive gives his opinion as to the future importance of Bengal, and the measures best calculated to secure the greatest benefits from that rich country. He also expresses his sentiments in the freest manner, as to the character of the public servants best qualified to fill high stations in India. I cannot refrain from quoting the concluding paragraphs of this able letter.

"As the Company's privileges," (he observes,) "have been greatly extended, so ought their views also; to conduct and carry on the affairs of Bengal to advantage, not only requires servants of ability, but many of them.

"Mr. Watts, I think, has not had that justice done to his merit which his services at Moorshedabad, and since, have deserved; therefore I cannot blame him for resigning. It was with much difficulty I prevailed upon Messrs. Manningham and Frankland to give me their assistance another year. They may, I believe, be prevailed upon to stay still longer.

"Mr. * * * * has talents, but I fear wants a heart, therefore unfit to preside where integrity as well as capacity are equally essential. Those who are more immediately to supply the vacant seats of this Board I dare not recommend to you, (Mr. Sumner excepted,) and I think it a duty I owe to my employers to call your remembrance to Messrs. Vansittart and Dupré, two gentlemen whose abilities and integrity would do credit to any employ. The merit of the former shines with so peculiar and bright a lustre, as must make his services coveted by every well-wisher to the Company; and they cannot shine in my opinion to greater advantage than at the Council Board of Calcutta. The Rev. Mr. Palk, without regard to his cloth, was deemed worthy of a seat in the Committee at Madras. Mr. Fullerton is not less so, and may be of equal utility in Bengal.

"There is not a gentleman on this side of the Cape so well qualified to be your Major as Captain Caillaud; it is hard to say, whether his abilities or zeal for your service be greater. I know not one so equal to the task of carrying on a part or the whole of my designs, under the direction of a President and Council, as that gentleman. If any accident should happen to him, or he should choose to remain on the coast, let me recommend as a fit person to succeed him Captain Carnac; I have had an opportunity of studying him, and can assure you he is master of an excellent heart, and of talents, in the military way, sufficient to do honour to his employers. I believe this gentleman will be recommended to you by Colonel Lawrence, and other hands, which will serve to illustrate my account of him.

"I can declare to you, Sir, with great truth and sincerity, I have no other attachment to particular persons than what their capacity of serving the Company entitles them to. As I am independent in my circumstances, so am I in my affections, where the good of the service calls upon me to be so; and I should never have given Mr. Sulivan the trouble of reading this letter, if I was not convinced he would look upon every syllable of it as proceeding from the dictates of a heart full of zeal and gratitude for the Company."

Mr. Sulivan had warmly congratulated Clive[102] upon his successes in Bengal; and I have great satisfaction in giving that gentleman's answer to Clive's letter just quoted; first, as it proves the congeniality of their views; and, secondly, as it conveys, in the most unqualified manner, a full approbation of Clive's conduct, as far as that was within the knowledge of Mr. Sulivan, and that gentleman could have been ignorant of no facts of any importance, except, perhaps, the grant of the Jaghire.

This letter is as follows:—

"Sir,

"As there is a possibility you may still remain at Calcutta to
cherish and protect your own offspring, which certainly had been
sacrificed without your presence, I shall just confess the receipt
of your friendly and confidential letter; and every essential part
is, or will be, carried into execution. The many judicious
reflections you have made coincide with my own sentiments; and Mr.
Vansittart, so justly your favourite, will, I hope, firmly
establish this great and noble settlement.

"By our last advices, your situation was critical indeed; but I
trust the same Providence that has hitherto so wonderfully
protected you, has extricated you from that new labyrinth of
dangers.

"I cannot conclude without confessing myself much obliged for your
good opinion of my disinterested intentions. The Company have
certainly a grateful sense of their obligations to Colonel Clive,
and I hope ever to be esteemed,

"Sir,

"Your most obedient servant,

(Signed) "LAW. SULIVAN.

"_To Col. Clive._

"London, 7th Dec. 1759."

Clive, though he saw no immediate danger in the actual state of affairs at the period of his departure, indulged no hope of the continued tranquillity of the country. It was his decided opinion, that in India, peace could only be made and preserved by our maintaining a strong and commanding military force. All his sentiments on this subject are summed up in the following short paragraph of a private letter to Mr. Stephen Law, one of the leading Directors.

"Peace," (he observes[103],) "is the most valuable of all blessings; but it must be made sword in hand in this country, if we mean to preserve our possessions. There is no alternative; either every thing in India must be reduced to their first principles, or such a standing force kept up, as may oblige the Musselmans literally to execute their treaties."

Clive sailed from India on the 25th day of February, 1760, rich both in fortune and in fame, far beyond any European who had ever visited that country. His departure was viewed with regret by many, and with apprehension by all who were interested in the prosperity of the British nation. He left a blank that could not be filled up. "It appeared," (to use the strong and expressive language of a contemporary observer,) "as if the soul was departing from the body of the Government of Bengal."

FOOTNOTES: CHAPTER 10

Footnote 64:

Letter to Clive, 29th July, 1759.

Footnote 65:

3d August, 1759.

Footnote 66:

The following is a translation of this letter:—

"To Mr. Robert Clive.

"Sir,—As you have had the principal charge of the enterprise
against the late Nabob Suraj-u-Dowlah, we cannot refrain from
congratulating you upon your success. Wishing that the arms of His
Britannic Majesty may every where prosper and be triumphant, and
that your fame, Sir, may become more and more renowned, we have the
honour to be, with much consideration, &c. &c.

"Chinsura, 30th June, 1757."

Footnote 67:

M. Bisdom, the Dutch Governor of Chinsura, applied to Clive on all occasions of embarrassment or difficulty; and his applications appear, from the correspondence, to have been always treated with respect and attention.

Footnote 68:

2d October, 1758.

Footnote 69:

Aliverdi Khan, the predecessor of Suraj-u-Dowlah.

Footnote 70:

We find in a letter from M. Bisdom to Colonel Clive, of the 25th July, 1759, the following passage:—"Referring to your last favour I cannot refrain from offering you my grateful thanks on the subject of the saltpetre." It appears, from a variety of documents, that Clive gave every facility to the Dutch commerce in this as well as in other articles.

Footnote 71:

This paper is not dated; but, from a correction in the rough copy, it appears to have been drawn up in November, 1759; and was, no doubt, transmitted to England at that period.

Footnote 72:

This person is styled Fakker-u-Toojar (a title signifying "Glory of Merchants") in the correspondence; but we continue to call him Cajah Wazeed, the name by which he is generally known.

Footnote 73:

4th August, 1759.

Footnote 74:

This letter is dated "Hooghley, Thursday evening;" probably the 12th of November.

Footnote 75:

7th January, 1760.

Footnote 76:

Meeran, son of Jaffier Aly Caun.

Footnote 77:

Letter from Mr. Hastings, 23d November.

Footnote 78:

Clive states in his evidence before the House of Commons, that the Nabob's horse were useful in pursuing the fugitives, after Colonel Forde's victory.

Footnote 79:

When Clive wrote to M. Bisdom to warn him against the danger to be feared from the advance of the Nabob's army, he offered protection, in his own house, to Mrs. Bisdom, and any ladies she might bring with her. I extract the following remarks on this subject from a very minute official account of the whole transaction:—"This kind proposal of Colonel Clive was accepted in the manner it deserved; and M. Bisdom's sensible and polite answer manifests his having a suitable sense of the favour, and, at the same time, expresses what was very true, that though, from the rank he held, his name had been very freely used throughout the whole of this transaction, yet his sentiments never went along with it, but that he had always retained that respect for the English nation, and that affection for his friends at Calcutta, which a long acquaintance, and the exchange of reciprocal good offices, had rendered equally sincere on both sides."

Footnote 80:

M. Bisdom, in a letter to Clive, under date the 26th of July, 1759, observes, "With regard to the money sent to Batavia, I have no doubt it will be credited; but, as no vessel has yet arrived, I can at present say no more. As to the remittances to Europe, I must not conceal from you that they are much displeased with the negotiation of the bills, which they think unfavourable to our Company. I can, nevertheless, assure you that your remittance will be paid after the Company's sale. This has been stated to me by an individual of power in the Company. This has been a great mortification to me. I had flattered myself that the transaction would have given equal satisfaction to both parties; and it proves exactly the reverse, which really grieves me. As soon as I hear from Batavia, I will write you."

Footnote 81:

The sunnud, as admiral, is dated the 26th of August, 1759; that constituting them governors of the castle, 4th of September, and the assignment, the 18th of the same month.

Footnote 82:

Clive had, on many occasions, stated his sentiments very freely to the Nabob, both in regard to the character of his son, and the persons by whom that Prince was surrounded, particularly his Dewan Rajah Bullub. The following extract from a letter to Mr. Hastings, dated 21st of September, 1759, will show how decided he was in his opinions upon this subject:—"What you write me," he observes, "about the young Nabob, does not at all surprise me; it was what I always expected. Meer Jaffier's days of folly are without number, and he had, long before this, slept with his ancestors, if the dread of our power and resentment had not been his only security. Sooner or later, I am persuaded, that worthless young dog will attempt his father's overthrow. How often have I advised the old fool against putting too much power into the hands of his nearest relations. Tell him, from me, that Rajah Bullub is an aspiring, ambitious villain; and, if he does not get him removed from his son's presence, he will push him to some violent and unnatural resolution."

Footnote 83:

The letters of Scrafton, Hastings, and Sykes, afford abundant evidence to the truth of the fact, that Meer Jaffier was personally attached to Clive.

Footnote 84:

Letter from Mr. Hastings to Clive, 17th of August, 1759.

Footnote 85:

Muttaseddie means a "clerk;" but the plural term, as here employed, describes all the subordinate civil officers of the government.

Footnote 86:

This letter is dated the 20th of August, 1759. Clive had written to Mr. Pigot a few days before upon the same subject.

Footnote 87:

11th of November, 1757.

Footnote 88:

Holwell's Narrative, p. 156.

Footnote 89:

29th of December, 1758.

Footnote 90:

Id.

Footnote 91:

The grounds of Clive's strong support of Mr. Sulivan appear to have been entirely public. Among other friends, he wrote (29th of December, 1758) to his agent, Mr. Belchier, on this subject:—

"As I have," he observes, "great designs in view for the
advantage of the Company, I must request you will give all your
interest, and that of your friends, in favour of Mr. Sulivan, who,
I am persuaded, will pursue vigorous measures, now become
absolutely necessary."

Footnote 92:

Holwell's Narrative, p. 170.

Footnote 93:

The application is here limited to the government of Bengal.

Footnote 94:

Clive's prediction of the result of affairs in the Carnatic proved, as has been shown, true to the very letter.

Footnote 95:

Although, in point of composition, the despatches of the Indian authorities, both at home and abroad, at this early period of our political administration, will not bear comparison with those of a later date, they exhibit a degree of simplicity and plainness which is both interesting and amusing.

Footnote 96:

In the first general letter to the Governor in Council, at Bengal, dated 21st of January, 1761, the Directors write, "We have taken under our most serious consideration the general letter from our late President and Council of Fort William, dated 29th of December, 1759, and many paragraphs therein contain gross insults upon, and indignities offered to, the Court of Directors, tending to the subversion of our authority over our servants, and a dissolution of all order and good government in the Company's affairs. To put an immediate stop, therefore, to this evil, we do positively order and direct that, immediately upon receipt of this letter, all those persons still remaining in the Company's service, who signed the said letter,—viz. Messrs. John Zephaniah Holwell, Charles Stafford Playdell, William Brightwell Sumner, and William M'Guire,—be dismissed from the Company's service; and you are to take care that they be not permitted, on any consideration, to remain in India, but that they are to be sent to England by the first ships which return home the same season you receive this letter."

Footnote 97:

7th of September, 1759.

Footnote 98:

7th of January, 1760.

Footnote 99:

22d of January, 1760.

Footnote 100:

Meeran.

Footnote 101:

20th of October, 1759.

Footnote 102:

The letter of congratulation, from Mr. Sulivan, is dated the 20th of February, 1758. The following are the concluding paragraphs:—"If your health would allow of a stay sufficient to fix the government of Calcutta (recovered and infinitely extended by Col. Clive) on a solid and lasting basis, the Company are deeply interested in their wishes that you would remain to cherish and establish this noble colony beyond the reach of danger. But should your own preservation determine a return to your native country, may you live to receive the personal thanks of your employers, together with higher honours intended you."

Footnote 103:

29th of December, 1758.

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CHAP. XI.

However important the public services of individuals may be, however entitled to the notice and gratitude of their country, their reputation will lose much of its lustre, or receive additional splendour, from the tenor of their conduct in the different relations of private life. Speculative men may argue, that, if a statesman by his wise counsels, or a general by his military talents, promote the interests and glory of his country, it is of little consequence whether he is moral and virtuous. But such a conclusion is unjust: for men who attain distinction, by becoming objects of imitation, do infinite good or harm in the community to which they belong, by the influence of their example. Few can hope to emulate their higher qualities; but their failings and imperfections are within the reach of every one, and are copied by the lowest, in the belief that they thereby approximate themselves to him whom the public voice has raised to such celebrity. This influence over society renders such persons far more responsible than ordinary men, for every action, and becomes therefore one test by which public characters must be tried. There is, indeed, no way in which we can more satisfactorily confirm our opinion of the superiority of an individual, than by accompanying him into the walks of private life; for we may be assured that no stronger proof of his just title to pre-eminence can be obtained, than his not being intoxicated with his own elevation, and its effecting no alteration in his personal habits, or in the ties of family or of friendship; while, on the other hand, we may pronounce, that he who does not contemplate unchanged and undisturbed his own fame and fortune, is deficient in that simplicity and strength of mind, which are the most essential of all attributes in the composition of a truly great character.

If there be justice in these remarks, the general historian even should not lightly pass over the incidents of the private life of those eminent men whose public deeds it is his duty to record; but with the biographer such facts are of essential importance, not only as they develope the character of the subject of his biography, but as they establish or contradict the sincerity and truth of the alleged motives and principles of his public acts. I am very anxious to do justice to this part of my task, which for the sake of perspicuity I have separated from those official details, which have hitherto occupied so much of our attention. I can only hope the reader will experience the same satisfaction that I have had, in escaping for a time from the description of battles, sieges, crimes, and intrigues, to the less brilliant, though more pleasing subject of domestic habits, and the formation and maintenance of those ties of love and friendship which form the bonds of human society.

I have already spoken of the youth of Clive. In the review of his private life in this chapter I shall limit myself to the period which elapsed from his leaving England in 1756, until his return to that country in 1760.

During his short visit to England in 1753, Clive appears not only to have revived all his family connections, but to have extended very considerably the circle of his personal friends; and on his return to India, we discover that he numbered amongst his correspondents men of the first rank in his native land. Many of his private letters are addressed to Lord Barrington, the Chancellor[104], the Archbishop of Canterbury, and Mr. Henry Fox.

To the first of these noblemen, who was Secretary at War, Clive, in a letter under date the 23d of February, 1757, acknowledges himself under obligations for many marks of friendship, and particularly for his aid "in the election of Mitchell." To Mr. Henry Fox he owns himself indebted for much kindness; and he emphatically addresses him as the "patron and protector of the East India Company." He writes[105] to the Archbishop of Canterbury and the Lord Chancellor in terms which show that he had been honoured with their particular notice and kindness during his short residence in England.

Clive was in Parliament, but only for a few months; during which period, though on friendly terms with some members of the administration, he appears, as far as he engaged in public affairs, to have been in opposition to the King's ministers.[106] It is very evident, from the letters of his father at this period, that though he was disappointed[107], he had established some political influence; for the Duke of Newcastle, before he resigned the situation of Prime Minister, expressed himself most anxious to give his father a situation; and though this promise was never performed, the solicitude the Minister showed on this and other occasions to conciliate Clive's friendship and support, could only have proceeded from an impression of his talent, as he had at this time nothing that could give him any influence on the ground of wealth.

Though Clive's fortune was not large when he returned to England, he had realised, from his prize-money, and from the emoluments of the civil and military stations he had filled, a competence which would have satisfied a less aspiring mind; but he never seems to have even contemplated retirement from public life. Such a step, indeed, was neither consistent with his ambition, nor the generosity of his disposition. His first use of his wealth was to place all his family (and above all, his parents,) in a state of comfortable independence. He greatly added to the joy of his father, by appropriating a part of his fortune to save the family estate of Styche, to relieve which, he probably advanced its full value, as we find that it was transferred to him.[108] His father was delighted at his son becoming the owner of this property. This we see from many letters; and in one[109], written after Clive had sailed for India, he informs him that he had been at "the old place, which," he adds, "I always loved, and have kept the walls from tumbling, in hopes of seeing the new landlord come and take possession."

Clive appears himself to have been quite alive to all those family and local feelings, which have great value as associated with the earliest and most vivid of our recollections and affections. To judge from his private correspondence, no man ever more cherished such ties; for during the busiest periods of his public life, his letters continually refer to his relations and to the scenes of his boyhood; but above all, he speaks of old Styche with a fond familiarity that conveys an idea of the pleasure he must have had in becoming its possessor. Many of his letters upon these subjects are addressed to his father, by whose answer to one of them we may judge of the tone in which they were written. "Your letter," he observes, alluding to himself, "made the _old man_ drop tears of joy, that you still survive with honour and success. May you go on and prosper!"

Clive did not remain two years in England. When he returned to India, accompanied by his lady, they left two infant boys; the eldest, Edward, is the present Lord Powis; the second, Richard, died shortly after the departure of his parents.

The great generosity of Clive to every branch of his family during this short visit to his native country, together with the manner in which he lived, and the expenses of his election, greatly diminished his property[110]; and it would seem from his agent's letters, that he had not, when he returned to India, more than three thousand pounds of money[111]; the interest of which, together with a small annuity he had purchased, he directed to be given to his father[112], whose letters are full of gratitude for the comfort given to his declining age by the liberality of his son.

"I am entirely obliged to you," he observes[113], in one of these now before me, "for the comfortable subsistence I may expect from your generosity, if I should live a few years longer. If among the dead, don't forget the old place of our nativity; but let Ned[114] reside there. If the Judge[115] does not take him, (as I think he will, if her Ladyship pleases,) he will soon be with us, and will divert me in the decline of life. I shall be desirous of living a little longer, in hopes of seeing the joyful day when you and my daughter return to England; but whatever events may happen before that time, God only knows, to whose pleasure I desire to submit."

The house of Styche had been given by Clive as a residence to his uncle, Mr. Robert Clive, who, with the other branches of the family, appears to have taken an interest in its being improved and beautified. I cannot refrain from making an extract from one of his letters on the subject.

"Things go on," he writes[116], "as usual at Styche, and I enjoy a very comfortable existence, under your roof. My income enables me to keep house while the family are in town; and when they come down, I am glad to see them. Aunt Fanny is with me this winter. I am in hopes of seeing you here again, and your most amiable lady, to whom I beg my most affectionate compliments. O that these next ships might bring you over! But I am well assured, your desire is towards your native country and your friends, and that you will be with us as soon as you can. Styche is now leased to a tenant; but as the term is expired within about two years, I think it will be better not to renew it but only from year to year, that you may be able to make such alterations as you please when you come to England. Mr. Mackworth has consented to our having a road over the meadows, and we have built a bridge for that purpose, which is a great convenience; many more might be thought of and had, were you here with one of Rajah Dowlah's millions. In the mean time, if you think of any thing that you would have done, I shall think myself honoured by a commission from you."

Clive's return to India in 1755, and the successes which attended him during the three following years, attracted more of the public notice from being contrasted with the reverses which had attended the British arms in Europe and America during this unpropitious period.

The success at Gheriah even, which (had the public mind not been full of disappointment) would probably not have been mentioned, was spoken of in all the newspapers of the day as an achievement of importance.

Mr. Smyth King, in a letter to Clive[117], observes, when alluding to this event; "The news of your success could not have reached England at a season more advantageous for the increase of your reputation; a season in which there was a general clamour and indignation for the ignominy that had been brought on our arms by the losses in the Mediterranean and North America, of which you will hear so much: I need not say any thing. The consequence has been driving out all the Ministry, Duke of Newcastle, Lord Chancellor, Mr. Fox, &c. &c. Mr. Pitt, and a new set in the Treasury and Admiralty, are now the steersmen: they have set out well at the opening of Parliament: how long they will continue in the good course, time will show. You will easily imagine how opportune and grateful the taking of Gheriah was, notwithstanding the distance of the place, and its not being so generally known. Colonel Clive was again in all the newspapers. I believe you have made a maxim of what I have somewhere read, that 'a man who has got himself a great name should every now and then strike some _coup d'éclat_, to keep up the admiration of the people.'"

The capture of Calcutta, the taking of Chandernagore, the battle of Plassey, and the dethronement and death of Suraj-u-Dowlah, with the elevation of Meer Jaffier, were events which, at any time, would have excited attention; but the impression they made was greatly increased by the depressed state of the public mind at the moment when intelligence of their occurrence reached England. They were hailed by all ranks, as redeeming, in some degree, the national reputation that had been lost in other quarters of the globe.

We meet, in a letter from his friend Mr. King, a concise and vivid description of the causes which combined at this period to raise Clive's fame in England.

"You are too well assured," that gentleman observes[118], "of the joy I must have felt at the news of your great actions, for me to profess it: they can add nothing to my admiration of your military capacity, which was at the height, with what you had achieved for several years. I can only tell you, what your love to your country will make you sorry for, that your conduct shines with a peculiar brightness, from the unglorious doings of our leaders of armies and admirals of fleets in Europe; and that the name of a Clive is made use of in the public papers to reproach and stimulate his superiors in rank, but not in fame. That you may judge how little we have to boast of at home, I will give you a compendium of our exploits since the beginning of the war.

"You already know Minorca is taken, for which Admiral Byng was shot, and Blakeney, who defended it, adorned with a title and a riband, though it is at this time undetermined whether his merit or demerit was the greater. Lord Loudon went to America last year, with a great number of troops and a strong fleet. All that we have heard from thence is, that the French have taken several of our forts, but that we have taken none of theirs, nor otherwise incommoded them.

"The Duke of Cumberland, in the beginning of the summer, put himself at the head of a German army, to defend the Electorate of Hanover; but after the loss of a battle, and being driven from post to post, was necessitated to capitulate with the French General, Duke de Richelieu, and signed a convention, whereby those favourite dominions are to be possessed by the French King till he shall think proper to evacuate them. His Royal Highness, a few days after his arrival in England, resigned all his commissions. Ligonier is made Commander-in-chief of the army. Less than two months ago, a fleet of about thirty ships of the line, commanded by three admirals, attended with a number of transports, carrying ten thousand land forces and three general officers, a noble train of artillery, and every thing proportionable, sailed upon a secret expedition; so secret, that it was never divulged, till this pompous armada of near a hundred sail arrived at Spithead, then was it known that the design had been against Rochelle; but that, after holding councils of war for five days, in sight of the coast, it was judged proper to sail home again and attempt nothing, for the Isle of Aix may be called nothing. Thus has a million been expended to set the people in an uproar. The Parliament is to meet in a fortnight; when it is expected they will find out, as Shakspeare says,—

"'The cause of this effect,
Or rather say, the cause of this defect,
For this effect defective comes by cause!'"

The name of Clive was heard every where: we are assured the King himself spoke of the Indian hero in the most flattering terms. Lord Ligonier asked his Majesty, "Whether the young Lord Dunmore might go as a volunteer to the army of the King of Prussia?" Leave was refused. "May he not join the Duke of Brunswick?" was the next request. "Pshaw!" said the King, "what can he learn there? If he want to learn the art of war, let him go to Clive!"[119]

But a higher honour was reserved for Clive, and one he valued more than all others. His name was not only brought forward, but held forth as an example, by the celebrated William Pitt. That statesman, in his speech on the Mutiny Bill, after adverting to the late disgraces which had attended the British arms, said, "We had lost our glory, honour, and reputation every where but in India. There the country had a heaven-born general who had never learned the art of war, nor was his name enrolled among the great officers who had for many years received their country's pay. Yet was he not afraid to attack a numerous army with a handful of men." After this he drew a character of Clive, which excited the admiration of every one, but above all, of the father of the distinguished individual whose name was honoured by such praise. The above extract of Mr. Pitt's panegyric is from his letter to his son[120], which is written in the pride of his heart, and concludes in the following words: "Thus you are, with truth, honourably spoke of throughout this nation: may you continue to be so, till you return to your native country, and to the embraces of an aged father!"

Clive, in 1758, had written to his father to try whether he could not obtain the appointment of General Governor of India. I do not find among his manuscripts any copy of his letter on this subject, which is to be regretted, as the notice taken of the suggestion by his friends proves, that his clear and penetrating mind saw, and desired to avert, the evils which were likely to result from the three presidencies (extended as our connections with native states had become) continuing to be ruled by distinct and independent authorities.