Page:John Russell Colvin.djvu/190

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182
JOHN RUSSELL COLVIN

to the Commander-in-Chief. Menaces are quite unnecessary. Those for whom no severity could be too great are — every man in arms resisting the Commander-in-Chief; every man who had taken part in the murder of an European officer or other person; every ringleader; generally, a distinction should be drawn between regiments which murdered their officers and those which did not. 'To men of the latter, forbearance in the first instance and hope of pardon, if they could show a claim to it, may be extended.' A few hours before receiving Lord Canning's reply, Mr. Colvin sent to Lord Canning the text of the following Proclamation which he had that day issued. The event which led to it was the sudden mutiny of a contingent of Gwalior cavalry, the only horse which he had at his disposal. The incident proved to him that, if others might be dissuaded from following their example, no time must be lost in addressing them. On May 25 he had heard not a word from the Commander-in-Chief, and he still looked for the early recapture of Delhi. Animated by this expectation, he hoped to lessen the number of those who might be misled by the mutiny leaders: —

'Soldiers engaged in the late disturbances, who are desirous of going to their own homes, and who give up their arms at the nearest Government civil or military post, and retire quietly, shall he permitted to do so unmolested.

'Many faithful soldiers have been driven into resistance to Government only because they were in the ranks and could not escape from them, and because they really thought their feelings of religion and honour injured by the measures